The English language bears a special romance for the shoulder. We all need a shoulder to cry on -especially when we shoulder life’s burdens. A shrug of the shoulders shows indifference – the cold shoulder, hostility. The broad shoulders of Atlas support the world, while the fortunes of the Dodgers rest on the $215 million dollar left shoulder of Clayton Kershaw.
Continue ReadingOsteoporosis
Throughout life, our bones are in a constant state of turnover -new bone replaces old. In growing children, more bone is added than removed. By age 20, the skeleton has matured and the rates of bone growth and removal are equal. At 40, bone loss begins to exceed our ability to replace it. If losses reach a critical level, bone may be seriously weakened. This is osteoporosis.
Continue ReadingAll About Gout
Gout has been with us since antiquity. In the 4th Century BC, Hippocrates observed that gout was rarely seen in women before the menopause. The word gout comes from the Latin “gutta,” a medieval reference to a drop of evil humour in a painful, reddened great toe. Cartoons of the 17th century often depicted the gout sufferer as a prosperous, portly, wine swelling nobleman. Today, among the more than 100 varieties of arthritis, gout is perhaps the most treatable (and “curable”) of all.
Continue ReadingTendinitis: rheumatism meets the computer age
These days, our fingers seem to be constantly typing on cell phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, video games and a host of other electronic devices. Many patients complain that they are “working the fingers to the bone.” They’re learning, the hard way, about tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Continue ReadingWhat is arthritis?
Sometimes, this is the very first question I am asked –in the exam room, or on the lecture circuit. Arthritis is inflammation of the joints, causing redness, swelling, stiffness, warmth and soreness.
Continue ReadingWelcome to Arthritis NewsLine
Welcome to our new website! The web presents a new way for us to introduce our practice to new patients, and to keep in touch with our “extended family.” Look for new features on topics of interest. And be sure to send your questions and suggestions. Cordially, Alan R. Schenk, M.D., FACP
Continue Reading