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CNN Live Today

'Daily Dose'

Aired August 25, 2003 - 11:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: As Baby Boomers age, they don't just need Botox. A growing number say they need surgery so they can keep up with their athletic activities.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with details on all of this.

I'm sorry, but I just think that's a little odd.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a little odd if you don't really need it. I mean, some people really do need it. Some people were doing basketball and racquetball in their 20s and 30s, and then they hit 40 or 50, and say, hey, this hurts, something's going wrong here, and some people do indeed need this surgery, and here you can see some Baby Boomers trying to keep up with their old life, and many doctors and hospitals are more than happy to oblige with a request for a new knee or a new hip, or a new soldier (ph).

As a matter of fact, if you go on the Internet, here is one company that has a little nice pop-up ad for a procedure that they really seem to be aiming for those Baby Boomers.

But some doctors say, you know, you don't necessarily need these extensive surgeries, there are so many other things you can try before doing that. One of the big things you can try doing is giving up those much-loved high impact activities -- running, tennis, racquetball, basketball, baseball. Those kinds of sports can really be very, very tough on the joints, and instead try a lower-impact activity. These lower-impact activities would be things like stretching, swimming, water aerobics, cycling, walking and golf. So that's one alternative that people can try.

Now it was interesting, in researching this study, I was talking to a doctor who said you need to get several opinions, because some doctors will be all too enthusiastic to do these procedures. They get reimbursed very well. These are very lucrative. It's not lucrative to send your patient to physical therapy. So you want to make sure you don't have a doctor who's just jumping into a procedure.

COLLINS: Right. And I'm sure just a little bit of this might be about ego. Hey, I did it back when I was 18, I can do it now at 48.

COHEN: Right. All I need is a new knee.

COLLINS: Yes, exactly. But if you don't want to get this surgery or whatever surgery you may require, there's got to be other alternatives out there.

COHEN: There are other alternatives. If you don't want the surgery, but on the other hand, you also don't want to start doing just yoga or stretching, you want to keep up with your activities, there are a couple of things that you can do. First of all, there's some medications that your doctor can prescribe for you, so you can try them.

You could also try this supplement called Glucosamine, which some doctors like. There's also physical therapy. There's also steroid injections. There are also things like braces, and elastic bandages, and things like that that people have found success with.

COLLINS: So what's the deal? What causes these injuries? I mean, are parts just wearing out?

COHEN: That's part of it. You are just getting older and the parts are wearing out. You don't have the same knee that you did when you were 20.

But on the other hand -- and this is sort of interesting -- some of it is that you may have had an injury when you were even a teenager. Let's say you were a little league pitcher and you threw too many curveballs and you practiced too hard, you may have hurt your elbow and your shoulder, and you didn't really notice it so much, but now, it is coming back to haunt you at the age of 50.

COLLINS: Yes, that old football injury.

COHEN: That's right. It comes back to get you.

COLLINS: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 25, 2003 - 11:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: As Baby Boomers age, they don't just need Botox. A growing number say they need surgery so they can keep up with their athletic activities.
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now with details on all of this.

I'm sorry, but I just think that's a little odd.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a little odd if you don't really need it. I mean, some people really do need it. Some people were doing basketball and racquetball in their 20s and 30s, and then they hit 40 or 50, and say, hey, this hurts, something's going wrong here, and some people do indeed need this surgery, and here you can see some Baby Boomers trying to keep up with their old life, and many doctors and hospitals are more than happy to oblige with a request for a new knee or a new hip, or a new soldier (ph).

As a matter of fact, if you go on the Internet, here is one company that has a little nice pop-up ad for a procedure that they really seem to be aiming for those Baby Boomers.

But some doctors say, you know, you don't necessarily need these extensive surgeries, there are so many other things you can try before doing that. One of the big things you can try doing is giving up those much-loved high impact activities -- running, tennis, racquetball, basketball, baseball. Those kinds of sports can really be very, very tough on the joints, and instead try a lower-impact activity. These lower-impact activities would be things like stretching, swimming, water aerobics, cycling, walking and golf. So that's one alternative that people can try.

Now it was interesting, in researching this study, I was talking to a doctor who said you need to get several opinions, because some doctors will be all too enthusiastic to do these procedures. They get reimbursed very well. These are very lucrative. It's not lucrative to send your patient to physical therapy. So you want to make sure you don't have a doctor who's just jumping into a procedure.

COLLINS: Right. And I'm sure just a little bit of this might be about ego. Hey, I did it back when I was 18, I can do it now at 48.

COHEN: Right. All I need is a new knee.

COLLINS: Yes, exactly. But if you don't want to get this surgery or whatever surgery you may require, there's got to be other alternatives out there.

COHEN: There are other alternatives. If you don't want the surgery, but on the other hand, you also don't want to start doing just yoga or stretching, you want to keep up with your activities, there are a couple of things that you can do. First of all, there's some medications that your doctor can prescribe for you, so you can try them.

You could also try this supplement called Glucosamine, which some doctors like. There's also physical therapy. There's also steroid injections. There are also things like braces, and elastic bandages, and things like that that people have found success with.

COLLINS: So what's the deal? What causes these injuries? I mean, are parts just wearing out?

COHEN: That's part of it. You are just getting older and the parts are wearing out. You don't have the same knee that you did when you were 20.

But on the other hand -- and this is sort of interesting -- some of it is that you may have had an injury when you were even a teenager. Let's say you were a little league pitcher and you threw too many curveballs and you practiced too hard, you may have hurt your elbow and your shoulder, and you didn't really notice it so much, but now, it is coming back to haunt you at the age of 50.

COLLINS: Yes, that old football injury.

COHEN: That's right. It comes back to get you.

COLLINS: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com