Recently, an Australian woman was taken to the hospital after she was helping a family member move while wearing skinny jeans. The woman had spent hours squatting down, emptying cupboards.
This may have caused many of you to wonder if your skinny jeans are safe.
Don't go swearing off skinny jeans just yet.
What happened to this woman was a classic case of Compartment Syndrome. The woman's jeans were so tight that they squeezed on the peripheral nerves and cut off circulation. The blood had nowhere to go and the muscle started to swell.
Typically, doctors see compartment syndrome between the knee and the ankle, as well as in the forearm area. In the ER, doctors will cut the patient's clothing off to get the blood flowing again. Many times doctors will have to surgically open up the area to relieve the pressure. This woman's case was so extreme because the squeezing had been going on almost all day.
How common is this problem?
Buck Parker, MD, discusses compartment syndrome and whether or not you should be throwing away your skinny jeans.
Are Your Skinny Jeans Causing a Health Risk?
Should you avoid wearing skinny jeans?
Additional Info
- Segment Number: 3
- Audio File: ER_101/1526er5c.mp3
- Featured Speaker: Buck Parker, MD
- Guest Website: Dr. Buck Parker
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Guest Bio:
Dr. Buck Parker is a trauma surgeon and also specializes in expert medical opinions on the Web, radio and TV programs nationwide.
You may have seen him recently on the new Bear Grylls & NBC survivor Reality Show The Island. Dr. Buck functioned as a cast member as well as their primary medical expert on the show.
He's found the problem with medical information, whether it's reporting the latest celebrity medical emergency, or getting advice on how to avoid the latest health scare, is that most doctors have really bad social skills and don't know how to communicate these situations in an easy-to-understand way, to all the rest of us normal people.
Dr. Buck solves that by relaying his medical knowledge to people and the media through the web, TV and radio in an uncomplicated and entertaining way. Not only do people really understand what's happening, but because it's delivered in a fun way, people enjoy staying tuned in.
The reason why he loves doing this is because during his residency he realized 90% of patients had that "deer in headlights" look when other doctors were talking to them. Dr. Buck knew those patients needed a better explanation of their medical situation. He also grew up in a loud and crazy Italian family, which meant he had to be very entertaining just to be heard at the dinner table! So, for those two reasons, combined with the fact that he is a surgeon and we all have a huge egos, made giving his medical opinions out on the web, radio and TV a natural fit. - Length (mins): 10
- Waiver Received: No
- Host: Leigh Vinocur, MD
Published in
The Dr. Leigh Vinocur Show
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