Posted on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Signatures Shares
Coffee with a Doc is a video series where our Signature doctors step out of the office and into local coffee shops to answer common medical questions from patients. In our first episode, Dr. Kevin Quigley of Signature Orthopedics St. Charles shares his orthopedic knowledge at Alpha & Omega Roasting Company in O'Fallon, Missouri.
What are some ways I can keep my bones healthy?
The most important thing is to exercise. Stay as active as you can. Increased activity keeps bones healthy and strong. It also helps with other parts of the body: the muscles, the ligaments, the tendons. It keeps joints nice and loose and mobile.
So I tell people: exercise as much as you can. You don't need to spend four hours in the gym five days a week but a couple days a week of some strengthening exercises is probably a good idea.
Is popping or cracking your knuckles actually bad for you?
No. It is not bad for you.
When you pop a joint the very small amount of fluid that's inside of it shifts from one spot to another. That's the pop that you hear.
What are some conservative treatments for knee arthritis?
We use all different things for arthritis. We start with braces which sometimes give a knee joint a little extra support. We use anti-inflammatory medication. If people aren't on a joint supplement I think that can be helpful.
There are various types of injections. I think cortisone injections kind of get a bad rap. They're generally pretty safe as long as you don't get them too frequently.
Gel injections - sometimes called viscosupplementation - can kind of help lubricate the knee. It's kind of like WD-40 for the knee. +
Tags
- coffee with a doc
- kevin j. quigley
- orthopedics