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.

An Introduction to Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy

With more than 10 years of medical experience, Dr. Daniel (“Dan”) Kendall focuses on interventional pain management at National Spine & Pain Centers. Over the years, Dr. Dan Kendall has familiarized himself with a wide range of pain-relieving therapies, including intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty (IDEA), also known as intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET).

A minimally invasive technique for treating low back pain related to spinal discs, IDET was created in 1997 and is still relatively new compared to some other pain management therapies. However, when performed successfully, it can help patients enjoy good to excellent pain relief without needing to undergo major spinal surgery to remove or replace the damaged disc.

When IDET is performed, patients often receive a local anesthetic or sedative. Physicians then use fluoroscopy to guide them as they insert a hollow needle with a flexible catheter into the spinal disc. This catheter also contains a heating element, and once it’s positioned in the disc’s outer layer, it’s slowly heated to roughly 194 degrees Fahrenheit.

As the catheter is heated, it destroys the nerve fibers in the area and toughens the disc tissue. It also seals small tears. Antibiotics are then administered via the vein or by being injected directly into the disc. Within the next couple of days, patients may experience a temporary increase in pain. By one month, patients can walk and do easy exercises, and by five to six months, they can enjoy strenuous sports such as tennis.

The AOA National Osteopathic Medicine Week

With a longtime interest in pain management, Dr. Dan Kendall practices as an interventional pain medicine specialist at National Spine & Pain Centers in McLean, Virginia. Additionally, as a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), Dr. Dan Kendall is an active member of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

As the primary certifying body for osteopathic physicians and the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools, the AOA promotes public health and scientific research. On April 15 through 21, 2018, the AOA will hold National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week to bring together osteopathic medical professionals in order to increase awareness of osteopathic medicine and doctors in communities throughout the United States. 

Physicians and medical students can raise awareness on social media by using the official Doctors that DO Facebook profile overlay and the Twitter hashtag #DoctorsThatDO or #ProudDO. Additionally, NOM Week can be promoted by distributing the "What is a DO?" brochure to patients or setting up a table at a local hospital to distribute information. More ways to support NOM Week can be found on the official site for the AOA, www.osteopathic.org.

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Unveils New Simulation Center

A former chief fellow and clinical instructor at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Dan Kendall practices osteopathic medicine at the National Spine and Pain Centers in Arlington, Virginia. Named one of Washingtonian Magazine’s Top Doctors in 2015 and 2016, Dr. Dan Kendall is a graduate of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM).

Recently, CCOM unveiled a new physician education facility that allows students to practice their clinical skills in a simulated environment. Called the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center (CSC), the advanced educational tool allows students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom. Along with basics such as history-taking skills and bedside manner, the simulation center gives students practice doing physical exams in a nearly true-to-life environment. 

Presenting students with the challenge of working in a higher-stress environment than a college classroom, the simulation center features 21 examination rooms equipped with all the tools found in real clinical settings. It also contains four hospital or critical care simulated settings, including a labor and delivery room with maternal fetal simulators, and two operating rooms with endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery training tools.