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Piecing Together the Puzzle of Chronic Low Back Pain

https://www.niams.nih.gov/piecing-together-puzzle-chronic-low-back-pain

The human back is a complex structure with bones, nerves, tendons, discs, and more — all places where something can go wrong and cause pain, which, for many people, becomes a long-term or chronic problem. Life stresses and other medical and mental health conditions aggravate the problem. With so many pieces, it’s hard to get a holistic view of the puzzle or pinpoint the cause of the pain. “People tend to focus on one aspect or another,” said Jeffrey Lotz, Ph.D., a medical engineer who studies back pain at the University of California, San Francisco. “Some people think it’s largely

Back Pain

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/back-pain

What is back pain? Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. It might feel like a dull, constant ache or a sudden, sharp pain. Back pain can result from: An accident. A fall. Lifting something heavy. Changes that happen in the spine as you age. A disorder or medical condition. Treatment depends on the cause and symptoms of your pain. You can do things to improve your health and lower your chance of developing chronic (long-lasting) back pain.

Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/polymyalgia-rheumatica-giant-cell-arteritis

What are polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis? Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis are closely linked inflammatory disorders. Some people have one of the disorders while others develop both of them. Polymyalgia rheumatica causes muscle pain and stiffness in the shoulders, upper arms, hip area, and sometimes the neck. Giant cell arteritis causes inflammation of arteries, especially those on each side of the head, scalp, and the aorta (the large artery that carries blood from the heart) and its main branches. The main symptoms of this disorder are: Headaches. Scalp tenderness. Jaw pain. Problems with your eyes, which may

Unraveling the Role of the Skin Microbiome in Health and Disease

https://www.niams.nih.gov/unraveling-role-skin-microbiome-health-and-disease

Human skin is home to diverse ecosystems including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These microbial communities comprise hundreds of species and are collectively known as the skin microbiome.

A More Precise Way to Knock Out Skin Rashes

https://www.niams.nih.gov/more-precise-way-knock-out-skin-rashes

Researchers published a proof-of-principle paper in the journal Science Immunology demonstrating just how precision medicine for inflammatory skin rashes might work.

Obesity alters response to anti-inflammatory treatment

https://www.niams.nih.gov/obesity-alters-response-anti-inflammatory-treatment

A treatment for severe skin inflammation that works well in lean mice made the condition worse in obese mice because of immune-cell changes associated with obesity.

A Wearable Device Helps Make Back Pain Bearable

https://www.niams.nih.gov/wearable-device-helps-make-back-pain-bearable

HEAL-funded researcher Conor Walsh, Ph.D., and his team at the Harvard Biodesign Lab specialize in developing soft “exosuits” – wearable devices that help people with muscle weakness (for example, after a stroke) so they can regain movement and muscle strength.

Drugs treat spinal disc degeneration in mice

https://www.niams.nih.gov/drugs-treat-spinal-disc-degeneration-mice

A research team led by Dr. Makarand Risbud of Thomas Jefferson University tested whether treatment with the drugs dasatinib and quercetin would prevent disc degeneration in mice. Both drugs are senolytics, which selectively remove aged cells known as senescent cells.

How to Manage Low Back Pain Before it Gets Worse

https://www.niams.nih.gov/how-manage-low-back-pain-it-gets-worse

Reactive Arthritis

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/reactive-arthritis

What is reactive arthritis? Reactive arthritis happens when an infection causes joint pain and swelling. A bacterial infection in the digestive or urinary tract or the genitals usually triggers the condition, but arthritis symptoms typically do not start until a few weeks after you have recovered from the infection. The most common features of reactive arthritis are inflammation of the joints (especially the knees and ankles), eyes, and urinary tract, but not everyone gets all three, or they might not happen at the same time.

Atopic Dermatitis

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/atopic-dermatitis

What is atopic dermatitis? Atopic dermatitis, often called eczema, is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that causes the skin to become inflamed and irritated, making it extremely itchy. Scratching leads to: Redness. Swelling. Cracking. “Weeping” clear fluid. Crusting. Scaling. In most cases, there are times when the disease is worse, called flares, followed by times when the skin improves or clears up entirely, called remissions. Atopic dermatitis is a common condition, and anyone can get the disease. However, it usually begins in childhood. Atopic dermatitis cannot be spread from person to person. No one knows what causes atopic dermatitis. Depending on