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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 results
Joint Replacement Surgery
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/joint-replacement-surgery
What is joint replacement surgery? Joint replacement surgery removes damaged or diseased parts of a joint and replaces them with new, man-made parts. Replacing a joint can reduce pain and help you move and feel better. Hips and knees are replaced most often. Other joints that can be replaced include the shoulders, fingers, ankles, and elbows.
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
Scoliosis in Children and Teens
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/scoliosis
What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. Children and teens with scoliosis have an abnormal S-shaped or C-shaped curve of the spine. The curve can happen on either side of the spine and in different places in the spine. With treatment, observation, and follow-up with the doctor, most children and teens with scoliosis have normal, active lives.
Scleroderma
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/scleroderma
What is scleroderma? Scleroderma is an autoimmune connective tissue and rheumatic disease that causes inflammation in the skin and other areas of the body. This inflammation leads to patches of tight, hard skin. Scleroderma involves many systems in your body. A connective tissue disease is one that affects tissues such as skin, tendons, and cartilage. There are two major types of scleroderma: Localized scleroderma only affects the skin and the structures directly under the skin. Systemic scleroderma, also called systemic sclerosis, affects many systems in the body. This is the more serious type of scleroderma and can damage your blood
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.
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.
Fibromyalgia
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/fibromyalgia
What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a long-lasting or chronic disorder that causes muscle pain and fatigue (feeling tired). If you have fibromyalgia, you have pain and tenderness throughout your body. Sometimes you may have two or more chronic pain conditions at the same time, such as: Chronic fatigue syndrome. Endometriosis. Irritable bowel syndrome. Interstitial cystitis. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). Vulvodynia.
Paget’s Disease of Bone
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/pagets-disease-bone
What is Paget’s disease? Paget’s disease of bone is a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes bones to grow larger and become weaker than normal. Usually only one or a few bones have the disease. Many people with Paget’s disease do not have symptoms. However, the bone changes can cause: Bone pain. Misshapen bones. Broken bones (fractures). Problems in the joints near the bones with the disease. With treatment, many people can: Manage their symptoms. Improve pain. Control the effects of the disease.
Bioengineered Compound May Aid in Treating Osteoarthritic Joints
https://www.niams.nih.gov/newsroom/spotlight-on-research/bioengineered-compound-may-aid-treating
A bioengineered molecule designed to bind together key components found in the fluid that surrounds joint areas may improve lubrication and minimize friction. This could potentially slow the degeneration of cartilage tissue that occurs in knee osteoarthritis, according to a study conducted in rats and funded in part by the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The study was published in Nature Materials. The synovial fluid that bathes our joints is composed of several types of lubricants, including hyaluronic acid (HA) and lubricin. In healthy joints, this fluid ensures that tissues move together smoothly and without
Novel Insights Into Causes of Scleroderma Offer Potential New Treatment Strategies
https://www.niams.nih.gov/newsroom/spotlight-on-research/novel-insights-scleroderma
Integrins, a large class of cell surface molecules, play a role in a skin disease called scleroderma, according to research funded in part by the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and published in the journal Nature. The study showed that targeting integrins in mice with a form of scleroderma reversed the skin abnormalities associated with the disease. Scleroderma is a potentially life-threatening condition in which previously healthy people develop scarring of the skin, and in some cases damage to blood vessels and internal organs. In most forms of scleroderma, the cause of the disease is
Sports Injuries in Youth: A Guide for Parents
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries-in-youth
What are sports injuries in youth? Although sports injuries can range from scrapes and bruises to serious brain and spinal cord injuries, most fall somewhere between the two extremes. Here are some of the more common types of injuries: Muscle sprains and strains. Injuries of a growth plate, area of tissue at the end of the long bones in growing children and teens. Injuries from overuse of muscles and tendons. Learn more about sports injuries.
International Team Identifies Biomarker for Scleroderma
A higher level of a small signaling molecule correlates with a more severe form of scleroderma, a chronic autoimmune disorder that involves the abnormal growth of connective tissue, according to a study funded in part by the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The findings suggest that the molecule, CXCL4, could be used as a diagnostic marker for the disease and as a therapeutic target. Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease characterized by damage to blood vessels and thickening and scarring of the skin. In some cases, internal
MRI Findings Reveal Early Changes to Joint That Predict Development of Knee Osteoarthritis
https://www.niams.nih.gov/newsroom/spotlight-on-research/mri-findings-reveal-early-changes
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a team of scientists has detected structural changes in the knee joint that precede signs of osteoarthritis seen on X-rays. The study, which was supported in part by the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), calls into question the assumption that damage to cartilage is the primary underlying cause of osteoarthritis. The findings appeared in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatology.