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Tree Bark Found to Improve Osteoarthritis Symptoms

2007-12-07

Osteoarthritis of the knee affects millions and is one of the five leading causes of disability among the elderly. A recent study published in the journal Nutrition Research reveals Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, improved physical function by 52 percent in cases of patients suffering from osteoarthritis. The condition develops due to the gradual loss of cartilage elasticity that leads to it hardening and beginning to crack. As a result, the cartilege is more prone to damage and erosion by use or injury and often leads to pain, swelling, a decrease in joint motion, stiffness, or the formation of bone spurs. Current treatments include regular exercise and pain relievers such as NSAIDS and COX-2 inhibitor pills to relieve pain and stiffness. In severe cases, cortisone shots can decrease inflammation in the joint and extreme cases include joint replacement operations.

Worried Sick? There Might Be Some Truth There

2007-11-19

A recent report by health provider BUPA has found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, and erratic eating habits. The 2007 Worry Report demonstrates that almost one in five people constantly worry about numerous things, and more than half feel they worry more now than five years ago. Half of the people surveyed this year, which is 6% more than in 2006, claimed they were more worried about their health and their family's health than about other concerning issues such as climate change or terrorist attacks. The survey finds that almost three quarters of people worry, but around 19% admit to worrying all the time or about a number of things.

Physiotherapy Shows Benefits Following Knee Replacement Surgery

2007-09-26

According to a recent study published on bmj.com, physiotherapy can improve the daily lives of osteoarthritis patients who have undergone knee replacement surgery. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of disability found in oler people, so total knee replacement surgery is a routinely performed procedure. Since some patients continue to experience problems with everyday tasks shortly after surgery, researchers reviewed data to determine if short term physiotherapy is an effective solution.

Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems

2007-09-21

A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how stress affects the sympathetic nervous system, impacts physiology, and the effect it has on the cardiovascular system. Lead author, Daniel Brotman, claims "Acute physical stressors such as sugery, trauma, and intense physical exertion are well known triggers of cardiovascular events. Emotional stressors are increasingly recognized as precipitants of such events."

Spinal Decompression for Lower Back Pain

2007-04-25

Spinal Decompression provides an alternative to surgery in many cases of lower back pain caused by herniated discs. A herniated disc is a condition of the disc. The disc a jelly-like material between two bones in your spine. There is a middle section called a nucleus and an outer band called an annulus. As we age the outer band, or the annulus, which is a collagen based tissue, begins to break down. The nucleus, which is in the middle, migrates outside and puts pressure on the spinal nerve causing either pain or dysfunction.

HEALTHWRAP SECOND HAND SMOKERS

2007-02-16

According to new research out of the American Heart Association, exposure to secondhand smoke results in a disproportionate rise in markers that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Rather than relying on participants� self-reporting of exposure to secondhand smoke, researchers measured the level of cotinine in the participants� blood.

FDA Drug Approval Conflicts of Interest

2006-04-27

Here in America, the medications which your doctor prescribes, and which your pharmacist dispenses are carefully studied: going through not one, not two, but three phases of clinical trials usually at multiple medical centers. The process involves typically thousands of patients over a course of years. The food and drug administration often decides to approve a medication based on the recommendation of an advisory committee composed of outside scientific experts. But according to new research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, after all the careful data collection, that near-final step of approval is frequently put into the hands of those with close ties or a financial investment in the company making the drug, and in the opinion of some, de-legitimizing the entire drug approval process.

Health Wrap: Reports on Snoring, Fetuses and Pain, Forgetfulness and Baseball

2006-04-14

A new study finds that habitual snoring in women is strongly tied to body mass index�a marker of fatness-- and age. Overall, 7.6 percent of women snore. The frequency of snoring reaches its peak in women ages 50 to 59. Frequent snoring was found to increase with alcohol dependence, smoking and physical inactivity. --

ACUPUNCTURE FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

2006-02-13

If you�ve tried all the pain medicines, the heat packs, and you still have aching knees, there�s new evidence that acupuncture might help with your osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease, and the most common location for osteoarthritis is, in fact, the knee. And with our aging baby boomers, more and more of us are going to have to deal with this problem, which is hardly insignificant.

Hip Fracture

2006-01-01

1 in 4 people will ultimately die from complications caused by a hip fracture. Each year in the United States, there are 350,000 hip fractures.