Bones and joints Archive

Image: Thinkstock

Ask the doctor

Q. I occasionally use a brace on my knee because I have knee arthritis. Am I weakening my knee?

A. The benefit of a brace for knee arthritis is likely in the eye of the beholder. A brace can help improve the ability to perform certain activities, and for some people the compression and warmth of the brace relieves pain. However, medical research has been mixed on the absolute benefits.

Ask the doctor

Q. My right hand goes numb when I open a can or use hand tools. Is this something I need to worry about? Do I have carpal tunnel syndrome?

A. The hand receives its sensory information from three different nerves, and irritation of any of them can lead to numbness. In the hand, numbness is often related to the way that the nerve is compressed or squeezed slightly when you bend your wrist, as happens when you open a can. Excess vibration or repetitive hand motion when you use tools may also cause numbness.

If knee pain and swelling are severe an are not getting better, see your primary care doctor for a thorough evalucation. Image: Thinkstock

Arthritis is not the only possible cause of knee pain, swelling, and disability.

Ask the doctor

Q. I take warfarin for my atrial fibrillation. I know it can increase the risk of bleeding. Is it okay for me to take ibuprofen for my arthritis?

A. In general, you should avoid ibuprofen—which is sold as Advil, Motrin, and generics—while taking warfarin, because taking them together may further increase your risk of bleeding.

Although vitamin D is essential to bone health, a controlled clinical trial published online by JAMA Internal Medicine on Aug. 3, 2015, found that vitamin D supplements didn't build bone in postmenopausal women with blood levels of vitamin D below the 30-ng/mL threshold generally considered necessary for good health. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin randomly assigned 230 women to three groups: one got 800 IU of vitamin D daily and a placebo twice a month; one got a placebo daily and 50,000 IU of vitamin D twice a month; the third got placebos both daily and twice a month. The study lasted a year. The researchers found that neither dose of vitamin D had a significant effect on bone mass, falls, or fractures.

The Wisconsin study may not have used the right doses of vitamin D or lasted long enough to show an effect. One ongoing study, The Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL), is large enough to demonstrate even small-to-moderate benefits of vitamin D supplementation. VITAL is evaluating a 2,000-IU daily dose for five years in 26,000 women and men. The results are expected in 2017. Until then, it's still important to get the recommended daily dose of vitamin D: 600 IU for adults through age 70 and 800 IU for people ages 71 or older

Depression is fairly common among people suffering with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent research suggests that depression may worsen RA symptoms and even make medications less effective. To date, the studies that indicate a connection between the severity of RA symptoms and depression have not been conclusive, so more research is needed. In the meantime, if you have RA and notice signs of depression, be sure to talk with your doctor.

For many women, bunions and rigidity are two of the most common—and painful—problems with the big toe. Both are easily treated.

Men also get osteoporosis—but consider your risk factors before deciding to have a bone-strength test.

Men's and women's bodies differ in plenty of ways, but we all have bones, and with aging they may lose some of their strength and leave us more vulnerable to dangerous fractures of the hip or spine. Osteoporosis is not exclusively a women's health issue.