Dr. Kayal Answers Your Questions

By Robert A. Kayal, MD, FAAOS

NJ Orthopedic FAQs

From week to week, my team and I field many questions from patients dealing with the pain, immobility and strength deficits caused by orthopaedic injuries and conditions. In this blog, I’d like to address a few of your most recent questions. 

What Do You Think About "Resolving" to Become Fit?

Ah, New Year’s resolutions. You may have already forgotten yours, but fitness is a common focus when people decide to improve their overall health—any time of year. And, while I believe that fitness should be part of everyone’s life, a lack of stretching and conditioning can lead to the sports-related injuries that bring patients to our office. 

Stretching out, eating wisely, and easing into a new exercise routine rather than becoming a “weekend warrior” (someone who works out at high intensity over a short period of time) is the correct way to approach physical fitness. This way, your body adjusts to the new levels of activity slowly and you will be less likely to hurt yourself. Think of fitness as a marathon instead of a sprint.

What Are the Most Common Winter Injuries?

Some of the most common winter injuries that we treat are related to overuse or snow-related accidents. They include: 

• Muscle sprains and strains
• Ligament strains
• Tendonitis
• Tendon rupture
• Low back pain
• Muscle fatigue

Other frequently encountered winter injuries include ACL tears in the knee, ankle and wrist fractures, and skier’s thumb. Remember to keep safety first in your mind when approaching exercise or winter activities. Injury can occur when you least expect it: from neglecting to stretch before a jog to shoveling incorrectly after a snowfall.

How Can I Prevent Injury?

The short answer? You can’t. Injuries happen to everyone at one time or another, but you can reduce the chance of injury through a series of easy and efficient steps:

• Warm up before physical activity. Perform range-of-motion stretches, or walk for several minutes to warm up.
• Train appropriately for sporting events through a combination of weight training, strengthening and stretching exercises.
• Maintain good bone health through healthy levels of calcium and vitamin D to reduce the risk of bone breaks. Ask your Kayal Orthopaedic bone specialist about vitamin recommendations. 
• Strengthen your core muscles to support your spine. Practicing yoga and pilates are excellent ways in which to support your core and improve your overall balance and functionality.

If you’ve been injured during athletics or daily activity, don’t wait to address your pain. Call our NJ orthopedic offices today to schedule a one-on-one appointment with me or with a member of my qualified surgical staff!

Seeking Help

At Kayal Orthopaedic Center, we specialize in orthopaedic health for all ages: children, teens, adults and senior citizens. Don’t let pain management limit your activity or become a daily task on your to-do list! Contact us today to schedule an appointment at our Ridgewood or Franklin Lakes offices, or visit our website to educate yourself about common injuries and conditions! We look forward to serving you, and wish you health and safety during the rest of the winter!

Healthy Diet and Exercise for the New Year

By Robert A. Kayal, MD, FAAOS

2012 brings feelings of hope and optimism, as well as a deluge of resolutions. Many people resolve to lose a few pounds, particularly after paying the price for holiday indulgence. While diet and exercise can indeed help you achieve your weight loss goals, Kayal Orthopaedic Center, your premier New Jersey orthopaedic surgical team, reminds you that healthy diet and exercise is the key to keeping yourself pain-free and in better condition.

Healthy Exercise Habits

According to the American Obesity Association, carrying more weight than is appropriate for your frame size can lead to musculoskeletal pain. Aerobic exercise can help you shed the pounds needed to take excess pressure off of your joints, but it’s important to employ healthy exercise habits. If you have never exercised before or if you have pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, consult your primary care provider before you begin a series of workouts.

Once you have the green light to work up a sweat, start slowly. Walking, jogging and simple stretching gets your body used to the increase in activity without the threat of muscle strains and sprains. Chronic pain in your hips, knees, back, feet or ankles may simply be your body’s way of telling you to slow down, but if your pain persists, be sure to contact your local NJ orthopaedic doctor for advice. “Working through the pain” can lead to more serious injury. As you become more physically fit, incrementally increase both your mileage and workout time to amp up your weight loss routine.

Begin a Healthy Diet

Exercise can increase your flexibility, contribute to joint health and help you work off holiday pounds, but following a healthy, year-round diet is another smart lifestyle change that protects you from obesity and chronic disease. As with exercising, be sure your intended dietary changes are appropriate for your individual state of health.

Vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients help you focus, improve your immunity and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time so you aren’t as tempted to snack. Remember to make healthy lifestyle changes, though—instead of adhering to unhealthy fad diets and unproven supplements. Slow and steady is just as crucial for healthy dieting as it is for exercising. Simple ways to ease into a healthy diet include:

Some of the most frequently of the most frequently occurring shoulder conditions treated by the Kayal Orthopaedic Center include:

• Drinking water instead of sugary juices and sodas
• Choosing brown rice and whole wheat pastas and bread products over white
• Crunching on nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables instead of fat-laden, salty snacks
• Including low-fat dairy products in your diet

A healthy lifestyle can help to keep your aching back or sore hips in check, but if you still experience pain, don’t let it become a habit. Contact Kayal Orthopedic Center today to discuss your symptoms. Happy New Year! May you experience health, fitness and happiness in 2012.

Managing Lower Back Pain

By Robert A. Kayal, MD, FAAOS 

Low back pain stemming from sciatica, spinal stenosis or other causes is a common debilitating condition. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), it is also the most prevalent cause of work-related disability. Lower back pain is not just uncomfortable, though. If left untreated, it can lead to potentially serious medical problems. Don’t put off having a qualified NJ orthopedic surgeon address your low back pain to determine its cause—and the best course of treatment for your symptoms.


SCIATICA: Sciatica is a type of low back pain found most commonly in adults between the ages of 30 and 50 years old. Sciatic pain can be chronic and tends to affect one or both legs as well as your back. Sciatica is the result of sciatic nerve compression. The affected nerve runs from the lower back, past the buttocks and down through each leg. Symptoms of sciatica can include:

• Long-lasting pain intensified by sitting
• Tingling, burning or numbness
• Weakness in the affected leg 

A herniated disc in the low back is a common cause for nerve compression. Bulging or herniated discs are often just a sign of aging, but can result from trauma such as a car accident. Sciatica that is related to disc problems can be treated non-surgically through rest, physical therapy and medication. In some cases, surgery is required to manipulate the disc into its proper position and provide pain relief. Expert NJ back surgeons can repair herniated discs and guide you in post-surgical rehabilitation exercises to strengthen core muscles. Stretching and exercises can alleviate and prevent low back pain in many people.

SPINAL STENOSIS: Another possible cause of low back pain is spinal stenosis. Your spinal cord is surrounded by a number of protective structures, including vertebrae, muscles and ligaments. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of these structures; picture a tunnel that has suddenly grown smaller inside. The primary cause of this spinal stenosis is arthritis. During arthritis, the discs in your back lose fluid and harden. This reduces the diameter of the space surrounding your spinal cord while causing symptoms similar to sciatica. These include:

• Burning or tingling in the buttocks, thighs or lower back
• Weakness in the legs and feet
• Low back pain that increases upon standing or walking

The experts at Kayal Orthopaedic Center may suggest a variety of treatment options for spinal stenosis. All are designed to relieve your low back pain and to increase your daily level of function. Lumbar traction and other forms of physical therapy can manage your symptoms and decrease associated nerve compression. Anti-inflammatory medications reduce swelling around the spinal nerve, and may be taken orally or through a series of steroid injections. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture may also be beneficial to spinal stenosis patients, and your Kayal Orthopaedic specialist can provide information about these options.

Kayal Orthopaedic Center surgeons often perform laminectomy and fusion procedures to correct severe cases of spinal stenosis. During a laminectomy, your NJ back surgeon removes fragments of bone and soft tissues that are causing nerve pain. Back fusion permanently attaches two or more vertebrae together to create a stronger spinal structure. This may offer pain relief when alternative therapies have not been successful.

Don’t let low back pain interfere with work, family and activities! Call Kayal Orthopaedic Center today at 201-447-3880 to schedule an appointment with our NJ orthopedic specialists. Online appointment scheduling is also available through Sage Intergy Practice Portal: a convenient way to manage all of your orthopaedic healthcare needs.