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When Your Back Hurts, Don’t Let Back Pain Knock You Flat

https://www.niams.nih.gov/newsroom/spotlight-on-research/dont-let-back-pain-knock-you-flat

Is your back hurting? You’re in good company. In any 3-month period, about 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has at least one day of back pain, mostly in the lower back. The back is a complicated structure. Its center is the spine, which is made up of 33 bones called vertebrae, stacked in a column. The nerves of the spinal cord run in a tunnel through the middle of those bones. Spongy discs between the vertebrae act as cushions. Ligaments and tendons hold everything together. A lot of things can go wrong with your back. A strained muscle

Psoriasis

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/psoriasis

What is psoriasis? Psoriasis is a chronic (long-lasting) disease in which the immune system works too much, causing patches of skin to become scaly and inflamed. Most often, psoriasis affects the: Scalp. Elbows. Knees. The symptoms of psoriasis can sometimes go through cycles, flaring for a few weeks or months followed by times when they subside (or go into remission). If you have psoriasis, you may have a higher risk of getting other serious conditions, including: Psoriatic arthritis. Heart attack or stroke. Mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

Osteonecrosis

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteonecrosis

What is osteonecrosis? Osteonecrosis is a bone disease. It results from the loss of blood supply to the bone. Without blood, the bone tissue dies. This causes the bone to collapse. It may also cause the joints that surround the bone to collapse. If you have osteonecrosis, you may have pain or be limited in your physical activity. Osteonecrosis can develop in any bone, most often in the: Thigh bone (femur). Upper arm bone (humerus). Knees. Shoulders. Ankles. It is also called: Avascular necrosis. Aseptic necrosis. Ischemic necrosis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

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

What is rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that mostly affects joints, such as the wrist, hands, feet, spine, knees, and jaw. In joints, RA causes inflammation that leads to: Pain. Swelling Stiffness. Loss of function. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder because the immune system attacks the healthy joint tissues. Normally, the immune system helps protect the body from infection and disease. RA may cause you to feel unusually tired, to have occasional fevers, and to have a loss of appetite. It also may cause other medical problems in the heart, lungs, blood, nerves, eyes

Sports Injuries

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries

What are sports injuries? Sports injuries are injuries that happen when playing sports or exercising. There are two kinds of sports injuries: Acute injuries occur suddenly when playing or exercising. For example: Sprained ankles. Strained backs. Broken bones. Chronic injuries happen after you play a sport or exercise for a long time.

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.

Gout

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/gout

What is gout? Gout is a type of arthritis that causes pain and swelling in your joints, usually as flares that last for a week or two, and then go away. Gout flares often begin in your big toe or a lower limb. Gout happens when high levels of a substance called serum urate build up in your body. When this happens, needle-shaped crystals form in and around the joint. This leads to inflammation and arthritis of the joint. However, many people with high levels of serum urate will not develop gout. With early diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes, gout

Sprains and Strains

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sprains-and-strains

What are sprains and strains? A sprain is an injury to a ligament (tissue that connects two or more bones at a joint). When a sprain happens, one or more ligaments is stretched or torn. A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon (fibrous cords of tissue that connect muscle to bone). In a strain, a muscle or tendon is stretched or torn.

Fibrous Dysplasia

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibrous-dysplasia

What is fibrous dysplasia? Fibrous dysplasia happens when abnormal fibrous (scar-like) tissue replaces healthy bone. The fibrous tissue weakens the bone over time, which can lead to: Broken bones. Bones that are misshapen (bowed or crooked). The disease can affect any bone in the body. Some people have no symptoms or only a few symptoms. Other people may have more symptoms. Although there is no cure for fibrous dysplasia, treatments may help to lessen pain, and physical therapy may help strengthen muscle and improve movement.

Osteoporosis

https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis

What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle. This increases your risk of broken bones (fractures). Osteoporosis is a “silent” disease because you may not have symptoms. You may not even know you have the disease until you break a bone. Breaks can occur in any bone but happen most often in: Hip bones. Vertebrae in the spine. Wrist. You can take steps to help prevent osteoporosis and broken bones by: Doing weight-bearing exercises, such as walking or dancing, and lifting weights. Not drinking too much alcohol. Quitting smoking, or not starting if

New rheumatoid arthritis drug targets NIH-discovered protein

https://www.niams.nih.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rheumatoid-arthritis-drug-targets-protein

Media Availability What: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new oral medication for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that represents a new class of drugs for the disease. The drug, tofacitinib (Xeljanz), provides a new treatment option for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate, a standard therapy for the disease. Affecting nearly 1.5 million adults, rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. It occurs when the immune system, which normally defends

New Insights Into How Psoriasis Arises and How It Heals

https://www.niams.nih.gov/newsroom/spotlight-on-research/new-insights-how-psoriasis-arises

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy red patches and silvery scales, usually on the elbows, knees or scalp. It affects about 2 percent of Americans, and is sometimes associated with other health problems, such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. The causes are not fully understood, but the condition is related to an abnormal immune assault on skin cells that triggers inflammation. Scientists have been trying to understand the molecular details of what causes psoriasis. Now, two studies funded in part by the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and published in

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