Muscle Medicine

Muscle Medicine: The Revolutionary Approach to Maintaining, Strengthening, and Repairing Your Muscle and Joints (Book) is a guide to understanding and working with muscle, muscle injury, and recovery. It is the first collaborative effort by a sports chiropractor, Dr. Robert DeStefano 2, and an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Bryan Kelly 3. The book is published by Simon and Schuster, and was released on September 15, 2009. It reached #13 , then #11 on the New York Times Bestseller's list for advice books within the first month of its release. It features a forward by Michael Strahan, former all-pro NY Giant 6, and Fox Sports NFL studio analyst.

Muscle Medicine puts forth the concept that muscle is overlooked in today's health care system, and that it deserves equal regard with bones, joints and organs, when differentially diagnosing pain and dysfunction. There are few muscle specialists, and no established branch of medicine that focuses on muscle. Yet, muscle can be the cause or a major contributor to many of the common problems that are currently answered, with mixed success, by [...] and surgery alone. The book states that the treatment of muscle can sometimes be enough, and can often improve the success of a surgery, and eliminate the need for pain killers and anti-inflammatories. And further, that proper care of the muscular system can help keep many of these problems from becoming issues in the first place.

Muscle Medicine is divided into three main sections. In the first section Dr. DeStefano introduces muscle physiology, and the role of muscle in the body: the way in which muscle is designed to function, and also the way it breaks down and becomes injured or malfunctions in the body. In the section two, nutrition, psychology and general fitness are discussed, especially in terms of their effect on the health and function of muscle, and on the body and performance in general. Section three is the most substantial part of the book in which, Dr. DeStefano explores the regions of the body by identifying and discussing common muscular and orthopedic issues, and successful, integrative solutions.

This third section begins with a description of the Muscle Medicine Program: a system of self treatment, stretching and strengthening, which was developed in Dr. DeStefano’s private practice to help patients take an active role in their own recovery. It features a patented self-treatment method, F.A.S.T. (for facilitated active stretch technique) 7, active isolated stretches 8 9 and functional strength exercises, designed to target trouble spots in each region of the body. The system is through and very manageable, even for a beginner. The doctor stresses however, that the program be used as an adjunct to medical care, or with medical clearance.

Each subsequent chapter introduces the reader to a region of the body, identifies common issues with that region, and then presents actual case studies for many of those issues, and how they were successfully resolved, in many cases without surgery and medication. It also explains how muscular treatment can improve the success of a surgery, and why surgery and medications, and other treatments like corticosteroid shots, are sometimes absolutely necessary. Some of the issues that can be found are: torn meniscus, tear of the ACL anterior cruciate ligament, Plantar fasciitis, arthritis, back pain, carpal tunnel, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, headaches, runner's knee, tendinitis, muscle tear strains, herniated disc, nerve entrapment, repetitive stress repetitive strain injury, scar tissue, and stress fracture.

The final chapter examines the health care system in general, and how the patient can better manage the complexities of choosing doctors and treatments. Practical advice is offered on researching and consulting doctors, and how to coordinate a team of doctors for an integrative course of action.

Muscle Medicine has been reviewed on the US News and World Report health blog , and has been discussed in interview with Dr. DeStefano on Fox News America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer , WGAU with Barbara Dooley, and on the Simon & Schuster Website .

External links

Outdoor Sports Guide 14 Muscle Medicine Official Site 15 DeStefano Chiropractic and Associates 16 Bryan Kelly, MD 17 Alta Physical Therapy 18 New York Football Giants 19 Simon and Schuster 20 US News and World Report: On Fitness 21