Ask Dr. Beck

***Leave your questions below and Dr. Beck will cover them on next Wednesday’s call…

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John Hartman
John Hartman
2 years ago

This is John Hartman,. I had an ankle injury 30 years ago while rollerskating. Many pins and plates were used to reconstruct it. I still have the xrays which I could try to send you. I am receiving cortisone shots and usually they work very well keeping the pain at bay for about 4 months. Prior to this I was considering fusion surgery because it was really bad and I could barely walk on it. But as I say, the cortisone is very helpful. I also have a soft, velcro fastening brace prescribed by an orthopedic doctor, which I use when I am doing heavy work or when I know I will be on uneven terrain. It is helpful My questions are:
1. .Should I continue this current practice of the shots? Is there any downside to getting them?
2. Would it make any difference if I had the pins and or plate removed? ( A few have come out on their own) This current dr. thinks it won’t make a difference.
3. What kind of effort should I make to strengthen or rehabilitate the ankle on my own so it will last as long as possible and what would you advise in this regard?

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  John Hartman

Hi John
Thanks for your questions…
Here’s where you can watch the responses Dr. Beck gave to your questions.
https://youtu.be/h5kAopNfH_U
Regards
Bill

Umit
Umit
2 years ago

Hello, I am a 28-year-old male patient. I had lengthening surgery and the method I used was the lon method. I had lengthening with an external fixator for three months, but during this time I was having trouble bending the knee. After the fixator was removed, I continued physical therapy. When I couldn’t get results for the first few months, I went to different physical therapy centers and tried my luck, but I couldn’t get any results. Right now my left knee reach 90 degree ( passive) and i use CPM machine everyday like 5 hour ( 2.5 left , 2.5 right ). The doctor told me to have minimal invasive Quadricepsplasty surgery. He told me that my Vastus intermedius tendon will be cut, and he said to me ,this surgery is nothing to be afraid of. I’ll post same surgery video link belo. Did you make this surgery to anyone before ? Or did u hear this surgery before ? I’m curious about your opinions on this subject, do you think I will have problems walking and running after this surgery? I heard that you are an experienced doctor and I need your help. I would be very happy if you have answers. Love and respect

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Umit

Hi Umit
Dr. Beck and I went into great detail on your situation.
Here you go: https://youtu.be/9EjNsY-HHWw
Regards
Bill

Cathy Politi
Cathy Politi
2 years ago

Hi Dr. Beck, I have a question regarding cartilage loss on the inner portion of the knee only. I know you advised prolotherapy and an unloader brace. I have an unloader brace and when I wear it for 2 hours, my knee has pain under the knee cap area (patella) for 2 weeks. A stabbing pain. I believe this is because I have severe arthritis under the knee cap as well. Is there a different type of brace that wouldn’t pull on the knee cap?

Thanks as always for all your help!

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Cathy Politi

Hi Cathy
Here you go!
https://youtu.be/9EjNsY-HHWw
Regards
Bill

Nick
Nick
2 years ago

Hi, this is Nick. I have been suffering for past 2 years for unusual but very constant pain in my coccyx. To put it in practise, I can only lay down on my back for 10 min before it gets too uncomfortable that I have to roll on my side. Also sitting on very soft chairs is usually a killer and after 5 min it would start getting uncomfortable. If I site on a hard wooden surface and sit on my sitting bones then its kinda ok. I have done 3 MRIs, and everybody said I was physically fine. I have done 1 year of Chinese traditional medicine, several sessions with other alternative specialists but nothing really helped. After one year the pain is still there it is a bit lower than 1 year ago but its here and its super annoying as I can only sleep in 1 position. So now its getting to the point when my hip is starting to not feel well … so I am well aware that I need to sort this problem as soon as possible before I pile more cascading issues. I was also told by two specialists that this could all be just an emotional blockage. I could say I am pretty fit, I stretch regularly, do some body weight and weight exercises as well. The pain is only present if I press there with my hand or if I lay or sit down.

What do you think I could do more to try to find and eliminate the root cause of this problem.? I think just turning off the pain here is not enough.

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Nick

Hi Nick
Here’s Dr. Beck’s take on your situation in Episode 11:
https://thecomellafoundation.org/ask-dr-beck/
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
Bill

Cathy Politi
Cathy Politi
2 years ago

What can in mean if you have muscle spasms in the leg where you have knee arthritis? I also have occasional sciatica issues. I have been told I must have spinal cord damage or MS but no MRI has been done for the spine. My spinal xrays show degeneration of the cervical and lumbar spine with calcification.

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Cathy Politi

Hi Cathy
Dr. Beck addressed your question in the following video:
https://youtu.be/MLkrUIJF-v8
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
Bill

Melissa Mercier
Melissa Mercier
2 years ago

1, Dr. Beck, what were you referring to when you said “sequencing the body” as it relates to tensegrity?
2. I had a knee replacement 18 months ago. After plenty of traditional PT, I did not achieve full extension, maybe 15 degrees short of full extension. My other TKR resulted in a similar lack of extension. I was told I have arthrofibrosis which basically describes an excessive amount of scar tissue preventing my knee from straightening. Do you think it is possible to correct this after this much time? Is there something you would see to do at this point.?I’ve been told an MUA could help but I think this makes my knee react by holding even tighter and more scar tissue develops in response. ( this is what happened after my first TKR) I am seeing results working with Bill in unwinding the tension, but by now my back is worse from this misalignment. Any ideas? Thank you.

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago

Hi Melissa
You can hear Dr. Beck’s strategy for your knee in Episode #12…
https://thecomellafoundation.org/ask-dr-beck/
Let us know if you have any other questions.
Regards
Bill

Chunhui Meng
Chunhui Meng
2 years ago

Hello, Dr. Beck.

I hope to ask a question. I got my physical exam today and it says that I got iron deficiency anemia. It can be one of the reasons why I suffered from headache and felt dizzy and tired all the time. In addition, I have back pain and knee pain, especially on my right knee, which bothers me from doing sports like swimming and jogging.

Can you please let me know if I can do anything to improve on my situation?

Kind regards,

Chunhui

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Chunhui Meng

Hi Chunhui
Dr. Beck answered your question in Wednesday November 17th’s “Ask Dr Beck Episode”
https://thecomellafoundation.org/ask-dr-beck/
Let us know if you have any further quetions
Regards
Bill

Melissa Mercier
Melissa Mercier
2 years ago

1. What is your opinion on the value of colonoscopies, and how often do you think they are necessary?
2. I hope this next question isn’t too strange, but here goes:. On first waking in the morning, I have this almost uncontrollable urge to stretch even though it hurts in my lower back with each movement. This “urge” starts in my belly and then spreads out to my extremities. I,’m wondering what is happening there, especially because I can’t seem to stop it. I know I’ve been hardly moving when asleep and it makes sense to stretch next, but it almost feels like my body is reestablishing my usual tension patterns that have been relaxing all night. Because of that and the pain associated with it, Is there any value to making some effort to not stretch? I have had little success with that so far.
3. Thank you so much for your offering your time and expertise. I have gotten a lot of benefit from your conversations with Bill.

Melissa mercier
Melissa mercier
2 years ago

Dr. Beck, how would you compare chiropractic and osteopathic hands on techniques? I know you are a highly trained and experienced physician so you will bring much more to the table when treating your patients than a chiropractor would. I am wondering about the actual hands on techniques.

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago

Hi Melissa
Dr Beck addressed your question in Episode #18 on December 1…
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
Bill

Melissa
Melissa
2 years ago

What is your opinion on colonoscopies as an assessment tool? How often do you think they should occur?

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Melissa

Hi Melissa
Dr Beck got to your question on Episode #20 on December 29th…
You can check it out here:
https://thecomellafoundation.org/ask-dr-beck/
Let us know if you have any further questions
Regards
Bill

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Melissa

Melissa
I believe Dr. Beck has covered this topic for you…Please confirm
Regards
Bill Parravano
(the Knee Pain Guru)

Nancy
Nancy
2 years ago

Dr. Beck,

What is your opinion of bioidentical hormones…specifically estrogen and testosterone.? This is the only Rx that I take and it’s a low dose… I apply 1 drop of each 2x/day. It seems to “take the edge off”. I’d prefer to take no Rx’s at all, but when I go off these, I can tell the difference.. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Nancy

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Nancy

Hi Nancy
Dr Beck addressed your question about bio-identical hormones in Episode #22 on Jan 12th…
Let us know if you have any questions
Regards
Bill

Anne
Anne
2 years ago

Hello Dr Beck, On 23rd November 2021 I started with a sore throat for three days which went in to a nasty cough and then a chest infection. After the weekend I rang the surgery and the Triage Nurse prescribed Antibiotics for five days saying that if I needed any more on Friday to make contact. I did this but got no further than the doctors receptionist who wouldn’t put me through and suggested that I wait until Monday to obtain more. By this time I had got worse and was struggling to breathe so rang an emergency number out of hours and the doctor strongly urged me to go to our local hospital as I would need a chest X -Ray. Upon arrival I had an ECG, they took my bloods and also my blood pressure and put me on a nebuliser. Later I had a chest X-Ray.The Doctor prescribed antibiotics and steroids. Later on having finished the prescribed tablets I was struggling to breath again so I rang an emergency number and again the doctor urged me to go to the hospital. They did virtually the same tests as my last visit but did a scan on my heart which they said was fine. The doctor thought that I may have come if the steroids too soon and prescribed more on a sliding scale for ten days. These I finished on 28th December 2021 although my breathing was still not good. The doctor thought that I had inflammation on my right lung. At another time I was called into the hospital as the doctor thought that my bloods were inconclusive and they wanted to do further tests and also,do,a CT on my chest along with another X-Ray., they came to the conclusion that I hadn’t got Covid, pneumonia, a collapsed lung or inflammation of the lung. And yet, at times I still struggle to breathe. My blood pressure has been up and down although I have been taking a blood pressure tablet since 18th December. 2021. My pulse has been very high on a few occasions I,e, 109, 111 and also 131. Usually it is around 85-90. In the autumn of 2019 I had both my Thyroids removed within five weeks of each other as the right one was cancerous with the tumour growing down in to the chest wall and around my vocal chord. The surgeon had to sacrifice one of my nerves in my vocal chord to get the cancer away as it had wrapped itself around the chord. I never had a strong voice but it is now even weaker/quieter and of course that will never alter. And I have also had slight problems with my breathing at times but nothing like it has been of late. I had stage 3 cancer. I had four days of Radiotherapy the following January 2020 and have been taking varying amounts of Levothyroxine which the doctor adjusts either up or down after taking my bloods every six weeks since my operation. I think that there are too many fillers in the Levothyroxine and have told the doctor this but they reckon that this is the only tablet available to me. Unfortunately, since Covid I have struggled to get in to see a doctor, I can usually get a telephone consultation with him after having my bloods taken. I have managed to get in to see a doctor twice in the 2 1/4 years. Everything has been delayed and even seeing the surgeon after my operation was delayed by several months. He referred me to an Endocrinologist and there again it has been months before I got a telephone consultation with her. As I have Osteoporosis in both of my knees she said that my bones were thin and taking Levothyroxine would make my bones worse so she organised a Dexa scan which I had in October and I hope to chat with the Endocrinologist on 25Th January 2022. I asked could she do anything about the Levothyroxine but she was very:reluctant. Regarding my recent hospital visit, the doctor has now discharged me and said that my doctor,should,check on me.He said that I was an unusual case but I don’t think he has the answer so I am writing to you hoping that you may be able to,help? I am a member of Bill’s Knee Pain Club and have been for a few years. Thank you.

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Anne

Hi Anne
Dr Beck addressed your question in Episode #22 on January 12th…
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
Bill

Gaurav
Gaurav
2 years ago

Hello Dr. Beck

I had a right ankle joint low-grade ligament injury after a bad sprain playing soccer, my 1st ever injury playing the sport past 15 years, now am resting past 4-5 months.
The MRI scan says osseous avulsuion ligament injury yielding 0.4 cm osseous fragment. I can walk normally with no pain but the doctor has advised not to play until fully recovered and I agree because I did play a month after injury and it didn’t take long for another minor sprain.
The doctor has given me 2 options, A straightforward surgery and back to exercise in a couple of weeks OR
Physiotherapy can take a few months to years depending on nutrition, conditioning, etc.
For now, Am working on Physio exercises, I can still see some minor swelling & inflammation on the ankle,
What option would you advise? and as of now what can I do to reduce inflammation and improve conditioning along with physiotherapy ??
Thank you

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Gaurav

Hi Gaurav
Dr. Beck covered your question about Avulsion Ligament injury in your ankle in Episode #23 on January 19th…
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
Bill

Xristina
Xristina
2 years ago

Hey Dr. Beck,

I have had gallstones for most of my adult life. (i’m 46, had 5 kids and yes, gallstones run in the family). In the past 17 years I have passed about 150 gallstones and still have my gallbladder!! I have used homeopathic remedies to shorten the duration and pain of the attacks..I have done flushes and cleanses, castor oil packs, and a lot of emotional work (which has greatly helped shorten the attacks)…but I have never been able to get them to stop!! I noticed that when I find a position of comfort, as Bill suggests, I can ease the pain of them passing considerably . But I am wondering, from a structural perspective what else is going on? At this point, there HAS to be a structural component since that is pretty much the only thing I haven’t addressed. Any insight you can offer would be much appreciated. Thank you!!

Bill Parravano
Admin
2 years ago
Reply to  Xristina

Hi Xristina
Dr. Beck addressed your situation in today’s call.
Here’s the link to give it a listen in Episode #28
https://thecomellafoundation.org/ask-dr-beck/
Let us know if you have any further questions
Bill

Cathy Politi
Cathy Politi
2 years ago

Hi Dr. Beck and Bill,
When I got a recent popular virus in January, I had severe pain in the back of my neck, my face broke out in a very bad case of rosacea and both of my eyes were red as well. Benadryl helped within an hour for the rosacea. I also developed a very high pitched tinnitus, my sciatica returned and my pulse was high upon standing but oxygen levels were good.
Since recovering, I still get bouts of rosacea and tinnitus in both ears and have nightly butterflies in my chest accompanied by hot flashes when I roll over in bed. I started an antihistamine and that has helped with tinnitus and rosacea a bit. I seem to get rosacea and loud tinnitus upon consuming balsamic vinegar, magnesium citrate, soy sauce and hummus so avoid those. Is it possible I have Histamine Intolerance? Any thoughts on what else I can do to help?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Best,
Cathy

Anne Brown
Anne Brown
1 year ago

Dr Beck, I sent a message to you some months ago explaining that I hadn’t felt right since my thyroid operations as the right one was cancerous in autumn 2019. I also have osteoporosis in both my knees and have been with Bill the knee pain guru for a few years and with his help and doing the Modules I have managed to keep the pain at bay. As I haven’t been getting the attention from my doctors owing to Covid I have been suffering from stress and anxiety. And, there again, it has been months before I can speak to a councillor. I saw my doctor on 11th January 2022 and he prescribed an anti depressant tablet called CITALOPRAM 10mg. I told him that I wasn’t depressed, just anxious with having to wait so long to see the specialist/Endocrinologist regarding the Levothyroxine 100 micros which I don’t think suit me as there are too many fillers in them. I reluctantly took the CITALOPRAM and after six days I developed terrible pains in my knees and legs (a different pain to my usual knee pain) I stopped taking them and as the doctor wanted to see me after two weeks he asked how I had gone on with then and I told him how bad I had been and wasn’t taking any more. I was wondering whether the CITALOPRAM had clashed with the Levothyroxine? But in the eleven weeks since I stopped taking them my knees/legs have continued to be very painful. I have taken on some days 2 Paracetamol and 1 Codeine 30 mg (the latter prescribed after my operation ) to cope with the pain. Although I have osteoporosis in my knees I do not want to go down the route of having knee replacements.. another problem that I now have is also a swollen left ankle which is painful at times with the swelling and pain going up in to my knee. I would appreciate your comments please. Thank you.

Gaurav Vaidya
Editor
1 year ago
Reply to  Anne Brown

Hi Anne
Dr. Beck will cover your question in the upcoming Episode #34 on April 15th…
Here’s the link to the video – https://youtu.be/6d4YpuPTqrE
Kindly subscribe to the channel and set a reminder for the video.
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
G

Melissa Mercier
Melissa Mercier
1 year ago

Hello. My friend was in a roll over car accident. The MRI shows 2 bulges of 5-7millimeter on C4 and C5. She is in a neck brace continually except for sleeping and will be seen agin on May 23. WhAt do you think her course of treatment should be? Do bulges shrink on their own? At what point is surgery necessary? Thank you for your ideas. Melissa

Gaurav Vaidya
Editor
1 year ago

Hi Melissa Mercier
Dr. Beck will cover your question in the upcoming Episode #37 on May 13th…
Here’s the link to the video – https://youtu.be/z48OnH20Qfw
Kindly subscribe to the channel and set a reminder for the video.
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
G

Melissa
Melissa
1 year ago

Thank you for your information. This will help a lot when we see the Dr. on Monday.
Another question: Are you familiar with MILD MINIMALLY INVASIVE LUMBAR DECOMPRESSION. . Is this similar to your prolo therapy?

Gaurav Vaidya
Editor
1 year ago
Reply to  Melissa

Hi Melissa
Thank you again for watching our videos.
Dr. Beck will cover your question in the upcoming Episode #38 on May 27th…
Here’s the link to the video – https://youtu.be/5nc5lM__R-o
Kindly subscribe to the channel and set a reminder for the video.
Let us know if you have any further questions.
Regards
G

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