Connective tissues are fibers that are made up of proteins and sugars. These fibers surround organs and help maintain muscle form. Tendons and ligaments, which connect muscles to bone at your joints, are also connective tissues. Certain...
A healthy immune system defends your body against pathological organisms. Connective tissue, such as bone, blood cells, cartilage and fat, structures and shapes your body and keeps it strong. Certain nutrients support your immune system and...
Differentiated connective-tissue diseases are those conditions marked by abnormalities in the muscles and joints due to an unhealthy response by the body's immune system. They include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleredoma and polymyositis....
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that your body cannot make on its own. This means you must take in enough vitamin C via your daily diet to give your body enough of this vitamin. One of the most important functions vitamin C serves in your...
Naturally produced by the body, collagen is made of protein. "It is the main component of connective tissue, and is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content," according to the Medical News...
Tendons are dense fibrous tissues that connect bones and muscles. Tendons are responsible for transferring the motion of muscles through the joints into motions of the body. Tendons are affected mainly by trauma, as in strains and sprains, and...
In traditional herbal medicine, horsetail has been used to treat urinary problems, wounds, digestive ailments and other medical issues. Today, horsetail is used in herbal medicine for its beneficial effects on the bones and connective tissues. You...
The Taoist concepts of yin and yang are an integral part of yoga and refer to the types of body tissue that the yoga posture strengthens. Yin yoga strengthens connective tissue while yang yoga strengthens muscle tissue. Yoga postures...
Calcium acerbate is a chemical name for vitamin C combined with calcium. Another popular name for it is Ester C. Calcium acerbate combines the best that vitamin C and calcium have to offer for immune system support and digestive health, bone...
Bicycling is a low-impact activity that many people prefer because of its benefits to the lower-body joints, including the knees. But just because stress levels are reduced does not mean that no strain gets placed on the knee. And damage to the...
Rheumatology is the study and non-surgical treatment of joints and connective tissues. This definition was expanded to include diseases of the immune system and the musculoskeletal system, which commonly affect the joints and connective tissues,...
Ligaments are dense fibrous connective tissues that join bones. Ligaments occur throughout the body wherever there are joints, and they can be very complex. Ligaments are formed through excretion of collagen and elastin by fibroblasts and are...
Tendons are the connections between bone and muscle. Tendons are composed of dense fibrous connective tissues, have limited blood supply and are under almost constant tension from use. These properties make it hard for the body to repair tendons...
Skin is the largest organ in the human body. National Geographic writes that adults have more than 22 square feet covering their bodies, counting for eight pounds of their overall weight. As the body ages, the dermis--the middle layer of skin that...
Tendinitis is a condition that is characterized by inflammation of tendons and ligaments, which are the connective tissues of your joints. This condition can be caused by falls, repetitive movements, sports activity or heavy lifting. Tendinitis...
Collagen is one of the four basic types of tissues found in the human body, and it makes up approximately 30 percent of your body mass. The importance of collagen is that it forms the various types of connective tissues found within your body,...
The sternocleidomastoid is a pair of muscles on the anterior part of your neck that stretches from the medial portion of your collarbone and the broad part of your sternum to the mastoid part of the temporal bone, which is below and slightly...
Low density lipoprotein, or LDL, is the bad type of cholesterol that contributes to arterial plaque build-up and heart disease. As a means to lower LDL, exercise and weight loss are recommended by doctors as a lifestyle change. If you were to lose...
Beef shoulder roast is also called chuck roast and is taken from shoulder area of the cow. Since the shoulder supports a lot of the cow's weight, the beef roast cut from it contains connective tissues and must be tenderized thoroughly before...
Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome, refers to a non-specific cause for pain along the shinbone that occurs due to cumulative stress on the connective tissues attaching lower leg muscles to the bone. Shin splints often develop in...
Pressure cookers are able to produce full meals in a much shorter time than conventional pots and pans. They do this by artificially creating a high atmospheric pressure in the pot, which allows the trapped water and steam to reach temperatures...
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance that provides hydration and lubrication to connective tissues throughout your body such as skin, tendons, ligaments and synovial fluid. As you age, the level of HA present in your body diminishes, causing...
The treatment of cellulite is a multi-billion dollar industry. However, for all of the money spent on trying to prevent and remove cellulite, few of the treatments actually work. There are only a handful of cellulite treatments that offer visible,...
Push-ups have long been the gold standard for measuring upper-body strength, but sometimes they can get a little boring, so adding variations can spice up your routine. Sliding is a low-impact yet intense activity that conditions not only all the...
Collagen is an important structural component of the body's connective tissues. Collagen supplements in oral, topical and injectable forms have various reported benefits. These supplements are widely available, but it's a good idea to check on...
Yin yoga is a Chinese form of yoga based on the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang. Yin is the life force and energy in your connective tissues such as bones and ligaments, whereas yang is the energy present in the more fluid-filled, softer tissues...
Tendon and ligament injuries are common among athletes and people who exercise regularly. Injury to joints, like those in knee, shoulder and elbow, can cause pain and stiffness and prevent physical activity for long duration. Although, joint...
Organs and muscles expand and contract. Skin moves with our limbs. The connective tissues at the base of these structures permit easy movement. Philadelphia-area dermatologist Dr. Eric Bernstein, a contributor to The Patient's Guide, writes that...
Hernias often present as a bulge; this condition occurs when a muscle or fat pokes through a weak area in muscle or connective tissue. While the most common types of hernias are groin or stomach hernias, they can occur in many locations on your...
