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The musculoskeletal system consists of the body's bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and cartilage.
Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. It can range from a dull, constant ache to sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard to move.
Why does bone health matter? Learn more about what you can do to help keep your bones strong and healthy, what the risk factors are for osteoporosis, and how to live well if you have osteoporosis.
What is fibrous dysplasia? It happens when healthy bone is replaced with other types of tissue. Bones may become weak or oddly shaped, or they may even break.
What is Marfan syndrome? It is a disorder that affects connective tissue, which supports many parts of your body. Marfan syndrome is often a genetic disease.
What is scoliosis? It is a disorder causing a sideways curve of the spine. Curves are often S- or C-shaped. In most people, there is no known cause for this curve.
A new study on the relationship between mobility and income has shown that better mobility was strongly associated with higher income and longer working years in adults.
The HEAL-funded Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments (BEST) clinical trial is taking an innovative approach. This large collaborative study – developed by the Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program – aims to learn what back pain treatment or sequence of treatments are most effective for people based on their unique traits.
BACPAC is designed to take a comprehensive approach to understanding and treating back pain. This issue of Pain Medicine contains important information on these efforts.
A conversation between Dr. David R. Wilson, director of the NIH Tribal Health Research Office, and Dr. Lindsey A. Criswell, director of NIAMS, about information and resources for American Indians and Alaska Natives related to bone, muscle, skin, and autoimmune diseases.
A new study, which analyzed 40 years of Framingham Heart Study data, found an association between lowered rates of hip fractures and decreases in smoking and heavy drinking.The rates of hip fractures in the United States have been declining over the past few decades.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a second gene that causes melorheostosis, a rare group of conditions involving an often painful and disfiguring overgrowth of bone tissue. The gene, SMAD3, is part of a pathway that regulates cell development and growth. The researchers are now working to develop an animal model with a mutant version of SMAD3 to test potential treatments for the condition. The study appears in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.