This week as we celebrate the Fourth of July and our freedom, first I want to express my gratitude for the courageous men and women dedicated to preserving it and pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. 

​Thank you for your service!

​As I was thinking about freedom and independence, I thought of the many parallels related to our health.

 Good health gives us many freedoms, including the independence to enjoy the things we love or want to do in life. 

A very common complaint I hear from my patients who have been dealing with persistent aches, pains and injuries is that they have “GAINED WEIGHT”.

It takes a lot of them by complete SURPRISE!

Camping and summertime BBQ’s!  Fresh garden salsa and guacamole! 

I have a lot of people who ask me why their knees pop, click or crack and whether it’s something they should be worried about it.  In fact, it’s one of the most frequent questions I’m asked when someone is worried about Knee Pain. 
​
I’m sure many of you at some point have had a knee ‘pop’ or make a ‘cracking’ sound when squatting or kneeling.  It’s likely you may have heard you knees ‘clicking’ or ‘creaking’ when bending your legs or changing positions.  

The good news…most of the time it’s just noise.  These noises are common as we grow older and are generally nothing to worry about.

But to make sure it’s not the beginning of a bigger problem, it’s always a good idea to have your knees checked.  If muscles around the knee become tight or weak it can cause popping or clicking that can lead to tendonitis or more serious injury if the underlying problem isn’t corrected. 

I love being outdoors this time of year – gardening, camping, walking by the river or just relaxing out on the deck!
​
But I don’t particularly enjoy the biting insects that seem to think I’m a tasty snack.  I’ve started getting mosquito bites working in the yard over the past couple days, which means it’s time to get out the bug spray.

A few years ago I fell in love with a couple different Essential Oil Bug Repellents.  In fact, I found they actually work better than the bug sprays made with toxic chemicals – like DEET, which I try to avoid!
​
Below are my two favorite Essential Oil Bug Repellent recipes that are super easy to make: 

I’m going to get right to the point and clear this up…squatting can be a great exercise for your knees...
​...WHEN DONE PROPERLY!

When done improperly, squatting can lead to Knee Pain and injury.

So as promised in my last blog, today I’m going to discuss several key elements of doing a proper squat to help you get the most benefit…without pain or injury. 
​
Squatting is not only a great exercise for your knees, it’s good for your whole body!  For most people it seems obvious that your hips, knees and ankles are involved in a squat, but your core, spine and even your shoulders and arms get involved…especially if you’re using dumbbells or picking up one of the many things you lift on any given day.

I love being outdoors working in my yard or my garden this time of year!  Now I’ll admit I don’t particularly love pulling weeds, but I do love how everything looks when I’m done!

Fresh air, dirt, sunshine, exercise…there is just something about being in nature! 
​
As much as I enjoy it, yard work and gardening can also be hard work and can lead to new or worsening aches and pains for many.  The good news is there are a lot of things you can do to prevent or minimize pain from gardening. 

Today I’m going to talk about several tips and tools that can help…but keep in mind the most important tool is you!  If you’re in pain you’re certainly not going to enjoy yourself.  So these tips are just as much about taking care of yourself and your health, as they are about enjoying your garden and the bounty it will bring when both you and your garden are properly cared for!
​
Here are 9 of my best tips:

One of the most common questions I get around the topic of Knee Pain is “How do I do a proper squat?”, which I’ll elaborate on more in my next blog.

But today I want to talk about THE ONE THING you don’t want to do, especially when exercising…if you want to avoid Knee Pain. 

This ONE THING just happens to be a very important part of a proper squat, which is why I’m starting here!
​
So, what is it?

DO NOT let your knees move left or right with activities like squatting, lunging or stepping up or down.
​
Let me explain how you can test yourself to see whether or not your knees move left or right. 

Today I wanted to share one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE meals! 

When I have people ask me “Why do I have Knee Pain?”  Sometimes it can be difficult to answer.  Not because I don’t know how to ease Knee Pain, but I don’t know their personal circumstances or health history in the same way I do with my patients.
​
What I can suggest, however, is that they start by looking at their routines and habits for things they may be doing that can put extra stress on their knees.  Then stop doing those things!

​The problem is that most people don’t know what those things might be…otherwise they would have stopped doing them a long time ago.