Dr. David T. Neuman

Thanks for sharing your ankle question with the FATD community. I offer my tips, thoughts and suggestions. Generally, I like to believe that certain chiropractors do a great job when there is neck or lower back pain or loss of function. However, their scope of practice is not focused on extremity issues (like ankles). I am confused about what you mean when you write adjust my ankles. They are generally stable and do not get out of alignment. Therefore, I strongly believe that mobility, flexibility and strength of the soft tissues around the ankles will be much better than an adjustment. I like this link to view and access a host of excellent ankle activities to help. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Ankle I hope this helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Good evening. Thanks for sharing your scoliosis question with the FATD community. I am not sure how old you are. I am not sure of the reasons for your desire to get the surgery. I am not sure how bad the scoliosis is and how it affects you physically. Every surgery has risks: infection, nerve stretching or cutting, muscle cutting, blood clots, and inflammation. Inflammation can lead to pain, stiffness, swelling and redness. If you are going to a certified spine surgeon who does a lot of the procedures you are having, has been doing it for more than 5 years, has good bedside manner and are confident they can do it, then the risks other than the ones I mentioned are low. There are many variables that influence risk. I hope this helps and that you are ok with my answer.

Hello and good morning. Thanks for sharing your wrist pain question with the FATD community. Allow me to offer my tips, thoughts and suggestions. It is quite important that a doctor knows a thorough history and performs a full exam in order to understand and offer insights into the right things to do next. I did not get any of that, here. I am not sure how the wrist pain began, when, or what types of things bring about the pain. I am also not sure if this is a first time for you, or if it has occurred before. When it comes to offering assistance to those with joint pain, I rely heavily and full believe in this: https://www.pop-doc.com/joint-preactive.html I hope it helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Hello and good day. Thanks for sharing your scoliosis question with the FATD community. Please allow me to offer my thoughts, tips and suggestions regarding your question. All surgery is relatively risky. When it involves the spine (neck, mid-back or lower back), it is slightly more risky since there are some crucial structures around the spine (large blood vessels and spinal cord). Scoliosis surgery should be performed by an experienced spine specialist that does these types of surgery often. The construct they create and the fixation is strong and stable. As long as you are a strong person and had a medical clearance, there is low likelihood that you will lose your life as a direct result of scoliosis surgery. At times, if the spine deformity is bad, some of the nerves can get cut or stretched, which can lead to sensory changes and sometimes motor changes (difficulty walking or abnormal feelings), but rarely death. Once the pain subsides, which is different for everyone, you should be able to get out of bed. The longer you are in bed, the more muscle strength and girth is lost. In addition, people in bed for too long get compromised blood circulation and can develop blood clots in the legs. These are dangerous. So, by day one you should be in a chair, and then practice ambulating with assistance by day 1-2. Once the pain is subsiding, I believe in following steps to help you recover to an optimal point. I like to follow these steps: https://www.pop-doc.com/joint-preactive.html Becoming flexible, strong and conditioned is the best way to optimize a surgery like this. Finding a good practice that helps, and then making a routine to preserve good bodily health in your life, will give you a pain-free existence for a long time. I am optimistic that if you follow these suggestions, you will feel better and recover from surgery. I hope this helps. Stay optimistic and trust your surgeon. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Good day! Thanks for sharing your ankle concern with the FATD community. I offer my tips, suggestions, and thoughts. Swelling of the ankle either comes from an acute problem (happened from trauma and recently) or a chronic problem (one existing for more than 3 months and comes and goes, without a specific trauma). Generally, no massage until 3 weeks after an acute trauma (assuming no cast or surgery). I find that this link is a good overview of how you can help yourself recover after the onset of ankle pain. https://www.pop-doc.com/joint-preactive.html Massage can help (after 3w or right away if chronic) stimulate blood flow and help the body bring in the fluids needed to help heal (and take away the fluid that is causing the swelling. I hope this helps.

Hello, and good day. I hope you are well. Thanks for sharing your lower back question with the FATD community. Please allow me to offer my tips, suggestions and thoughts regarding your question. Obtaining a thorough history and performing a physical examination can greatly help determine what is causing your lower back pain and the best care plan to help alleviate it. Are you sure your pain is not coming from your hips? Sitting puts a lot of pressure on your hips, as well as stresses the postural muscles around your lower back. Therefore, sometimes the fatigue of the muscles of your lower back (back muscles and abdominal muscles) causes pain. Lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling with poor technique can also cause lower back pain. Kidney stones and infections can also cause lower back pain. Lower back pain can include buttock (and shooting pain down the leg) pain which is due to the nerves being irritated in your lower back. However, if the pain is in the groin area, then it could be hip pain. I am a firm believer in exercise as a way to lower your feeling of pain in your muscles, bones and joints. The right exercise done at the right time, and done the right way, is THE key to alleviating pain and preserving your lower back function for a very long time, with less feelings of pain. As we age, the normal activities of life can put low-grade stress on the small joints of the lower back (the area of the lower back where the bones -vertebrae- connect to each other and permit motion). Therefore, having occasional lower back pain and loss of function is normal. In addition, the fatigue of the muscles of your abdomen and lower back (the postural muscles) occurs with prolonged sitting (in a car, or anywhere). I believe in daily stretching and range of motion activities for the lower back. The following link is to some great exercises. I think that you first want to regain full active and range of motion (active is moving your lower back on your own, and passive motion involves using your hand or a pillow/towel to do the moving). After motion, increase the action with flexibility and then shape (tone) and strengthen-condition. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Lower%20Back If you work the lower back a lot during one day, I recommend that you let the neck area recover for a day or two before working it again. I hope this helps.

Hello and thanks for sharing your tennis elbow issue with the FATD community. I am happy to offer my tips, suggestions and thoughts regarding getting over it. A thorough history and physical examination greatly helps with advice I can give. I am not sure for how long it has been ongoing, or what treatments you have tried. I know it is a frustrating condition and can take a long time to overcome. The medical term for it is lateral epicondylitis. It can arise from overuse, poor mechanics (while playing racquet sports), a lack of allowing the arm to recover, or lack of strength or endurance. The pathology involves microscopic tearing of the tendons (small ropes attaching muscles to bones) involved with extending (bending backwards) your wrist. Once the pain arises, I like to follow these steps to help heal quickly: https://www.pop-doc.com/joint-preactive.html I believe that a multi-modal approach to overcoming musculoskeletal (muscle, bone, joint) pain will help make the treatments more successful. When it comes to the E, or exercise, in PREACTIVE, I created and am a huge advocate of this program: https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?&action=browse_results&category1=Elbow&category2=Injury/Condition I hope this helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Hello and good morning. Thanks for sharing your scoliosis question with the FATD community. A history and physical examination is a great way to get a better understanding about your scoliosis. Generally, scoliosis should not progress after your bodys bones are done growing However, extreme muscle imbalance can lead to an increase in the twisting or curving of the spine (scoliosis). Scoliosis is not uncommon, and the majority of people with it do not feel pain. As long as you stay strong and flexible in your lower back, there is nothing you need to avoid if you have scoliosis. After the bodys bones are done growing, progressive scoliosis, is due to a muscular imbalance in the postural muscles of the lower back, or simply a weakness of the supportive muscles of the lower back. That is: deconditioned or weak core muscles. Building endurance by conditioning the core muscles (and making them stronger over time) is the best way to diminish pain and prolong a highly-functional lower back, even with scoliosis. I like to use this site to help bring the right exercises to your phone. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Lower%20Back I hope this helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Hello and good morning. Thanks for sharing your back brace question with the FATD community. A history and physical examination is a great way to get a better understanding about your back pain. Generally, back pain sufferers feel a back brace helps them experience less pain. This is open for discussion. There are many types of back braces, so I am not sure which one you are currently using. I generally think braces are used to help protect injured ligaments (the small ropes holding one bone to another). Therefore, it is not very common to suffer a back injury that damages the ligaments so much to need back brace support. Therefore, a back brace is often used to help control pain. Back pain is quite common and comes in different varieties. A brace can help people feel a bit less pain, but it certainly does not go to the root cause of the pain. The root cause, often, is due to a muscular imbalance in the postural muscles of the lower back, or simply a weakness of the supportive muscles of the lower back. That is: deconditioned or weak core muscles. Building endurance by conditioning the core muscles (and making them stronger over time) is the best way to diminish pain and prolong a highly-functional lower back. I like to use this site to help bring the right exercises to your phone. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Lower%20Back For the back brace usage: no more than 3 weeks in a row, and not worn to sleep/bed. The more one is used, the more lazy the core muscles become, and the more dependent one gets on the back brace. I hope this helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Hello and good morning. I hope you are well. Thanks for sharing your neck question with the FATD community. Please allow me to offer my tips, suggestions and thoughts regarding your question. First of all, you are smart for thinking that exercise (the right exercise done at the right time, and done the right way) is THE key to alleviating pain and preserving your neck function for a very long time (forever?). As we age, the normal activities of life can put low-grade stress on the small joints of the neck (the area of the neck where the bones -vertebrae- connect to each other and permit motion). Therefore, having occasional neck and pain and loss of function is normal. In addition, the fatigue of the muscles of your neck and upper back (the postural muscles) occurs with prolonged computer work (or phone viewing). I believe in daily stretching and range of motion activities for the neck. The following link is to some great exercises. I think that you first want to regain full active and range of motion (active is moving your neck on your own, and passive motion involves using your hand or a pillow/towel to do the moving). After motion, then increase the action with flexibility and then shape (tone) and strengthen-condition. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Neck If you work the neck a lot during one day, I recommend that you let the neck area recover for a day or two before working it again. I hope this helps.

Hello and good morning. I hope you are well. Thanks for sharing your hip question with the FATD community. Please allow me to offer my tips, suggestions and thoughts regarding your question. Are you sure your pain is not coming from your lower back? Sitting puts a lot of pressure on your lower back, and stresses the postural muscles around your lower back. Therefore, sometimes hip pain is more like buttock pain which is due to the nerves being irritated in your lower back. However, if the pain is in the groin area, then it could be hip pain. I am a firm believer in exercise as a way to lower your feeling of pain in your muscles, bones and joints. The right exercise done at the right time, and done the right way, is THE key to alleviating pain and preserving your hip (and lower back function for a very long time - forever?). As we age, the normal activities of life can put low-grade stress on the small joints of the lower back, and those of the hip (the area of the lower back where the bones -vertebrae- connect to each other and permit motion). Therefore, having occasional hip (and lower back) pain and loss of function is normal. In addition, the fatigue of the muscles of your abdomen and lower back (the postural muscles) occurs with prolonged sitting (in a car, or anywhere). I believe in daily stretching and range of motion activities for the hip. The following link is to some great exercises. I think that you first want to regain full active and range of motion (active is moving your neck on your own, and passive motion involves using your hand or a pillow/towel to do the moving). After motion, then increase the action with flexibility and then shape (tone) and strengthen-condition. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Hip If you work the neck a lot during one day, I recommend that you let the neck area recover for a day or two before working it again. I hope this helps.

Hello, and good day. I hope you are well. Thanks for sharing your lower back question with the FATD community. Please allow me to offer my tips, suggestions and thoughts regarding your question. Are you sure your pain is not coming from your lower back? Sitting puts a lot of pressure on your lower back, and stresses the postural muscles around your lower back. Therefore, sometimes the fatigue of the muscles of your lower back (back muscles and abdominal muscles) causes pain. Lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling with poor technique can also cause lower back pain. Kidney stones and infections can also cause lower back pain. Lower back pain can include buttock (and shooting pain down the leg) pain which is due to the nerves being irritated in your lower back. However, if the pain is in the groin area, then it could be hip pain. I am a firm believer in exercise as a way to lower your feeling of pain in your muscles, bones and joints. The right exercise done at the right time, and done the right way, is THE key to alleviating pain and preserving your hip (and lower back function for a very long time - forever?). As we age, the normal activities of life can put low-grade stress on the small joints of the lower back (the area of the lower back where the bones -vertebrae- connect to each other and permit motion). Therefore, having occasional lower back pain and loss of function is normal. In addition, the fatigue of the muscles of your abdomen and lower back (the postural muscles) occurs with prolonged sitting (in a car, or anywhere). I believe in daily stretching and range of motion activities for the lower back. The following link is to some great exercises. I think that you first want to regain a full active range of motion (active is moving your lower back on your own, and passive motion involves using your hand or a pillow/towel to do the moving). After motion, increase the action with flexibility and then shape (tone) and strengthen-condition. https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Lower%20Back If you work the lower back a lot during one day, I recommend that you let the neck area recover for a day or two before working it again. I hope this helps.

Hello and good morning. Thanks for sharing your kneecap question with the FATD community. There are many types of kneecap surgeries. I am not sure if you are having an arthroscopic (small, stab incisions with a camera) or an open (cutting the skin). In addition, I am not sure if they are moving the bones, adjusting the soft tissue, or both. Therefore, I cannot adequately answer the question. However, wounds heal (arthroscopy) in 5 days, and open by 14 days. The recovery returns to full or baseline function. That takes 9-12 months from surgery, with the last 4-6 for strengthening and conditioning. I hope this helps.

Good morning. Thanks for sharing your question with the FATD community. Please allow me to give you my thoughts, tips and suggestions pertaining to your question. Ultimately, it depends on the root cause of your leg pain. If the pain comes from the tissues within the leg, then I would opine that a chiropractor is not the best provider to help you. However, if the pain is of neurologic origin (from the nerves being stimulated due to a back issue), then a caring and informed chiropractor can help a lot. Ultimately, a chiropractor plus the right exercises done repetitively, and in the right order, can help with reducing pain and even prevent it from returning (in the same severity). I hope this helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.

Good evening. Yes, scoliosis surgery can help adults, too. However, this should only be undertaken by a skilled and well-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in this type of surgery. Also, do you want the surgery because of how you look, how you feel, or how you (do not) function? If it is only for looks, then I would not do it. If you struggle with pain and loss of function (including respiratory function), then after trying PT and injections, surgery can be a viable option. I hope this helps.

Hello and thanks for sharing your rib concern with the FATD community. Allow me to offer my tips, thoughts and suggestions. Obtaining a thorough history is an important process when it comes to offering opinions about pain or loss of function. I did not read about the how this pain may have begun. Perhaps you worked your arms and upper body recently? Slept poorly or in a new/different bed? I wonder how your shoulders and neck are feeling, and what makes these upper rib pains worse. I believe in rest and some medication (Tylenol or Advil/Aleve depending on your medical conditions and what your doctor thinks). Warmth in the morning (like a warm shower) with gentle stretching of the arms, upper body and neck may help the pains subside. If the pains get worse over the next 5-7 days, it is worth having your pain looked at by your primary care doctor or a rehabilitation specialist. I hope this helps.

I am sorry to read about it. I am happy to offer my tips, thoughts and suggestions. Knee cap pain is not easy to treat and is quite common. Basically, the smooth surface behind your knee cap glides over the smooth surface at the end of your leg bone (femur). When the smooth surface becomes rough, it can cause pain. From the limited history I received, I am not sure how the knee pain began, how old you are, or what treatments you have had to it (or in other areas of your body). To get over pain, I rely on these steps: https://www.pop-doc.com/joint-preactive.html By far the best treatment for knee cap pain is exercise. But, it should be the right exercise and needs to be done in a routine. Meaning, done every day or every other day for 3-6 months and then continued forever. I believe in and advocate these: https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?action=start&CGISESSID=54eb2fa9f2f3dbcdcb446f87c371dc83 I hope this helps.

Good morning. Thanks for sharing your knee question with the FATD community. I am happy to offer my tips, suggestions and thoughts. I am not sure what you believe an adjustment is. Sometimes people with stiffness in their knees undergo a manipulation (in the operating room: manipulation under anesthesia or in the office after a numbing injection). However, feel that the term adjustment is used as a chiropractic treatment modality and involves the back (neck, mid-back or lower back; sometimes the pelvis). Therefore, my short answer is no. Knee pain has many root causes. You did not disclose a history, so I am not sure if you had trauma to it, surgery or injections to it, or your weight or age. Knee pain arises due to the nerves in and around the knee being stimulated. This can be from infection, trauma, or irritation from a knee that no longer has smooth surfaces within it. For the last two reasons, physical therapy is valuable when attended soon after the pain (within 2-4 weeks). Physical therapy in itself does not completely cure the problem. Nothing beats doing the right exercises at the right time, and done in a routine that is part of your lifestyle. Chronic pain is very common and hard to overcome. I recommend that you find great programs to help your knee move better and feel better. Strengthening the muscles around the knee is the best way to overcome and deal with chronic pain. I like this link to exercises for the knee: https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?category1=Knee I hope this helps.

Hello and thanks for sharing your scoliosis question with the FATD community. I am happy to share my thoughts, tips and suggestions with you regarding this question. Scoliosis braces are offering to the growing child/adolescent whose bones have yet to stop growing. During the night, the body rests but also grows. Therefore, even though it may be uncomfortable at first, wearing your brace at night is encouraged. From speaking to someone who wore a brace at night, they informed me that wearing a tank top or t-shirt under the brace during the night helped make the process less bothersome. I hope this helps. Wear it a lot since it is only for a period of time and can greatly help the curve and may stop or even reverse the progression (and allow you to be as tall as possible and also avoid pain and/or surgery.

Thanks for sharing your knee question with the FATD community. I am sorry to read about it. I am happy to offer my tips, thoughts and suggestions. Knee cap pain is not easy to treat and is quite common. Basically, the smooth surface behind your knee cap glides over the smooth surface at the end of your leg bone (femur). When the smooth surface becomes rough, it can cause pain. From the limited history I received, I am not sure how the knee pain began, how old you are, or what treatments you have had to it (or in other areas of your body). To get over pain, I rely on these steps: https://www.pop-doc.com/joint-preactive.html By far the best treatment for knee cap pain is exercise. But, it should be the right exercise and needs to be done in a routine. Meaning, done every day or every other day for 3-6 months and then continued forever. I believe in and advocate these: https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?action=start&CGISESSID=54eb2fa9f2f3dbcdcb446f87c371dc83 I hope this helps. David T. Neuman, MD FAAOS Sports Medicine and Orthopedics 131 West 33rd St. Suite 12-E New York, NY 10001 P: 212-813-3634 F: 212-857-9411 www.nysportscare.com<http://www.nysportscare.com/> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. It may contain confidential and protected health information subject to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution or copying of it or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify me immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer.