You may experience knee pain due to arthritis, sports injuries, accidents or falls. This weight-bearing joint is also vulnerable to pain and inflammation due to normal wear-and-tear, particularly if you are overweight. Exercise can help...
If you've ever been to a yoga class and have been struck with envy over students who can hyperextend their joints in order to perform flawless poses, don't be. Hypermobile or loose joints can cause injury, sprains and strains. In time it may even...
Hypermobility in joints, meaning the joint can move beyond its normal range of motion, is common among children. Hypermobility syndrome may be associated with daytime pain, discomfort after exercise or nighttime awakening. It also may be...
Collagen is a protein that plays an important role in the development of bone. It is also a major component of connective tissue and tendons. Collagen is a flexible and stretchy protein that is used by the body to support tissues. Disorders of...
Belly dancing can be an engaging way to stay fit, points out the Mayo Clinic. In fact, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., notes that belly dancing can help you lose weight and burn as many calories as more...
A hammer toe develops when one of a person's middle toes has a bending or contracture at the first or second joint. It can occur on the second, third or fourth toe. This bend in the toe is a bony prominence that makes the toe look like the head of...
The femur, tibia, fibula and patella comprise the knee bones. According to the University of Texas Medical Branch website, the knee provides flexible mobility during which it bears considerable weight. A number of injuries may occur to the knee,...
If you have ever been involved in a tense game of volleyball, you understand that sometimes you have to dive to get a ball or collide with a teammate to make sure your team stays on top. These are not ideal conditions for pregnant women, whose...
The aorta is the largest artery in the human body. It begins in the chest, where it is referred to as the thoracic aorta, and extends to the abdomen, where it is referred to as the abdominal aorta. An abdominal aortic aneurysm, also referred to...
When the shoulder joint in the upper arm bone is partially out of the shoulder socket, it means that it is temporarily and partially dislocated, also known as shoulder subluxation. The socket of the shoulder blade and the ball of the upper arm...
The word "stroke" strikes fear into the hearts of many. A stroke is classified into two types: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke is another name for mini-strokes, occurring when a blockage such as a blood clot prevents blood flow to the...
Hypermobility is the condition in which your joint over-extends beyond the normal limits. This can be the result of a traumatic event or a global syndrome that affects all of your joints. The treatment is similar in all cases and physical therapy...
Coping with the physical changes of pregnancy can be overwhelming, but a good fitness regimen can play an important role in a healthy pregnancy. While you're certainly going to gain weight during pregnancy, staying fit can help ensure that your...
Many people suffer from back problems for a variety of reasons. While some may be enduring serious injury that requires major medical intervention others can see vast improvement in their levels of pain through proper strengthening and stretching....
Despite its apparent trendiness, yoga has been practiced for 3,000 years. Yoga can be practiced in a variety of ways, which explains the cropping up of various types of yoga classes and studios. If you're confused by the sheer number of yoga...
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body found in fibrous tissues and connective tissue. Collagen-related diseases can arise from genetic malformations and disruptions in collagen production. The "Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences"...
Congenital diseases are those that involve defects present before a child is born. These diseases can be genetically inherited, or the result of exposure to toxins or infection while still in the womb. A number of bone calcification diseases are...
Did you ever have a friend that could bend his thumb all the way back to his wrist or can you do it yourself? If so, you've witnessed at least one effect of being "double jointed." The term double jointed describes a condition known as...
The genes, medically known as your DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in your body, play a large role in producing certain substances that are necessary in maintaining normal functions. Genes also help determine your unique physical and personality...
When you take yoga classes, you benefit from the expertise of the instructor. Not only does the instructor help ensure your safety, she also ensures proper positioning, which can optimize the workout you get during prenatal yoga. Many fitness...
The skeleton is the hard structure of the body that provides stability for movement and protection for internal organs. There are two types of skeletal systems---the axial and appendicular. The axial includes the head, spine, ribs and sternum and...
If your child complains that her feet or ankles hurt when she walks and you notice that her arches seem to collapse to the floor when she stands up, you may suspect flat feet. Most cases of flat feet do not cause any problems for kids, but in some...
Children normally have feet that appear flat until the age of 2 or 3, because the longitudinal arch in the foot is covered with a fat pad, Andrew Chong, M.D., states on the website Orthoseek. By age 3, when the fat pad disappears, true flat feet...
Bones are the foundation that humans are built upon. This living tissue continues to regenerate through the human life span; however, MedlinePlus indicates that after the age of 20, the human body begins to lose more bone than it builds. Two...
Bones are calcified substances that allow the body to have shape and support. Sometimes, the bones can be susceptible to fractures and diseases such as cancer. This can significantly affect movement and, subsequently, an individual's quality of...
If you have osteoarthritis, your joints are going to let you know if you're overusing them. Once you feel that telltale aching, throbbing or stabbing pain, you'll know it's time to give your worn-out joints a break. With osteoarthritis, the more...
The speed and force necessary to jump over the vault in gymnastics increases your risk of injuries during the short duration your hands touch the vault. Whether performing a simple jump or a complicated flip, your elbows support your body while...
Soreness in your elbow after lifting weights is a sign of tennis elbow or an elbow strain or sprain. The physical stress applied to your elbow during weightlifting puts you at risk for all these injuries. To avoid further injury to your elbow,...
Collagen is the cement that holds skin cells together. Without it, skin becomes brittle, stiff and prone to wrinkles, Smart Skin Care reports. Like many compounds in the body, diet plays an important role in collagen production and protection....
Trail running, even when loose rocks are present, provides welcome relief from the stress that comes from running on concrete. Learn how to do loose rock trail running in this video.
