Editor's Note, Volume 10 Issue 3

D’Arcy Little, MD, CCFP, FCFP, FRCPC Medical Director, JCCC and HealthPlexus.NET

I am pleased to introduce the Spring issue of the Journal of Current Clinical Care.

Brett Rocos reviews The Non-Operative Management of Scoliosis. Scoliosis is a common condition that every primary care provider will encounter. There are many treatments available in its management, including observation, physical therapy, pain management strategies, casting, bracing and surgery. In this narrative review, the roles of each of the non-operative strategies in managing adult and paediatric scoliosis are explored, and the evidence supporting each is summarised. Scoliosis affects people at every stage of life, and an understanding of the treatments available will aid in counselling patients and making appropriate referrals.

In his article, What is Athletic Heart Syndrome?, Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, describes a common term for an enlarged heart that is associated with repeated strenuous exercise: athletic heart syndrome (AHS). As a result of the increased workload required of the heart, it will increase physiologically by enlarging chambers and muscle mass, or hypertrophy by enlarging the size of the chambers and increasing the volume of blood pumped per stroke. Consequently, the heart has to contract less frequently and, at rest, will beat as few as 45 times per minute as compared with an average number of 75 beats in a normal heart. This article reviews AHS, other serious conditions that appear similar to AHS, and how to identify a young athlete at risk for sudden cardiac death.

Dr. Michael Gordon, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, offers two medical narratives on his personal experiences with The Other Side of the Gurney and An Ode to the Public Library. Dr. Gordon's love for reading, writing, and history is evident from his latest, most interesting narratives.

I hope you enjoy this latest edition. Please consider commenting or submitting an article of your own.