People may experience joint cartilage breakdown as they advance in age from conditions such as osteoarthritis. Vitamins can boost the healing and repair of cartilage in order to decrease pain and increase the functionality of joints. The best...
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It is a structural protein, which provides support to the tissues. Collagen from cows has been used for decades to treat wounds and burns. Arthritis breaks down natural collagen in the body....
Joints connect your bones so they can move properly. The connective tissue in healthy joints is strong and rigid because of the glucosamine in the cartilage. According to the Mayo Clinic, diseases like osteoarthritis can cause cartilage to break...
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition that is characterized by pain, redness, swelling and warmth in the small joints of the fingers, wrists and feet. It is an autoimmune disease--a disease in which the body's immune system attacks the...
With the approval of a health professional, individuals who are suffering from arthritis can safely participate in exercise, including yoga and stretching. Use a chair for seated exercises and to keep you steady as you develop your balance and...
The intersection of the bones between your upper and lower leg form a complex support structure called the knee joint. Your knee joint allows you to bend and rotate your knee, enabling you to walk and run freely. Due to its frequent use, the knee...
Arthritis is a health problem that effects individuals of all ages and activity levels. According to the American Council on Exercise, arthritis affects more than 40 million individuals. Only 33 percent of arthritis suffers are senior citizens....
Panniculitis, or nodular fat necrosis, is a type of inflammation that occurs in the subcutaneous fat beneath the top layer of the skin, or epidermis. It is characterized by tissue death and the single or multiple crops of nodules that appear in...
Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance produced by the body. It plays a role in building cartilage, a connective tissue that cushions joints. Many people use glucosamine for treating osteoarthritis and other joint disorders, although...
Conventional treatments for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis usually address pain, inflammation and bone and cartilage deterioration associated with those diseases. At times people experiencing arthritic symptoms may opt to augment these...
Osteoarthritis is a particular type of degenerative disorder that affects joints. Having osteoarthritis causes the cartilage between joints to break down, explains the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases or...
Whether or not you can exercise to build muscle without full range of motion depends greatly on what is causing your limited range of motion. For example, if it is due to certain diseases, your doctor may recommend completing certain...
Shark cartilage has been used to treat those with cancer because it is believed that sharks don’t develop the disease, and it’s been quite effective. However, shark cartilage is also used for arthritis, psoriasis, and as an...
The area at the back of the knee is referred to by the anatomical term "popliteal fossa," due to the presence of the flat triangular muscle at the back of the knee called the popliteus. "Fossa" is an anatomical term used to describe a concave...
Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant. It's a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug due to its impact on the natural reward pathway of the brain. When used in medical pharmacology,...
The deterioration of cartilage over time is also known as osteoarthritis. Moderate exercise may keep cartilage healthy, strengthen cartilage and decrease the risk of osteoarthritis. However, certain types of exercise may also accelerate the...
Supplements are an alternative treatment option for people with arthritis. Not only are they available in most drug stores, they may improve arthritic joint structure and also provide pain relief. Supplement use can cause side effects, so talk to...
Collagen is a fibrous protein that functions as a building block for skin, tendons, joints, other connective tissues and bones. Collagen also keeps skin, bones, teeth and blood vessels healthy. Taking collagen supplements helps replenish and...
Water on the knee, sometimes referred to as knee effusion, is a term used to describe excess fluid that has accumulated around or within the knee joint. The knee joint lining produces a fluid that helps to nourish the cartilage and lubricate the...
Arthritis of the hip is any deviation from the normal smoothness of the surfaces that make up the hip joint. The term arthritis is a bit of a loose description that denotes rough, worn and painful joint surfaces. There are many different causes of...
The skeletal system consists of 80 axial skeletal bones, 126 appendicular skeletal bones and the cartilage that holds it all together. Disorders and diseases affect all 206 bones in the system. Arthritis disease processes affecting the joints in...
Collagen is the main protein within the bone, cartilage and connective tissue. The collagen vascular diseases are a group of diseases that stem from abnormalities in the connective tissue. Some of these diseases may be characterized by...
Aloe vera is one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs; it has a long tradition of treating skin cuts, scrapes and burns. However, the healing qualities of the aloe vera plant is also used internally to soothe the digestive tract and treat...
Macular degeneration is a condition that damages your central vision. The back lining of your eye, called the retina, contains a central area, called the macula, and in some people, the cells that make up this tissue start to break down, resulting...
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, which results in pain, swelling, stiffness and limited movement. There are over 100 different types of arthritis.” The causes of...
If you suffer from sinus problems and allergic rhinitis, you are not alone, says The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. More than 50 percent of Americans are allergic to at least one thing. Sinus problems can range from allergies...
Bones are living, growing tissues made mostly of a protein called collagen. In addition to collagen, bones are also made of calcium. Throughout life, bones go through a process called remodeling. This process involves the breaking down of old bone...
Shark cartilage, which is obtained from the cartilage of the fins and heads of dogfish and hammerhead sharks, is sold as a dietary supplement to treat cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, macular degeneration, colitis, glaucoma, psoriasis and...
Arthritis is a general term used for more than 100 different conditions. Since there is no cure for arthritis, treatment is aimed at controlling the symptoms and maintaining as much range of motion and mobility as possible. The first step is...
Degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis, is caused by wearing of the cartilage wrapped around bone joints. Learn about degenerative joint disease in this health video.
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a condition wherein joints become inflamed and painful as cartilage wears away and stiffens. Learn more about osteoarthritis including treatments and symptoms in this medical video.
