Spine and Sports Medicine NYC

Spine and Sports Medicine is a comprehensive NYC office providing medical doctors, physical therapy & extensive diagnostic and therapeutic services. Medical Doctors Physical Therapy Chiropractic Acupuncture Massage Therapy Sports Medicine Pain Management Located at 275 Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Call us for an appointment at 212.986.3888

[spineandsports]

Stay Tuned!

Our blog is currently going through some construction. Please come back soon and visit our brand new blog filled with new medical content!

[spineandsports]

Thinking Of You. Hope You're Safe & Sound.

We're thinking of those affected by Hurricane Sandy. We hope you're safe and sound.

[mothernaturenetwork]

A stunning map of Hurricane Sandy’s winds Sandy’s hurricane-force winds influenced wind patterns across a third of the United States.

[oahficw]

Bored of regular trees? What about these super trees from a park, sorry, superpark, in Singapore? More in our latest post. 

[spineandsports]

Spine and Sports CLOSED - Hurricane Sandy

Because of Hurricane Sandy we are closed today. Please take all precautions and be safe! If you have any questions about your appointments, you can give us a call tomorrow at 212.986.3888. 

[spineandsports]

EWG's 2012 Guide to Pesticides in Produce

[siphotos]

After 28 years as NBA Commissioner, David Stern announced that he’ll resign his post in 2014. In this photo, just his second year on the job, Stern and the world champion Lakers visit Ronald Reagan in The White House. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

IN FOCUS: David Stern’s career in photos 

[yaleuniversity]

Continuing our celebration of National Food Day, here’s another question: how much sugar does your favorite drink contain?

For more fascinating food facts, visit the ongoing Big Food Exhibit at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Illustration: Emmanuel Quartey. See more Yale data visualizations »

[thehonestpalate-blog]

Hey guys, did you know Yale University has a tumblr and they make cool and helpful infographics like this one?  

Neither did I, but we do now.  Phew.  

[spineandsports]

Foot Pain a Common Problem in NYC

The average person walks more than 115,000 miles in a lifetime (in NYC it might be closer to 150,000 miles). Every walking step you take exerts pressure on your feet up to three times your body weight. Running exerts pressure up to ten times your body weight. We cram our feet into ill-fitting shoes, subject them to the unnatural angles of high heels, pound them on pavement and asphalt, smother them in airless socks and shoes, or simply stand on them for hours on end. It's no wonder that the skin, 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 ligaments in each of our feet sometimes can't stand up to the pressure. Shin splints, bunions, heel spurs, nail problems, swelling, inflammation and soreness, as well as knee and back pain are common injuries caused by walking and running. 

Women are especially at risk. Of the 356 women involved in a survey by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Association, 80% had some kind of foot pain... No surprise when you consider 88% of them were wearing shoes that were smaller than their feet.

“Ankle and foot pain can typically be caused by acute injury, repetitive stress as in running or sports, or by other parts of the body referring pain to that area. It can even be caused by improper footwear or by the way you walk. Finding the cause and getting the appropriate treatment is essential in helping you move around the city with ease and without pain.”

- Dr. Brian Kessler, Medical Director at Spine and Sports Medicine

New York foot pain is a very common problem because of the walking culture and constant pounding on New York City pavement. If you're experiencing foot or ankle pain NYC, call us at 212.986.3888 to schedule an appointment or get more information on how you can get on the road to recovery.  

[ahealthblog]

[spineandsports]

Sore From Your Workout? Try An Ice Bath!

Ice baths may reduce muscles soreness 15-20% after a vigorous workout. Because there may be negative side effects to frequent ice baths, save them for after extreme workouts.

Cold-Water (Ice) Baths

Ideal water temperature = 54-59 °F

Cold tap water may be cold enough but add a couple trays of ice to be sure.

Your first ice bath should only last 30 seconds-1minute.

You can increase the duration every week, 1-5 minutes is ample time.

Don't take an ice bath after every workout! 

[oahficw]

What about a bike lane? New York City is testing local enthusiasm for bike infrastructure by reconsidering formerly shelved plans for a bike lane. 

[spineandsports]

Dancing with the Stars dancer, Melissa Rycroft, visits the Spine and Sports Medicine NYC office to have an official examination by expert Dr. Brian Kessler.  She awaits her diagnosis, preparing for the possibility of not partaking in the show any longer.

[haaretz]

A bicycle made almost entirely of cardboard has the potential to change transportation habits from the world’s most congested cities to the poorest reaches of Africa, its Israeli inventor says.

Izhar Gafni’s lightweight, cheap bicycle, made almost entirely of cardboard, can be given to poor for free and recycled if broken. Read more.

[realcleverscience]

This is an amazing article and invention. In case you’re wondering, they expect you’ll be able to buy these for around $20 - but due to various government incentives, and advertising on the bike, they’re hoping to be able to provide them for free in many poor areas! Really amazing stuff!

Oh, and seems to be quite green! (Though I wouldn’t mind some more info about that.)

Check out the link, and also the video on that page!

P.s. It’s waterproof.

[spineandsports]

Almond Milk: Benefits & Drawbacks

Why Drink Almond Milk?

Tastes great, thicker than rice milk, thinner than regular milk.

Made up of almonds (nutritious nuts).

A variety of flavors are available (we recommend vanilla).

Can store at room temperature for weeks before opening.

Recommended Brand: Make it yourself! Learn how here.

Drawbacks

Sweeteners used are not always specified.

Very strong almond flavor (some love it, some hate it).

Less nutrition in sugars and fats than in real milk.

Via "Milk Part 4: Milk Alternatives"

[spineandsports]

Sick? Could Gluten Be The Cause

Gluten is a mixture of plant proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and corn and has been linked to a variety of health problems and digestive issues. More recently, gluten-free has become an increasingly popular health and lifestyle choice for a small group of the population - with good reason. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people with gluten sensitivity had a higher risk of death, mostly caused by cancer and heart disease.

Gluten-related health problems have continued to rise in recent years and despite the increase in popularity amongst a small community of health-food seekers and organic lovers, gluten awareness has remained limited with the overall population. The increase in consumption of processed foods has likely contributed to the increase in gluten-related health issues because almost all processed foods contain gluten. In addition, the wheat engineered today contains more gluten than the natural wheat that was grown decades ago. 

Health Problems Caused or Worsened by Gluten Consumption

Anxiety

Depression

Osteoporosis

Anemia

Fatigue

Lupus

Migraines

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Arthritis

Over 40 more according to New England Journal of Medicine

How to Avoid Gluten-Related Health Problems

Remove gluten from your diet!

Take probiotics to restore your intestinal flora balance.

[springwiseintelligence]

Michigan hospital builds a greenhouse and grows its own organic produce

We’ve seen numerous examples of grocery stores building rooftop greenhouses and then selling the resulting produce, and we’ve even seen a company set up to help others do the same. What we hadn’t spotted until just recently, however, is a hospital taking similar steps. Enter Michigan’s Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, which launched an organic greenhouse of its own earlier this year. READ MORE…