Demirakos - Fix my knee: a guide to preventing and healing from injury and strain

Fix My Knee

Fix My Knee

A Guide to Preventing and Healing from Injury and Strain

George Demirakos

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

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Copyright 2017 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Demirakos, George, author.

Title: Fix my knee : a guide to preventing and healing from injury and strain / George Demirakos.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2018] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017016693 (print) | LCCN 2017018961 (ebook) | ISBN 9781442211032 (electronic) | ISBN 9781442211025 (cloth : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Knee. | KneeWounds and injuriesTreatment.

Classification: LCC RD561 (ebook) | LCC RD561 .D46 2018 (print) | DDC 617.5/8044dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016693

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Disclaimer

T his book represents reference materials only. It is not in any way intended as a medical manual, and the data presented here are meant to assist the reader in making informed choices regarding wellness. This book is not a replacement for treatment(s) that the readers personal physician may have suggested. If the reader believes he or she is experiencing a medical issue, professional medical help is recommended. Mention of particular products, companies, or authorities in this book does not entail endorsement by the publisher or author.

The first step that should be taken is to speak to your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Even a minor knee injury, unevaluated and untreated by a professional, can lead to decreasing or eliminating the normal function of the knee. Dont wait; please get professional help today!

Acknowledgments

I t is very rare for one to get an opportunity to write a book that they dream of writing, let alone a second one. I am so deeply blessed and express my immense gratitude to all the individuals who have guided me and to those whom I never met helping me to go down this road again and to write this book. To all of you who continue to cheer me on, thank you very much.

To Sarah Jane Freymann, my incredible book agent, who brought me under her wing and helped me grow: thank you for everything.

To my publishing company, Rowman & Littlefield, as well as to my uber-talented and special editor, Suzanne Staszak-Silva: working with you has been an absolute pleasure, and thank you once again for making my dreams and passions come true!

I would also like to thank Caitlin Bean, Erin McGarvey, Will True, and the amazing staff at Rowman & Littlefield who work tirelessly to turn my work into magic.

Thanks also to Alan Michael Wong, for being a wizard with the camera and for the amazing pictures.

Family is everything, so I would like to thank my mom and dad, as well as my awesome sisters for supporting me throughout this process. They always tell me to do everything with a smile.

I would also like to extend a special thank-you to my in-laws, Nunzio and Maria, and my brothers-in-law, Tony and Mike, for always being there for me and my family. They are always giving and never ask for anything in return. I am very lucky to have an extended family like you guys on my side. Mille grazie!

For their expert advice and valuable therapeutic knowledge that was shared with me, I thank the following teachers: Dr. David Paris, Scott Livingston, Ron Rappel, Dave Campbell, as well as the late Edith Aston-McCrimmon.

Some personal shout-outs to the following amazing people who, in their own special ways, have given me the insane drive and uplifting inspiration to write this book: Mr. Dwayne Johnson, Miss Jillian Michaels, Mr. John Cena, and Mr. Gordon Ramsay. You guys are awesome!

There are some very special people who work in the Hearst Building where the incredible O and Redbook magazines are created. They opened their doors and hearts to me and made me feel like a part of their family. A special thank-you goes out to Miss Gayle King, Miss Jayne Jamison, and Mr. Ron Balasco from the O magazine family, as well as to Miss Wendi Cassuto and staff from the Redbook family, who made our day one that we will never forget!

A big high five to those special runners who have inspired me to take up the sport. Thank you to Debbie, M. C., and my other runner patients, to whom the running chapter is dedicated. A shout-out to all the amazing staff at the Running Room, who love what they do and are amazing at it!

A sincere thank-you goes out to all my patients who, over the years, have trusted me with helping them treat their knee injuries. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

To my special kids, Michael-Anthony and Kayla, thank you for always letting daddy run down to the basement to write his book and not play with you guys every day. I love you both so very much, and I am the luckiest guy in the world to have you both in my life. You put a smile on my face every day.

Lastly, I would like to thank my wife, Frankie. Without you, I cant do what I do. This book is dedicated to you. You are the reason that I can write, I can love, and I can live. Your daily encouragement made me believe that I can do anything, even if I didnt want to believe it myself. Thank you for being my best friend. I love you.

Introduction

All successes begin with self-discipline. It starts with you.

Dwayne Johnson

V incent loves computers. From the time he was a young boy working in his fathers shop, he loved taking computers apart, piece by piece, and putting them back together again. The anatomy of this machine was easy for him to understand. He was well versed in modems, hard drives, Wi-Fi, and the like. He was also a great basketball player, nicknamed ankle tripper by his teammates for the huge thud his opponents made when they hit the ground, tripping over their ankles, trying to keep up with his lighting speed and quick cuts to the basket. However, when Vincents doctor advised him that his constant knee pain was a result of a partial MCL strain, he was clueless about how an important part of his own anatomya ligament that was attached to two boneswas turning his world upside down. He secretly wished that he could zip around this problem as fast as he could zip around the basketball court.

Knee injuries are one of the most common joint problems of the body, next to neck and back pain, and knees are by far the most common site of pain and disability in a persons arms and legs. Individuals between the ages of fifteen to twenty-nine have the highest incidence of injuries.

Whether youre focused on long-distance running, sports that require plenty of cutting and sharp lateral movement, heavy lifting, or any sort of strenuous activity thats hard on the legs, the well-being of your knees and the muscles around them is an essential part of your fitness goals, even if keeping them strong and supple isnt necessarily part of your program.