We are all fortunate to have amazing equipment to help us through our injuries and illnesses, and the technology is improving all of the time. But we can avoid the need for rehab in some instances by the hard work of prevention. It should not be news to anyone that obesity is epidemic in the US. The data from the Center for Disease Control is striking. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html By avoiding being overweight, we can drastically reduce the kind of diabetes that typically develops in adults and the strokes, heart attacks and nerve problems that go with it. Replacement of worn out joints with artificial ones is now very common but the recovery process , particularly for knee replacements, can take months. The need for such surgeries can be delayed for decades, by avoiding the wear and tear of weight-bearing joints that obesity inevitably causes. Avoiding excess pounds, and shedding them once they are there is not simple. But it is an effort that can mean years less of pain, dependance and disability. Ken Elam, MD, MPHGroup ChairmanWambuzi Medical Logistics
