Bone Health – thirdAGE

Why Winter Can Become a Pain in the Back – and Neck

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful,” but your back – and neck — may not be feeling so delightful unless you took the necessary precautions to protect the spine from winter’s cold and activity perils. Falls on ice, especially while carrying grocery bags and packages, and improper snow-shoveling techniques – putting stress on the back… Continue reading Why Winter Can Become a Pain in the Back – and Neck

7 Surprising Causes of Back Pain

Most of us know the usual culprits of back pain; stress, excess body weight, improper lifting technique, and poor posture. While these are the typical causes, unexpected issues can be causing all that agony. Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non organic – meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as… Continue reading 7 Surprising Causes of Back Pain

Are My High Heels Causing My Chronic Back Pain?

Every day, millions of women dress according to the dictates of fashion – right down to their toes – and complete their outfits with high-heeled shoes in every possible color, fabric, and style. Most women are well aware of discomfort, the difficulty of running for a bus, and the toll on their feet as they… Continue reading Are My High Heels Causing My Chronic Back Pain?

A Spine Surgeon’s Tips for Protecting Your Back If You’re Overweight

More than twenty years ago, federal health officials warned that a growing obesity epidemic was threatening the health of millions of Americans. Since then, the situation was gotten markedly worse. Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. adult obesity rate is more than 40%. There’s a great deal of focus… Continue reading A Spine Surgeon’s Tips for Protecting Your Back If You’re Overweight

Beyond Bone Mineral Density: Additional Bone Traits That Predict Risk for Fracture

Every year more than 2 million older Americans experience a fragility fracture to the hip, spine or wrist. Usually the result of a fall from standing height or less, fragility fractures stem from underlying bone deterioration. Loss of bone mineral density (BMD) – the condition known as osteoporosis – is one way bones can become… Continue reading Beyond Bone Mineral Density: Additional Bone Traits That Predict Risk for Fracture

3 Reasons to Avoid – or Delay – Knee-Replacement Surgery

Hitting your 50s or 60s can bring several life changes, and increasingly those include artificial joints. For much of the aging U.S. population, knees in particular are wearing out. More than 600,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the U.S., according to The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. That number is expected to swell… Continue reading 3 Reasons to Avoid – or Delay – Knee-Replacement Surgery

A New Path for Patients Needing A Second Hip Replacement

A newer type of artificial hip could be a good option for patients who need their original replacement taken out, according to a new study. Although hip replacement surgery is great at relieving pain and restoring mobility, dislocation is a common complication of the procedure. The risk of this is highest in patients who have… Continue reading A New Path for Patients Needing A Second Hip Replacement

Top Surprising Nutrients for Bone Health

Healthy bones require a total of 19 vitamins and minerals for optimum health. And many foods contain more than one top bone health nutrient. Whole foods that are unprocessed and organic are best, since pesticides inhibit the growth of nutrients within a plant. It’s also recommended that we regularly alter our menu choices to derive bone… Continue reading Top Surprising Nutrients for Bone Health

Hip-Surgery Patients Can Suffer Severe Post-Operative Problems

Many patients who had hip surgery are reporting new health problems, including sleep disturbances and cardiovascular disease, for up to two years after their procedure, new research shows. According to a news release from Duke University Medical Center, although such problems can diminish with the return of full mobility, the findings indicate that patients and… Continue reading Hip-Surgery Patients Can Suffer Severe Post-Operative Problems

Probiotics Can Protect the Bones of Older Women

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have demonstrated that probiotics, dietary supplements with health-promoting bacteria, can be used to affect the human skeleton. Among older women who received probiotics, bone loss was halved compared to women who received only a placebo. The research opens the door to a new way to prevent fractures among… Continue reading Probiotics Can Protect the Bones of Older Women

Early Lower-Back Pain Treatment Can Save Money, Avoid Opioids

For patients with low back pain, seeing a physical therapist first resulted in lower use of costly medical services as well as lower opioid use, according to a new analysis in the publication Health Services Research. Compared with patients who saw a physical therapist late or not at all, those who saw a physical therapist… Continue reading Early Lower-Back Pain Treatment Can Save Money, Avoid Opioids

Fifteen Percent of Osteoporosis Patients Who Take “Drug Holidays” Suffer Bone Fractures

Patients who take osteoporosis drugs for long periods typically are advised to discontinue the drugs temporarily to prevent rare but serious side effects to the jaw and thighs. However, a 2018 study done at the Loyola University Health System in Maywood, IL Medicine study has found that 15.4 percent of patients who take so-called “drug… Continue reading Fifteen Percent of Osteoporosis Patients Who Take “Drug Holidays” Suffer Bone Fractures

Baking Soda Could Be an Inexpensive, Safe Way to Combat Autoimmune Diseases

Drinking a daily dose of baking soda dissolved in water may help reduce the destructive inflammation of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, according to scientists at Medical College of Augusta University in Georgia. The report was published in April 2018 in the Journal of Immunology. A release from the university notes that the research team… Continue reading Baking Soda Could Be an Inexpensive, Safe Way to Combat Autoimmune Diseases

Low Back Pain Call to Action

Low back pain is now the number one cause of disability globally, according to the global “Call to Action” from a top medical journal, The Lancet. Scientific evidence shows over-medicalization is a big part of the problem, with most back pain treatments either not solving the problem, or even creating other issues. The May is… Continue reading Low Back Pain Call to Action

5 Non-Surgical Steps for Treating Your Arthritis

Arthritis afflicts 54 million U.S. adults, according to the Arthritis Foundation. It is the leading cause of disability among U.S. adults over 55, and in many cases leads to total-joint replacements. That is a big decision – sometimes necessary, sometimes premature. Total-joint replacements are wonderful and can be life-changing, but they also can wear down… Continue reading 5 Non-Surgical Steps for Treating Your Arthritis

Dual Mobility Hip Replacement Reduces Risk of Dislocation

More than 330,000 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year. Overall, it is a highly successful procedure. However, as with all surgeries, a risk for complications exists. Dislocation is one of the most common complications after hip replacement and the number one reason for revision surgery. A 2018 study by Geoffrey… Continue reading Dual Mobility Hip Replacement Reduces Risk of Dislocation

Study Validates Tool to Assess Mortality Risk in Older Patients with Orthopedic Fractures

Analytic software developed by orthopedic trauma surgeons at NYU Langone Health accurately identifies which middle-aged and elderly patients face a greater mortality risk following surgery for an orthopedic fracture, according to a March 2018 study. A release from NYU Langone states that PersonaCARE is a unique, predictive deep-learning software that uses an algorithm called the… Continue reading Study Validates Tool to Assess Mortality Risk in Older Patients with Orthopedic Fractures

Using Multiple Methods to Manage Pain After Joint Replacement Reduces Opioid Prescriptions and Resulting Complications

A multimodal approach to pain management (using two or more different methods or medications to manage pain) rather than using opioids alone was associated with a decrease in opioid use, opioid prescriptions and common opioid-related complications in patients undergoing total hip or knee replacements, according to a study published March 1st 2018 in the Online… Continue reading Using Multiple Methods to Manage Pain After Joint Replacement Reduces Opioid Prescriptions and Resulting Complications