Is antibiotic appropriate for arthritic knee?

September 1, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am being encouraged to try tetracycline therapy for my arthritic knee. Is this a legitimate therapy to avoid surgery?

DEAR READER: Information obtained from the U.S. Library of Medicine, as reported by the Division of Rheumatology in Toronto, Ontario, regarding an October 2003 study, indicated published trials had been hand-searched for further identification of reports and presentations regarding this very subject. Of the 10 randomized trials that included 535 individuals, only three were considered to be of high quality, and elements of bias could not be excluded in the remainder.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column, Leading Letter Tagged With: ,

Injection may delay knee surgery

May 20, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: You receive a lot of requests about knee-pain treatments versus surgery, but I have never seen you mention Synvisc-One. I’m 80 years old and have had two injections over the past two and a half years. They last a year or more and take effect a few weeks following the injection.

DEAR READER: This 2009 FDA-approved medication contains hylan polymers, produced from chicken comb. It is similar to the fluid that surrounds the joints of your body and acts as a lubricant. It is injected directly into the intra-articular space inside the knee and is prescribed for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain in patients who have failed to respond to more conservative therapy. A single dose is reported to reduce pain for up to 26 weeks.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column Tagged With: , , , ,

Clicking knees drive patient crazy

March 31, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: One year after having had both knees replaced, any pain I previously had is gone. Problem solved? No. A few weeks (after surgery) that turned into months, and now one year later, my knees (both) still click with every step I take. There is no pain involved, just annoyance. At times, it feels as if my new knees are rattling around in there. My wife and I enjoy walking in our development, but it is driving me nuts. I asked my doctor about it, and his comment is that all patients’ knees click to some extent. My question to you is, how can I eliminate or at least reduce this annoying problem?

DEAR READER: While I don’t have a ball or X-ray vision, my first guess is that you are likely experiencing normal noises. This is because if your knee replacement were tightened too much, you would likely experience lost range of motion and pain. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column, Leading Letter Tagged With: , ,

Childhood joint pain and fainting in the elderly

February 8, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Regarding your past columns about “growing pains,” I had such severe pain in my knees as a young teen that I could barely walk. I was told it was due to a growth spurt and to just learn to live with it. I had no fevers, redness or swelling, but just a few years later was hit with MCTD, including rheumatoid arthritis. I am happy that you told the child’s granny to look for other symptoms, such as fever, etc., but I think the pediatrician should have looked into doing some blood work to rule out other possibilities.

On another topic: For all those elderly people out there who have “fainting fits,” the “woozies” or the “spins,” drink a couple of glasses of water. My dad used to conk out for no apparent reason, and it usually turned out that he did not consume enough fluids and overused laxatives. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column, Leading Letter Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Bow legs no laughing matter

August 1, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I really enjoy reading your column and hope you can help me deal with a problem. Ten years ago I went to Mayo Clinic with health problems. The rheumatologist was not helpful, nor did she tell me what was wrong with me. She only laughed at me, telling me how bow legged I was. I was so shocked and hurt that I could barely drive myself home.

Last year I went to a different rheumatologist in a different state because of knee pain no one could explain. Again, the doctor did the same thing. I was so shocked I could barely talk. I walked out of his office after he left me feeling angry. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column, Leading Letter Tagged With: , ,

Octogenarian wants to dance again

July 16, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am an active 80-year-old female in good health. I’m writing about an injury to my left knee that occurred in December 2007 while dancing. In the same month, I fell down while bowling, injuring both my knee and back. The doctors diagnosed me with spinal stenosis and damaged cartilage of the knee.

I’ve since had chiropractic treatments and massage therapy but am unable to continue due to financial difficulties. I saw an orthopedic surgeon but to my dismay, he didn’t refer me for any treatment. Instead, he administered a cortisone shot and asked that I return for a follow-up visit in three months. Follow-up visits were disappointing as he did not even try to refer me for therapy or anything beneficial to my injury.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column, Leading Letter Tagged With: , , , , ,

Daily Column

August 7, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I had been bothered with knee pain for two weeks. While I know that’s not a long time for some people, I’d never had the problem before, so two weeks felt like an eternity. I thought I might have arthritis or simply wrenched my knee without remembering it.

Because I really don’t like taking any drugs, a friend gave me cooling Castiva to rub on the knee. I tried it and the pain disappeared a short while later. After only one treatment the pain was gone. I don’t know if all topical salves work in the same manner, but I had to share my experience with you so others might be helped.

DEAR READER:
While all products don’t work for all people, I’m glad you had favorable results with Castiva. Many of my readers have tried it and found it be beneficial. Like you, many of them also did not like taking medication. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Daily Column Tagged With: ,