Spring 2013 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

Tips forDealingwithBack Aches and PainsMost of us will experience back pain at some point. Prepare for this almostinevitable fact of life by learning how to safely relieve lower back pain.REST RIGHT: Start by taking pressure and weight off your back. Achievethis by lying on the floor on your back and either placing pillows under yourknees, or bending your hips and knees and resting your feet on a chair.KEEP MOVING: Resting your back for one or two days is fine, but anymore and your back muscles could weaken. Instead, walk around for afew minutes every hour. Stretch your back muscles by lying on your backwith your knees bent and slowly raising your left knee to your chest.Press your lower back against the floor and hold for five seconds. Do10 of these exercises for each leg.FIND COMFORT: Medications that relieve pain and swelling can makestaying active easier. For painful back spasms, use a heating pad forabout 20 minutes. If your pain lasts longer than a few weeks, exploreother treatments.Thomas Keucher, M.D.Walter Langheinrich,M.D.Andrew Losiniecki,M.D.Joseph Schnittker, M.D. Stephen Smith, M.D. Robert Yount, M.D.Get Help for Back PainMemorial’s North Central Neurosurgery provides the most recentstate-of-the-art operative and nonoperative treatments for long-termrelief of back and neck pain. If you want to get back to your dailyactivities, contact North Central Neurosurgery at 574-232-7227or visit memorialmedicalgroup.org/neuro.Safe and FastApproach toRemovingTendon PainMemorial Sports Medicine Institute isusing cutting-edge surgical technologyto help people suffering from tendonpain. The FAST TM Technique(Fasciotomy and Surgical Tenotomy)is minimally invasive surgery thatremoves tendonscar tissue inpeople of all ages.How it works:A local anesthetic1 numbs theaffected area.The person isfully awake theentire time.The doctor uses2 conventionalMark Lavallee, M.D.,CSCS, FACSMultrasound imaging to identify thelocation of the scar tissue.Once the scar tissue is located,3 a small instrument—smallerthan a pencil—is inserted into it. Theinstrument delivers ultrasonic energyspecifically designed to break upand remove damaged tissue safelyand quickly, without disturbing thesurrounding healthy tendon tissue.After the scar tissue is removed,4 the tiny opening is closed usingonly a Band-Aid ® adhesive bandage—no sutures or stitches are needed.The entire procedure takes less than15 minutes.Patients return to normal activitieswithin six weeks. Whether the tendonpain is in your shoulder, knee, elbow,ankle or foot, the FAST Technique is aneffective tool for long-term pain relief.Is the FAST TechniqueRight for You?To learn more about how theFAST Technique can help you,call 574-289-4SMI.16 PULSE | Memorial Hospital of South Bend • 574.647.6800