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The Medical Library
News
The latest in back and joint pain medical news (traditional and alternative) from scientists and medical professionals throughout the world.
Medical Information
Simple descriptions of popular topics listed below:
Conditions
in this category
Arthritis - Inflammatory
8 February 2010
Arthritis literally means 'inflamed joints' and incorporates more than 150 disorders characterised by pain, swelling, tenderness and limited movement. Such disorders can affect not only the joints, but also other connective tissues, including muscle ...
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Fibromyalgia
24 March 2010
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a very common condition of widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and multiple tender points. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons--the fibrous tissues in the body.
FMS used to be called fib...
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Fractures
12 August 2010
When an accident precedes the onset of back or neck pain, a broken bone (fracture) must be considered. The amount of force required to fracture the spine through the bone or soft tissue is quite high. Less force is required to fracture the spine of t...
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Herniated Disc
14 May 2010
Herniated Disc is a fragment of the spinal disc nucleus (spongy centre), which is pushed out of the annulus (outer ring), into the spinal canal through a tear or "rupture." In the herniated disc's new position, it presses on spinal nerves. ...
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Obesity & Back Pain
24 June 2010
Your weight is a significant indication of the state of your health.
If you are obese, you are at increased risk for a number of conditions including back pain. While back pain is not necessarily life threatening, it may mean you are not getting...
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Osteoporosis
22 November 2010
Osteoporosis is a global problem that is increasing in significance as the population of the world both grows and ages. For these reasons, osteoporosis is often referred to as the "silent epidemic". While women are more likely than men to d...
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Postural Mal-alignments
22 July 2010
Postural mal-alignments such as stooping or hunched back (kyphosis), and sway back (lordosis) can be the source of chronic back pain. Leg length difference may lead to recurrent back pain because it causes mal-alignment of the spine and pelvis. Shoe...
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Pregnancy & Back Pain
7 October 2010
Changes to the musculoskeletal system which occur during this time include; changes in posture, spinal or pelvic pain as well as lengthening of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.
The incidence of some degree of back pain during pregnancy is...
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Sciatica
6 July 2010
The sciatic nerves are the largest nerves in the body, almost ¾' wide. They supply sensation and motor control to your buttocks, hips and legs. Starting in the lower spine, they pass behind the hip joint, and go down the buttock and back of the le...
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Scoliosis (curvature of the spine)
21 March 2010
Everyone's spine has natural curves. These curves round our shoulders and make our lower back curve slightly inward. A spine with scoliosis has abnormal curves with a rotational deformity. The deformity may occur in varying degrees in three planes:...
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Soft Tissue Injuries
10 June 2010
Participating in sports and physical fitness activities, as well as simple everyday activities can lead to soft tissue damage of ligaments, tendons and muscles. These injuries may be the result of a single episode or as a result of repeated overuse...
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Spinal Infection
1 September 2010
Infection of the spinal column is a very broad topic and includes those diseases that arise spontaneously and those that are secondary to some inflamed event. True infections are uncommon, particularly in the industrialised countries of the world. Al...
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Spinal Stenosis
26 February 2010
Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by the narrowing of spaces in the spinal canal that results in pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. This may be localised to just one area of the spine or may extend over a long length of the spine. Pr...
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Spinal Tumors
28 September 2010
The spinal cord contains bundles of nerves that carry messages between the brain and the body. Because the spinal cord is rigidly encased in bone, any tumor that grows on or near it can compress the nerves, and interfere in this communication...
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Spondylolisthesis
12 November 2010
Spondylolisthesis ('spondyl' = spinal + 'olysthesis' = with slippage) is the forward slippage of one vertebra on the vertebrae below. The most common involved is L5 (the 5th lumbar vertebra) slipping forward on S1 (1st sacral verteb...
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Spondylolysis
27 October 2010
Spondylolysis ('spondyl' = spinal + 'olysis' = with a hole or crack) is the deficient development or degeneration in a specific part of the spine's facet joint, called the pars interarticularis, and could involve one side or both sides...
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Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS)
18 August 2010
Tension Myositis Syndrome is a major cause of common syndromes of pain involving the muscles, tendons and nerves of the back and neck. The disorder is a benign (though painful) physiologic alteration in soft tissues brought on by strong, unconscious...
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