(NAPSA)—It’s one of the saddest-and most painful-ironies of modern life. Hundreds of thousands of Americans who are doing their bodies good by engaging in active, heart-healthy lifestyles are also wreaking havoc on their knees, hips, elbows, and shoul- ders. The Baby Boomers’ enthusiasm for running,hiking, golfing, tennis and other popular “Weekend Warrior”-type activities has ushered in an unprecedented tide ofjoint disease. The Centers for Disease Control and the Arthritis Foundation predict that 21.4 million Americans will suffer from arthritis in 2005. Baby boomers seem to be one of the fastest growing segments seeking treatment. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, thirty five thousand baby boomers had hip replacements in 2001, making up 21% ofall procedures performed that year, up from 16% in 1997. Until recently, many doctors had little to offer these patients other than pain medicine andprescription drugs. Jack Nicklaus was one of those people. For nearly four decades the golf legend and winner of 20 major championships endured the searing pain associated with deteriorating hip cartilage. Up until a few years ago, Nicklaus had alarmingly few options. Throughout his 40 years of symptoms and suffering, doctors had remained reluctant to recommend a hip replacement. Nicklaus’ age Joint Pain Prevention Tips from Jack Nicklaus, Ceramic Hip Replacement Recipient and Professional Athlete: Maintain a healthy die-—eat a balanced diet, high in antioxidants. Reducedaily stress—stress is a common triggerfor joint pain. Maintain an active lifestyle—be sure to exercise regularly, half hour per day, 3-4 days per week. Lose excess weight—body weightinduces unnecessarystress on joints and causes pain. Don't ignore recurring joint pain—gosee your doctor. Prevent exercise injuriese—warm upbefore exercising, always stretch properly and vary muscle groups. @ and activity level madeit all too likely that he would have to undergo repeat surgeries because existing implant technologies were susceptible to wear. As the pain grew, so did the limits on hislife. “Joint pain affected my everyday activities. I had trouble walking, driving, even playing with my grandchildren,” said Nicklaus. It was the loss of those everyday pleasures—andnot the inability to play golf—that drove Nicklaus to push his doctors for a total hip replacement. Luckily for Nicklaus, that push coincided with the release of an innovative new implant technology with enough durability and longevity to con- vince his doctors that hip replacement was the courseto follow. The new technology was a ceramic-on-ceramic implant developed by orthopedic industry leader Stryker Orthopaedics. The artificial joint uses a ceramic material that is second only to diamond in hardness and has demonstrated significantly lower wear versus conventional joint systems in the laboratory. It is expected that these improved wear characteristics will result in a longer-lasting implant. Nicklaus was amongthefirst patients to receive the Stryker ceramic-on-ceramic hip and counts himself as one of its biggest supporters. Within weeks the golf legend was not only back on thegolf course but, far more importantly, playing with his grandchildren. His results have been so positive that he has opted to become Stryker’s spokesperson for a public education campaign on joint pain awareness. Nicklaus hopes that by supporting Stryker’s educational outreach, he can help the growing numberof younger, moreactive Americans suffering from osteoarthritis and other joint dis- eases experience the samerelief he did and get back to the business andjoysof daily life. If you suffer from joint pain, don’t delay, go see your doctor. To learn more about various treatment options available go to wuww.strykerceramics.com or call 1.888.stryker.
