Joint Effort: What Do Your Knees Need? (NAPSA)—Millions of Ameri- cans suffer from chronic knee pain each year and many choose to remain silent about it. But as more and more people are working to be healthier and more active—particularly later in life—it’s more important than ever for them to care for their knees and prevent injury. The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the body, and is vital for movement. Approximately 19 million visits are made to the orthopaedic surgeon each year for knee problems, with bone and joint problems among the most disabling and costly medical issues in the United States. Arthritis is often the first ill- ness suspected, but knees are vulnerable to many different diseases and conditions, such as torn ligaments or bone fractures. Every patient’s circumstance and knee condition is different. Often with orthopaedic conditions and injuries, there is more than one form of treatment. To make sure your treatment matches your needs, your doctor will consider several things, including age, activity level and general health. Site For Sore Knees The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recently launched a Webportal to serve as a one-stop authority on knee health. The site is compre- hensive, interactive and full of multimedia information focused on your knees. Visitors to saveyourknees.org can learn how to keep knees healthy, perform strengthening exercises, avoid common knee problems and prevent knee injuries, and learn about possible treatments, includ- ~ a Because everyone’s knees are different, a new Web site offers questions to ask your doctor should you have a problem. ing both nonsurgical and surgical options. There is even a Kids Corner, where kids can build a skeleton, fill in a crossword puzzle and learn about the knees in a fun and different way. The site includes such helpful information as: Details on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)injuries; Statistics on knee replacement procedures—542,000 were performed in the U.S. in 2006; * Questions to ask your doctor when yougoin for treatment; * Injury preventiontips; A safety guide for young athletes; and Tips on staying healthy and making sure your knees serve you well at every age. All the articles on the site are reviewed by orthopaedic surgeons to ensure that they contain the most accurate and comprehensive information available. To learn more, call 847-384-4036 or visit www.saveyourknees.org.
