Back & Joint Pain

Treating Young Athletes With Chronic Hip Pain May Be The Key To Slowing Or Halting The Progression Of Degenerative Hip Disease
1 October 2011
Recently, increased understanding of hip structural abnormalities has allowed specialists to better identify underlying hip conditions that previously went unrecognized and to more accurately diagnose hip problems in children, teens and young adults... Read more »

Back Pain Trial Tests Paracetamol Power
23 September 2010
Only a fraction of people with back pain are receiving the right treatment, according to the Sydney-based George Institute for Global Health. A study of 570 Australians with back pain has shown that only 45 percent of people took paracetamol, which ... Read more »

Advances in Scoliosis Surgery Help 27-Year-Old Artist Get Her Life Back
14 January 2010
Twenty-seven-year-old Shana Siegel is once again climbing up on high scaffolding, lugging around power tools and five-gallon cans of paint, and even working 13-hour days. Less than six months ago, she could barely function... Read more »

Government Denies Pain Relief To Children And The Elderly
18 November 2009
There is growing alarm and anger at the removal of the Medicare benefit for painrelieving joint injections for children and people suffering from severe arthritic conditions. ... Read more »

Back Pain-Expectations Drive Patient Decisions
13 May 2009
When it comes to back pain caused by herniated disks, many patients have strong opinions about whether surgery is right for them. But what influences those opinions? ... Read more »

Lower Back Pain & Latest Surgical Development
28 January 2009
The majority of people (around 70 or 80%) will experience lower back pain at some stage in their lives. Lower back pain is usually self-limiting, and the vast majority (80-90%) of individuals improve with simple treatment measures or without any trea... Read more »

Back Pain, No Gain.
21 February 2008
What medical expense keeps going up and up and up every year--without making patients feel any better? It's the cost of treating back pain, according to a damning new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association. ... Read more »

Foot Care
27 November 2007
Its important to put your best foot forward. Be kind to your feet. Years of wear and tear can be hard on feet. So can disease, bad circulation, poorly trimmed toenails, and wearing shoes that just dont fit properly... Read more »

Scientists Examine Peak Bone Mass Timing and Body Fat Related to Bone
16 October 2007
Osteoporosis has been called 'a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences' because the bone mass attained in youth is an important determinant of lifelong bone health. ... Read more »

NIH and NASA Partner for Health Research in Space
24 September 2007
The 'Memorandum of Understanding' marks a milestone in a long partnership to advance scientific discovery and signals researchers to the availability of a remarkable platform on which to conduct experiments... Read more »

National Institute for Complementary Medicine
16 June 2007
The Commonwealth Government will provide $4 million to the University of Western Sydney to help establish a National Institute for Complementary Medicine. The institute will develop national priorities for complementary medical research and... Read more »

Popular Osteo Medication Now Available on PBS
18 December 2006
The Commonwealth Government has extended the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing of the osteoporosis medication - Alendronate. From 1 April 2007, Alendronate (in the form of Fosamax® Once Weekly and Alendro® Once Weekly) will be av... Read more »

Agreement closer on Trans-Tasman Therapeutic Authority
29 August 2006
The Australian and New Zealand governments further progressed their commitment to the establishment of the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Authority (ANZTPA) at an Interim Ministerial Council meeting in Wellington recently... Read more »

Workstation Myths
1 August 2006
Many generally accepted guidelines for posture and furniture at computer workstations are, in reality, myths. If rigidly followed, these misconceptions can lead to uncomfortable and costly mistakes. Some of these myths include: Correct posture... Read more »

PBS drug listings extended for treatment of psoriatic arthritis
22 June 2006
The Commonwealth Government is extending the listing of three drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 August 2006 to allow subsidised access for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The drugs covered by the extended listing... Read more »

A kit to reduce injuries for older Greek-Australians
18 October 2005
A national safety kit to help reduce falls and injuries among older Greek-Australians was launched today at the Australian Greek Welfare Society in Melbourne by the Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop. "One in three people aged over 65 fall each... Read more »

Bowel book for people with spinal cord injuries
20 August 2005
A book of practical tips to help people with spinal cord injuries solve bowel problems was launched today by the Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop. "There are an estimated 11,000 people living with spinal cord injury in Australia and this increa... Read more »

Smart designs for an ageless society
25 April 2005
Australian designers, architects and builders are being encouraged to design a 'community for all ages' to meet the needs of an ageing population in a new initiative launched today by the Acting Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Ag... Read more »

Action for arthritis!
11 April 2005
Arthritis pain should no longer be considered an inevitable part of growing older, the Federal Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop, said today, at the start of National Arthritis Week (11-17 April). Ms Bishop, who has portfolio responsibility... Read more »

Price cut for generic drugs
1 April 2005
The 12.5 per cent mandatory price reduction for new generic drugs will be implemented by agreement with the pharmaceutical industry rather than by legislation. During the election, the government promised that there would be a 12.5 per cent mandat... Read more »

Whole Medical Systems for Relief of Back Pain
5 March 2005
Whole medical systems involve complete systems of theory and practice that have evolved independently from or parallel to allopathic (conventional) medicine. Many are traditional systems of medicine that are practiced by individual cultures throug... Read more »

Government Announces More MRI Machines Now Operating
22 February 2005
The Commonwealth Government today announced the locations of 21 additional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) units that will soon have Medicare licenses. This will mean that 101 MRI machines will be Medicare-eligible � up from just 18 aroun... Read more »

Stress and back pain - by Greg Blain N.D. Naturopath
5 October 2004
Emotional stress for most people in the fast-paced, high pressure society in which we live today, seemingly is an unavoidable part of modern life. Stress may be either acute or long-term, and how we perceive and respond to it, will determine how it a... Read more »

Bulk Billing Incentives
13 January 2004
This MedicarePlus measure means that every Commonwealth concession card holder and child under 16 who is bulk-billed will attract an additional $5 rebate - so GPs have more incentive to bulk-bill their patients especially concession card holders and ... Read more »

Trans Tasman Therapeutic Products Agency
11 December 2003
The Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Trish Worth, said she was delighted at the historic signing today in Wellington of a Treaty between Australia and New Zealand that will result in Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) a... Read more »

Minister's Lifestyle Prescription
23 September 2003
Australians are on a worrying trajectory towards ill-health and not active enough, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said today while unveiling plans for national Walk to Work Day (October 3). "Physical inactivity plus r... Read more »

10 Tips for Safer Health Care
4 August 2003
Launching a booklet (produced by the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care), aimed at assisting people to become more actively involved in their health care, Senator Patterson said improving safety is a partnership between health p... Read more »

Aussie Blokes - A Picture of Health?
27 March 2003
Australian men might live longer and healthier lives if they change a few lifestyle factors and occasionally see a GP, according to a world-first major study of male health problems seen in general practice. Almost 1 in 4 males haven't seen a... Read more »

Development of HeathConnect Commended
15 August 2002
Speaking at the Australian Health Ministers Conference in Adelaide, Federal Health Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge, said important steps had been taken toward establishing a world-class electronic system for collecting, storing and exchanging health... Read more »

Chronic Diseases
24 June 2002
Chronic Diseases and Associated Risk Factors in Australia 2001 also shows that arthritis and related disorders top the list of leading main conditions related to disability among Australians, followed by asthma, diabetes, stroke, depression and emphy... Read more »

Statement by Christopher Reeve
11 May 2002
Read about what he supports & the role of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation in improving the lives of people with disabilities. I am opposed to reproductive cloning as well as eugenics, the practice of hereditary improvement of t... Read more »

Grants to Assist Best Practice Patient Care
23 April 2002
Grants totalling $521,539 will be used to close the gaps between medical research findings and effective treatment for patients. 'The grants, ranging from head injury management in emergency departments to diabetes in remote communities, cover a who... Read more »

100 Year's of Australia's Health
5 April 2002
Chronicled for the first time - 100 Years of Australia's Health Dr Michael Wooldridge, Minister for Health and Aged Care,has launched his Department's commemorative history book, Putting Life Into Years: The Commonwealth's Role in Australia's Health ... Read more »

A Multi-Disciplinary Spinal Pain Unit
14 February 2002
The Multidisciplinary Spinal Pain Unit in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia is the result of years of negotiations between the Vice-Chancellor of James Cook University of North Queensland, and the then Townsville General Hospital and Northern R... Read more »

New discovery in fight against pain
31 January 2002
Scientists have identified a key protein that controls severe pain in the spinal cord. Such a discovery might someday allow more relief for those who experience unmanageable pain from various chronic pain conditions... Read more »

What is an Orthotist?
21 November 2001
By Peter Franks F.A.O.P.A. An Orthotist is an allied health professional and clinician who's role is to assess, design, manufacture, fit and supply an appropriate orthosis to suit a particular patient's needs. An Orthosis is the correc... Read more »

Medicare to Cover Extra MRI Machines
24 October 2001
The Australian Federal Health Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge, today announced that a further six Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines in outer metropolitan and regional Australia would be covered by Medicare... Read more »

Better Health For Rural Australians
5 October 2001
Each Pilot Site will receive up to $100,000 over 18 months to develop chronic disease and injury prevention and management programs in rural communities. "People in regional Australia experience higher rates of chronic disease and injury tha... Read more »