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
Tag: Arthritis
What You Need to Know about Psoriasis
Unlike beauty, psoriasis is more than skin deep. In fact, recent research links the inflammatory skin disorder, in its more serious forms, to greater incidence of early death. Authors of that research report that patients with 10 percent or more of their body covered by psoriasis are at double risk of dying. That finding is… Continue reading What You Need to Know about Psoriasis
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
Try Some Tai Chi
With roots in 12th-century China, tai chi is a form of moving meditation that can help both your body and mind. You may have seen practitioners in parks in your town or in movies, gathered in small groups, following along in a sort of slow motion martial arts training. You can do as few as… Continue reading Try Some Tai Chi
Do You Really Need A Hip Replacement?
If your hips hurt, every position is uncomfortable. Sitting or standing, walking or even lying down—nothing gives you relief. These joints sit near your core and are essential to so much of our movement. No wonder 2.5 million Americans are living with total hip replacements, according to Mayo Clinic research. However, there may be an… Continue reading Do You Really Need A Hip Replacement?
Arthritis More Common Than Believed in People under 65
The incidence of arthritis in adults younger than 65 has been substantially underestimated, accordin to new research. The findings indicate that better monitoring is needed to gauge the prevalence of arthritis and to develop prevention strategies. The study was published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. . Current national estimates of arthritis rely on a single survey… Continue reading Arthritis More Common Than Believed in People under 65
Life-Saving Hacks for Seniors
A senior citizen falls every 13 seconds in this country. And each year, more than one million elderly people go to the ER with injuries. Families want to keep their loved ones safe but often don’t know how. For Older Americans Month, SYNERGY HomeCare has some senior life-saving hacks (tips) that can prevent injuries with… Continue reading Life-Saving Hacks for Seniors
Alternative Remedies for Inflammation: How Good Are They?
Editor’s note: People who suffer musculoskeletal inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and tendinitis may try some alternative health treatments that have purported anti-inflammatory properties. But do these remedies actually work? Here, experts from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health weigh in on the evidence of how effective these treatments are –… Continue reading Alternative Remedies for Inflammation: How Good Are They?
Arthroscopic Hip Surgery Not Always The Best Choice
Although patients over 60 with hip problems might choose minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery instead of a total hip replacement, that may not always be the best option, according to a study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in Manhattan. Analyzing patient databases from California and Florida, researchers looked at how many patients ended… Continue reading Arthroscopic Hip Surgery Not Always The Best Choice
Is An Arthritis Cure In Our Own Body?
Arthritic cartilage, long considered untreatable, could actually be treated by a substance in the patient’s own body. The discovery was made by researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Their early study indicates that arthritic cartilage could be treated by a patient’s own ‘microvesicles’ that are able to travel into cartilage cells and deliver… Continue reading Is An Arthritis Cure In Our Own Body?
Women with Knee Osteoarthritis Experience More Pain Than Men Do
Among patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, women experienced greater sensitivity to various pain modalities — such as lower tolerance to heat, cold, and pressure — and greater widespread pain than men. The study was published in October 2015 in Arthritis Care & Research. A release from the pubisher notes that the findings may be… Continue reading Women with Knee Osteoarthritis Experience More Pain Than Men Do
Yoga Improves Arthritis Symptoms and Mood
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that a randomized trial of people with two common forms of arthritis, knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, has found that yoga can be safe and effective for people with these conditions. A release from Johns Hopkins notes that eight weeks of yoga classes improved the physical and mental wellbeing of… Continue reading Yoga Improves Arthritis Symptoms and Mood
High Intensity Training Helps Ease Arthritis Pains
According to researchers at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, arthritis is a disease that sneaks up on you. Fingers and toes slowly but surely become stiff and painful. A nice morning stretch is no longer all it takes to get your body moving. Arthritis is a chronic illness that sinks its claws into your… Continue reading High Intensity Training Helps Ease Arthritis Pains
What Medicines Should You Take for Gout?
Gout, one of the most painful forms of arthritis, occurs when uric acid builds up in the body. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, this buildup can lead to sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints, often in the big toe; deposits of uric acid (called tophi) that look… Continue reading What Medicines Should You Take for Gout?
On The Horizon: Better Cell Treatments for Arthritis
Researchers have identified individual stem cells that can regenerate tissue, cartilage and bone – a significant advance that could vastly improve cell-based treatments for arthritis. Scientists from the Departments of Biology and Physics at the University of York, UK, working with colleagues at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, published the findings in the journal… Continue reading On The Horizon: Better Cell Treatments for Arthritis
Can You Drive Safely with Arthritis
Although you might think of poor vision as the most common factor in seniors’ impaired driving ability, arthritis can also be an obstacle. According to NIH SeniorHealth, a division of the National Institutes of Health, arthritis can make joints swollen and stiff, thereby limiting movement of the shoulders, hands, head or neck. That can make… Continue reading Can You Drive Safely with Arthritis
A New Understanding of Women and Multiple Sclerosis
Scientists now have new insight why women are likelier than men to develop autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). The finding, detailed in a paper published in The Journal of Immunology, focuses on a type of white blood cell, the innate lymphoid cell, that exhibits different immune activities in males versus females. “Women are… Continue reading A New Understanding of Women and Multiple Sclerosis
Who Needs a Knee Replacement?
Knee replacement is an operation that involves removing parts of one’s natural knee joint and replacing them with artificial ones. Knee replacement is the most common joint replacement surgery. The main reason to have knee replacement surgery is to ease pain and disability caused by arthritis or other joint problems, while preserving movement. Less commonly,… Continue reading Who Needs a Knee Replacement?