Practice Manager Diana Bonner is having her multi-tasking skills put to the test with the arrival of her first grandchild. Madeleine Joyce Bonner born to Teisha and son Matthew on February 1st 2010. 7lb15oz. Prepare to hear all the details next time you visit the front desk!

Mornington Osteopathy and The Sports Injury Clinic Frankston.

But there are new techniques where improvements have been made, especially with regard to reducing complications and speeding recovery.

The technique some surgeons use is called anterior hip replacement, one of several minimally invasive operations that are associated with a shorter hospital stay, smaller incision, less trauma to muscles, less pain and blood loss, reduced risk of dislocation after surgery, faster healing and a quicker return to normal activities. The operation was introduced in the United States more than two decades ago by Dr. Joel M. Matta of the St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., who also helped design a special operating table to simplify the procedure.
Another minimally invasive form of hip replacement, the PATH technique, was developed by a Los Angeles orthopedist, Dr. Brad L. Penenberg
The usual reasons for hip replacement are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic arthritis, all of which can cause pain and stiffness that limit mobility and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Most patients try less drastic measures — manual therapy, medications (pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs and glucosamine supplements), injections of hyaluronic acid and walking aids — before deciding that surgery is their best hope for escaping chronic pain and disability.

To appreciate the potential benefits of minimally invasive methods, it helps to know how hip replacements are usually done.
General or spinal anesthesia is used for the operation, which typically takes one to two hours. An incision 25 to 30 centimetres long is made through the muscles on the side of the hip to expose the hip joint, and the diseased bone tissue and cartilage are removed. An artificial socket is then implanted into the pelvic bone and a metal stem is inserted into the thigh bone, the top of which is replaced by a metallic ball to create a ball-and-socket joint that mimics the function of a natural hip joint.

The average hospital stay is four or five days, followed in most cases by extensive rehabilitation. Patients are told not to cross their legs or bend at the hip more than 90 degrees after surgery — in some cases indefinitely, because these motions can cause dislocation of the replaced joint that requires a repeat operation.
Possible complications of the surgery include blood clots, infection, fracture and a change in leg length. Possible delayed complications include dislocation of the new joint, breaking or loosening of the prosthesis and stiffening of the tissues around the joint. Although modern materials have extended the life of implants to 20 years or so, they can eventually wear out and require replacement.

Studies comparing long-term results of minimally invasive hip replacement with more traditional surgery have had mixed results, and all forms of hip replacement have benefited from improved anesthetic and pain management techniques. Surgeons who routinely use less invasive methods maintain that there are decided advantages for most patients, even though the operation itself can take somewhat longer.
Perhaps most important is that major muscles in the buttocks and thigh that help to stabilize the hip joint are not cut, reducing the risk of dislocation and speeding recovery. Patients spend less time in the hospital and return to normal life more quickly.
It takes time to become adept at the procedure, as with any complex surgery. In choosing a surgeon, ask how many of the operations the surgeon has done using the proposed technique and with what results.
Regardless of the type of operation it helps to have supporting muscles as strong as possible before surgery, perhaps through several sessions with a physical therapist if the patient’s condition allows it.

Every now and then a patient wonders aloud when spinal replacements will become available. Soon to be released thriller Repo Men imagines a future where advanced artificial body parts, including segments of spine, are sold and installed. The twist in the story is that failure to pay your bill will result in a rather messy repossession. A faux web site has been put up to help promote the film and is worth a look if you have a large wallet and a vivid imagination. As with most things Hollywood there’s a lot wrong with many of their premises. For a start the spinal segment in this image is upside down!

I knew he had a damaged left ankle but couldn’t reconcile what I saw with what I expected. If that left ankle was stiff and limited in movement then why wasn’t I seeing the evidence? I’d convinced myself that it wasn’t moving as well but it wasn’t until later when I had a chance to compare the ankles that I realised repetitive ankle injury had left Michaels ankle hyper-mobile with the result that it flopped around when he pedalled. Osteopathy is a very hand’s on treatment approach and it’s often surprising what you discover once you examine a patient. Preconceived ideas are put aside once a proper examination has been conducted. There is no substitute for a such an approach, it takes time but it’s always worth the effort. Meanwhile, for the cycling tragics out there, here’s a look inside the Baum workshop…

A lot of us are concerned about being unbalanced from side to side with short legs and pelvic tilts of all kinds of unfathomable complexity. Trying to somehow straighten ourselves up from these kind of difficulties is not only more or less impossible it is also of doubtful value.
Although there many variations of postural problems that we have in our front to back balance the vast majority follow a similar pattern.

Just for now, never mind how we get there, but the hunched, swayed, slumped posture follows a logical but depressing pattern. We end up with our body weight concentrated above our toes rather than the mid foot. We brace our legs at the knee and hip joints thrust our hips forward so that even those lucky enough to be thin cannot see their toes. The low back is strained into more of a hollow than is good for it. The mid and upper back is excessively rounded allowing our shoulder blades into the “round shouldered” posture. Our neck pokes forward, like a tortoise and, so we can see where we are going, our head makes a last desperate effort to bend back.

The possibilities for where this sorry progression can cause pain are endless, but the most common ones are low back pain or girdle type rib pains on prolonged standing (so bus stops, bars and local footy games are a no no) and lower neck and upper back pain which can progress to headaches at the computer or behind the wheel.

So how do we get out of this sorry mess?

Read the full article…

…and that’s something to be grateful for by the looks of this ‘”choir”. We promise never to give up our day jobs and don’t worry, we don’t allow accordions on the premises despite Miles’ assurance that they have therapeutic benefits!

As from January 4th we are delighted to be able to announce that Mornington Osteopathy will be consulting on Mondays and Thursdays at The Sports Injury Clinic in Frankston at 361 Nepean Highway.

TSIC has a well deserved reputation as the place to go for manual therapy treatment in Frankston and with their recent expansion they now intend to provide a truly comprehensive approach for the treatment of musculo-skeletal injuries. This will offer our patients a much better location and access to much better facilities with regular classes held in a variety of disciplines. We will have access to specialist medical practitioners, gym classes and with over 1,000 patients a week passing through the doors we also feel it’s a great way to provide osteopathic treatment to a ever wider range of people.

At any time of the week you can call TSIC directly to make an appointment on 03 9783 9990.