How to Avoid Knee Pain and Surgery
Dear Patient,
A recent article out of Germany states a procedure that changed the position of the knee joint shows promise that knee cartilage can regenerate and knee replacements can be avoided.
In nearly 40 years of practice, Dr. Charles has had good success in helping patients avoid knee replacement surgery. In his professional opinion, this is due to a realignment procedure he developed using a specialized device where he glides the knee joint—usually the tibia bone—back into proper alignment. He feels this helps prevent joint degeneration and allows the cartilage to regenerate; especially when combined with percussion therapy, which releases deep fascial restrictions and generates a mild piezo-electric effect to assist fluid flow in the joint.
Reportedly, there are approximately 800,000 knee replacements in the United States yearly (3.6 million worldwide) and Dr. Charles believes the two most important factors for avoiding knee pain and surgery are:
1. Keeping the knee in proper alignment—he puts at least one person’s knee in place every day.
2. Keeping your weight down—every additional 10 pounds equates to 40 pounds of pressure on your knees.
Common activities that rotate the tibia out of alignment include: driving, getting out of a chair, and rotational movements in sports such as baseball, basketball, lacrosse, and golf.
Obviously, this principle applies to all the joints of your body; from your neck, ribs, and lower back to your shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, and ankles. Keeping your fascia covering every joint supple; your muscles firing properly; your 206 bones in alignment, and your nerves free of impingement might be the best answer to avoiding joint degeneration and the healthiest way to enjoy pain-free mobility.
NOTE: Most pain medications—including Advil, Motrin, Aleve, and aspirin—inhibit cartilage production and potentially accelerate joint breakdown. See here for more information: https://www.amjmed.com/article/0002-9343(87)90848-5/abstract
Here is the study mentioned above: Knee Distraction Shows Promise in Severe Osteoarthritis: Medscape News Europe
Best regards,
Donna and Dr. Charles
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Grip Strength as a Predictor of Health
Dear Patient,
We hope you had a nice Holiday Season.
A landmark study (see below) showed that grip strength is a powerful indicator of overall health—reportedly, more important than blood pressure readings.
As we start the new year, Dr. Charles would like to measure your grip strength using a Hand Dynamometer at the beginning of the year to get a baseline—and test it quarterly.
Those of you come in regularly—weekly or monthly—are good to go. Those of you who come in less frequently, may want to get in when you can.
NOTE: The idea is not to increase your grip by squeezing a ball or hanging from a bar—but to improve your functional strength through spinal realignments and kinesiological therapies—with grip strength test results being a window into your overall health, now and down the road.
Be well,
Donna and Dr. Charles
Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study - The Lancet
"This study suggests that measurement of grip strength is a simple, inexpensive risk-stratifying method for all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and cardiovascular disease."
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Brain’s Waste Clearance System Implicated in Dementia
Dear Patient,
As you know, Dr. Charles believes that treating the muscles of the neck and skull can help preserve brain and nervous system health by allowing waste products to drain properly from the brain. He is excited to see that new research is validating his theory of maintaining brain health in a recently published article and wants to share it with you:
Brain’s Waste Clearance System Implicated in Dementia
Intervening in the pathways that disrupt the brain’s waste clearance system could help prevent or slow Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
While it is encouraging that science is agreeing with Dr. Charles’ theory; they are not yet acknowledging that his approach of regularly (weekly, monthly or at least quarterly) releasing tension in the neck and skull are straightforward ways of increasing the brain’s waste clearance system. Perhaps one day soon...
Several of you have mentioned that you try to tell your friends and colleagues that they should see Dr. Charles to at least keep their brain healthy and possibly prevent things like dementia and Alzheimer's disease down the road—especially guys who play or have played sports and “had their bell rung”— or those who hold tension in their neck and jaw. Feel free to share this with some of these same guys to better explain how Dr. Charles can help drain their brains.
Be well,
Donna and Dr. Charles