Elastic Man
We all want to be as flexible as we can be. But sometimes, even this can be too much of a good thing.
There’s a relatively rare skeletal condition that cause people to be overly-flexible--and most who have it don’t know it, until bad things start to happen.
Remember when you were a kid there was always someone who could bend their thumb all the way against the hand; it’s the kind of stuff that made for great side show freaks:
elastic man, the human pretzel. But it’s a real condition--or rather, set of conditions--under one heading known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Gerri Zatlow has it. “I used to be able to do circus tricks, I could move my arms around, I was able to put my hands down, behind my back. But there are consequences for people with Ehlers-Danlos, and if you don’t know it the consequences can be lethal.”
Dr. Jonathan Deland, a foot and ankle surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, says, “The collagen, or connective tissue has a defect because of a genetic, it’s a genetic disorder and it is too elastic, too flexible. It affects various parts of the body. Commonly joints, joints become hyper mobile, ligaments ah loose so the joints are hyper mobile, and therefore it’s associated with joints going out of place, tendons going out of place, deformities because the joints go out of place.”
Gerri’s thumb just dislocated, but that’s not why she’s here today. It’s for follow up on a procedure to get an ankle ligament back into place to help relieve the pain. “Feet and ankles. I ruptured, I dislocated my thumbs, I dislocated my knee caps and I ruptured tendons in my feet and my ankles,” says Gerri.
She’s already had a huge procedure on her other foot, which collapsed and became flat. Doctors shifted the bones, put a wedge of bone in to act as a strut, and gave her a pain-free functional limb again.
“Most people who have it, don’t know they have it. They find out after they rupture. People find out they have vascular EDS when they are autopsied very often. They find out when they die,” states Geri.
Fortunately she knows now, and wants to get the word out to those who might not know so that serious injuries don’t happen, and so they know how to get treatment.
Dr. Susan Goodman, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, says, “We have real practicable day to day, physical improvement, in both our surgical technique and our management, medical management of the illness.”
“Moving joints around, moving heels, moving knee caps, is just amazing and this Hospital for Special Surgery, is on cutting edge technology and he has improved the life for people with Ehlers-Danlos,” adds Gerri.
Gerri says she was “floppy” as a child. She was clumsy and fell down a lot, and that’s what was the tip-off to her parents to have her evaluated.
For More Information on EDS, click on to http://www.ednf.org
And in the NYC Area, the EDS NYC Local Group can be reached at (212) 319-2332.
Shoulder Pain Paramus, Bergen County, NJ
Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
Bergen County residents should look no further for a shoulder specialist than Roger G. Pollock, M.D. in Paramus, NJ, for all of their shoulder needs. Dr. Pollock's distinguished career as a shoulder specialist has given him the experience needed to help his patients find lasting relief under his surgical care and help choose treatments that are suitable for each case.
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New Jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
Many Americans experience some type of shoulder pain at some time in their lives. Although the majority of this pain is minor, some of it turns into chronic pain. If you are a victim of Chronic Shoulder Pain and live in Northern New Jersey, Roger G. Pollock, MD has years of experience in treating shoulder problems.
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
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Dr. Roger G. Pollock Paramus, Bergen County NJ
Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
The shoulder is a part of our body that we use constantly, whether in ordinary life or in sports. It's not uncommon to find that you have pain in your shoulder, and it's not uncommon to feel concerned when the pain gets bad. Dr. Roger Pollock in Paramus, New Jersey has a wealth of knowledge and experience that is focused on the care of the shoulder, and the benefit of his expertise is easily accessible for those in New York and New Jersey.
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
If you have sustained a severe shoulder injury or have a shoulder worn down from years of hard work, a Shoulder Replacement may be the solution needed to add day to day shoulder comfort back into your life. Roger G. Pollock, MD is a fellowship-trained shoulder specialist, who has treated many patients with different types of shoulder arthritis and has performed hundreds of shoulder replacement surgeries.
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
Thanks to recent advancements in medical technology, shoulder surgery does not need to be as invasive as traditional open surgeries. Modern arthroscopy drastically reduces the amount of time needed to heal after surgery, and Roger G. Pollock, MD of Paramus, New Jersey is a respected arthroscopic shoulder surgeon serving New York and New Jersey.
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
If a shoulder injury has limited your ability to work and play, you need to do seek help. In Paramus, New Jersey, Dr. Roger Pollock is a shoulder specialist who is well versed in all aspects of perhaps the most important joint in the body. Supported by caring individuals whose goal is to see you moving freely again, Dr. Pollock is best equipped to take care of you.
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Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
If you have sustained a shoulder injury and are seeking care from an experienced Shoulder Doctor in Bergen County NJ, turn to Roger G. Pollock, M.D. Dr. Pollock is a talented accredited professional, who specializes in advanced orthopaedic techniques of the shoulder.
Shoulder Surgery/ Shoulder Surgeon Bergen County, NJ
Dr. Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus,
New jersey
07652
Call (888) 631-1911
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