Diseases & Disorders

Consulting “Dr. Google”
20 July 2010
Study finds much Internet-based sports medicine information is incorrect or incomplete. The quality of online information about the most common sports medicine diagnoses varies widely, according to a study published in the July 2010 issue of The Jour... Read more »

Disc Prolapse (Herniation)
20 September 2009
A prolapsed (herniated) disc occurs when the outer fibres of the intervertebral disc (its annulus) are injured, and the soft material known as the nucleus pulposus, ruptures out of its enclosed space. The prolapsed or ruptured disc material can enter... Read more »

Inexpensive drug appears to relieve fibromyalgia pain in Stanford pilot study
11 May 2009
For Tara Campbell, the onset of her fibromyalgia began slowly with repeated sore throats, fevers and fatigue. By the time she was diagnosed, a year later, she had become so debilitated by flulike symptoms and exhaustion that she often couldn't get of... Read more »

Genetic Test to Predict Risk of Scoliosis Progression in Girls
31 March 2009
Despite decades of effort to improve the evaluation and treatment of scoliosis, the inaccuracy of determining risk of progression remains one of the greatest issues negatively impacting the overall care of this condition. A new and accurate method of... Read more »

Living With Fibromyalgia
30 March 2009
Fibromyalgia is a complex disorder, characterized by chronic, widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to gentle touch. While it's more common in women aged 20 - 50 yrs, it can strike men and children and impacts on millions throughout ... Read more »

Researchers Offer First Direct Proof of How Arthritis Destroys Cartilage
15 September 2008
A team of orthopaedic researchers has found definitive, genetic proof of how the most common form of arthritis destroys joint cartilage in nearly 21 million aging Americans, according to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research... Read more »

Young Women Unaware of Bone Disease Risks
28 July 2008
Many young women are unaware of the dangers of osteoporosis, leaving them vulnerable to crippling bone disease. These sobering findings were presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Denver... Read more »

Computer Simulations Help Predict Fracture Risk
28 July 2008
Using a Blue Gene supercomputer, scientists of ETH Zurich and the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory demonstrated the most extensive simulation yet of actual human bone structure. This achievement may lead to better clinical tools to improve the diagnosi... Read more »

Depression Not Discussed During Rheumatoid Arthritis Doctor Visits
21 February 2008
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common chronic inflammatory arthritis, are twice as likely as other individuals to experience depression... Read more »

Depression Not Discussed During Rheumatoid Arthritis Doctor
21 February 2008
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common chronic inflammatory arthritis, are twice as likely as other individuals to experience depression... Read more »

Electronic Switch Opens Doors In Rheumatoid Joints
4 January 2008
A breakthrough in understanding the way atoms move across cell membranes in the human body could pave the way for the development of new treatments for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis... Read more »

Identifying Patients at High Risk for Total Hip Replacement
29 November 2007
Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip is a growing problem that will continue to increase as the population ages. Previous studies have reported on risk factors for developing OA, but few have examined the factors that might predict its prognosis... Read more »

Widening Mortality Gap Between People with Rheumatoid
29 October 2007
Life expectancy for RA Patients has not improved over the past 4 decades... finds Mayo Clinic study, indicating urgent need for improved intervention strategies... Read more »

In-Vitro Models Minimize Animal Use in Arthritis Studies
12 October 2007
MU Researchers Have Developed a Model that Mimics Actual Joints It's hard to think of scientists in laboratories working toward solutions for medical problems without mice or other laboratory animals, but animals' roles in at least one major resea... Read more »

Gene Discovered for Form of Brittle Bone Disease
22 January 2007
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that a previously unexplained fatal form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (a disorder that weakens bones and which may cause frequent fractures) results from a genetic defect in a pr... Read more »

Pagets Disease
27 September 2006
Paget's Disease of bone is a disease that causes affected bones to become enlarged and mis-shapen. Our bones are living tissue, and our bodies are constantly breaking down old bone and replacing it with new bone. In Paget's disease, however, old bo... Read more »

What is CD?
30 June 2006
Cervical Dystonia, also known as Spasmodic Torticollis, is a neurological movement disorder, characterised by neck muscles contracting involuntarily, which leads to abnormal movements and posture of the head and neck. This term is used gen... Read more »

Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES)
15 December 2005
We'd like to bring to your attention information about a very debilitating condition at the request of Caroline - one of Bad Backs subscribers. I'm sure very few of us have heard of this serious condition. Cauda Equine Syndrome (CES) can... Read more »

Pains Impact on Treatment of Rheumatic Disease
12 December 2005
New Insights into Pain Mechanisms; Practical Advice on Pain Management. Long treated as a side effect, pain is now widely recognized as an integral part of patient care. While the last decade has brought extraordinary advances in the unr... Read more »

Evidence of New Hereditary Joint Disorder
12 November 2005
A family history uncovers a syndrome marked by cartilage prone to 'Bubbling' and peeling away from the bone. While characteristic of osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease that affects millions of people worldwide, cartilage erosion... Read more »

Life-Long Strategy To Help Prevent Osteoporosis
26 November 2004
Physical activity is presented as the only known intervention that can potentially increase bone mass and strength in the early years of life and reduce the risk of falling in older populations; according to a new Position Stand from the American Col... Read more »

All About Scheuermann's Disease
27 January 2004
Scheuermann's disease - commonly spelt Sherman's disease - (also known as juvenile kyphosis, scheuermann's kyphosis and adolescence vertebral epiphysis) is an abnormal skeletal condition which often develops during puberty. It is defined as excessive... Read more »

Controversy Over Hand Surgery for RA Patients
22 August 2003
More than 2 million Americans with Rheumatoid Arthritis are caught in the middle of a debate among physicians over which treatment - medications or hand surgery - will help their ravaged fingers and wrists most... Read more »

Link between Arthritis & Heart Attack
20 February 2003
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have found that women with rheumatoid arthritis may significantly increase their risk of heart attack by approximately two-fold over an extended period of time. The findings appear in the March 11th i... Read more »

Bracing Less Effective in Overweight Teens with Scoliosis
12 January 2003
In a study of 276 adolescents with the most common form of scoliosis, the overweight were more than twice as likely as those of normal weight to develop worsening curvatures, despite the brace. Almost half of these overweight teens eventually needed ... Read more »

Musculoskeletal conditions lack recognition
19 June 2002
Only 5% or less of national research councils' spending is allocated to musculoskeletal conditions in established market economies, yet musculoskeletal impairments ranked number one in chronic impairments reported in the USA... Read more »

Spirituality Linked to Better Health in Arthritis
26 January 2002
A high level of spirituality appears to be associated with better health among individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and could also help them cope with their illness more effectively, recent study findings suggest... Read more »

Acupuncture May Help Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
1 December 2001
Acupuncture helped relieve symptoms such as pain and depression in women with the chronic pain disorder FIBROMYALGIA, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. "Patients not getting enough... Read more »

Ginger Extract May Ease Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
25 November 2001
Osteoarthritis is a progressive deterioration in the cartilage of certain joints, including the knee and vertebrae. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease, osteoarthritis results from overuse of joints and can be a byproduct of s... Read more »