StemCell Therapy

Keith Roach, To Your Health 5:06 p.m. ET May 15, 2017

Dear Dr. Roach: I am an 83-year-old man in reasonably good health. About six months ago, I started hearing a cracking noise when I turned my head sideways or up and down. Sometimes it would happen every 15 seconds. No one can hear it but me, which is why I havent gone to my family doctor. I also have had some light headaches.

R.P.

Dear R.P.: The cracking noise could be coming from one of the joints in your neck. Most people at age 83 have some degree of arthritis in the neck, and I think thats the most likely cause.

Sometimes there can be a snapping noise or sensation as tendons move over a bony prominence. Other times, there can be a cracking noise, such as cracking knuckles, for the same reason, with nitrogen bubbles forming in the joint with pressure changes. But a crunching or cracking noise most often comes from the joint itself, and often represents some degree of arthritis. If its not bothering you, nothing need be done. A set of X-rays could confirm and determine the severity of arthritis.

The headaches may have nothing to do with the sound, but there are headaches that can be triggered from neck arthritis.

Dear Dr. Roach: If a person has lower than optimally functioning kidneys, and protein is hard for kidneys to process, is it easier for kidneys to process plant protein or animal protein?

S.H.

Dear S.H.: Plant protein definitely is better for the kidneys. Switching from a meat-based diet to a plant-based diet has been shown to slow the progression of kidney disease from many different causes. A plant-based diet has probable benefits in terms of heart disease as well, compared with a diet high in animal protein, especially red meat.

Reducing animal protein is only part of what needs to be done for kidney disease. Depending on how advanced the kidney disease is, some people need to reduce the amount of potassium they take in. It also may be appropriate to look carefully at medication doses, which often need adjusting in people with kidney disease.

Dear Dr. Roach: I am an 85-year-old man who has been bothered with trigger finger for a number of years. My doctor says Im in good health for my age. Several years ago, a doctor said he could give a cortisone injection but would not guarantee it to work over a long period. I had three, and they did not work. What are my options now?

B.K.

Dear B.K.: A trigger finger is a condition where a finger (or the thumb, which is considered a finger) gets stuck in the bent position, requiring it to be pulled back into place again. It is caused by one of the tendons getting caught in a pulley system inside the finger. Treatment usually includes modification of activity, short-term splinting and anti-inflammatory drugs, or cortisone injection if that doesnt work. Only people who have failed to get relief from injections should be considered for surgery. Thats the choice you have to make now. The surgery is very effective (about 94 percent success rate), and most people are back to near-normal activities in a week or two.

Email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2qlbpz9

See the original post:
Doc: Creaks and cracks in neck may be due to arthritis - The Detroit News

This entry was posted on May 16, 2017 at 12:44 am and is filed under Arthritis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |