Stryker Provides High-Quality Medical and Safety Devices

A senior executive physician with National Spine and Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall previously served as chief fellow and clinical instructor at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Dan Kendall has additionally worked as a consultant to several companies, including the well-known medical manufacturing firm Stryker.

For close to 80 years, Stryker has produced orthopedic devices, emergency medical equipment, surgical supplies, and safety navigation devices. The company got its start when orthopedic surgeon Dr. Homer Stryker, inventor of the walking heel and turning frame, founded it as the Orthopedic Frame Company in 1941.

The firm began manufacturing its wedge turning frame the following year. The device gave medical personnel the ability to keep the spines of patients with back injuries immobilized while more easily turning them in their beds.

Over the decades, Stryker has expanded its product offerings, which today include its emergency evacuation chair. The device assists in evacuating people with mobility problems from multi-story buildings. Thanks to its innovative design and high-quality, durable construction, the Stryker chair is in common use by public and private organizations as part of their safety and evacuation planning.

Using Discography to Identify the Source of Chronic Back Pain

Dr. Daniel (Dan) Kendall trained in pain management as a fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Now an interventional pain medicine specialist at National Spine & Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall implements a number of different techniques to reduce chronic pain. One of the many services offered at National Spine & Pain Centers is discography.

Physicians use discography to identify the underlying cause of back pain, which could result from facet syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or a damaged disc. Discography provides a means of inspecting the internal structure of discs in the spine to see if one or more is contributing to pain in the back. Spinal discs can become damaged over time and cause a deep, aching pain that is difficult to distinguish from other types of pain.

Discography involves the administration of contrast dye into spinal discs, followed by the recording of the flow pattern of the dye. The entire procedure takes less than an hour and involves minimal recovery time. The results are very useful in guiding further treatment to maximize pain alleviation.

Johns Hopkins Publishes Study Showing Dogs Help ICU Patients Recover

Dr. Dan Kendall stands out for his proficiency in performing fluoroscopic-guided procedures, practicing techniques such as epidural nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation. Currently treating patients at National Spine and Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia, Dr. Dan Kendall is a former fellow at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. 

Johns Hopkins health professionals have established a program that takes a unique approach to improving patient outcomes. Taking advantage of the special type of healing only a canine can provide, the hospital team brings specially trained dogs into intensive care units (ICUs) to help alleviate patients' physical and emotional pain. 

While dogs have been used for therapy in other medical settings, bringing them in to visit critically ill patients is a first. The human-canine bond helps overcome the impersonality of the ICU and the coldness of the equipment, such as ventilators and feeding tubes. According to an article in the February 2018 issue of Critical Care, Johns Hopkins rehabilitation and ICU researchers reported that dogs helped their ICU patients become active sooner, as well as motivating them to be more engaged in their recovery efforts.

Viscosupplementation - Treatment of Knee Arthritis

Dr. Dan Kendall is an interventional Pain Management Specialist at National Spine and Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia. Recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as a Top Doctor in 2015, 2016 and 2017, Dr. Daniel (Dan) Kendall is experienced in non-surgical pain management treatments including viscosupplementation.

An inadequate amount of the lubricating fluid in the knees and other joints can lead to significant pain and swelling over time. Viscosupplementation involves the injection of hyaluronic acid into the joints to replenish the joint’s normal lubricating fluid. The treatment helps reduce pain by easing the stress that aging and repetitive physical tasks put on the body's cartilage and joints. 

Depending on the patient, the injections may vary from a one-time treatment to a course of treatment over three to five weeks. After each injection, patients need to avoid physical activity for two days before resuming their normal routine. After the treatment, patients report less pain and stiffness for periods of up to six months and reduced reliance on pain medications.