For patients with low back pain that does not respond to conservative treatment, low back or lumbar spinal surgery is an option. Lumbar spinal surgery is also done for vertebral fractures and spinal tumors. According to the American Academy of...
Epidurals provide pain relief in a variety of circumstances, including spinal or genital surgery, but are most commonly associated with labor and birth. According to the American Pregnancy Association, over 50 percent of women giving birth choose...
The effects of cosmetic surgery can be both physical and psychological, ranging from larger breasts or a decrease in body fat to improved self-image and confidence. Negative effects usually occur when mistakes are made in the operating room or...
Vertebroplasty, a minimally invasive technique for stabilizing compression fractures in the spine, helps restore bone height and also reduces pain. Vertebroplasty is done percutaneously, through a small incision in the back. Intravenous sedation...
Found primarily in foods of animal origin, vitamin B12 can present a nutrition challenge to vegetarians who eat no meat, eggs or dairy products. Although only a small amount of this vitamin is required and it is stored in the body for long...
Vitamin B12 and folate each activate the other and have interdependent activities, according to Eleanor Whitney and Sharon Rolfes in "Understanding Nutrition." Vitamin B12 removes a methyl group to activate folate, and when folate gives up its...
African people have used shea butter as part of their beauty regime for centuries. This natural product, referred to as "liquid gold," can greatly enhance the condition of your hair and skin texture. It's rich in fatty acids, and melts at body...
Herbs have been used for centuries to treat a variety of illnesses, conditions and symptoms. Remains of medicinal herbs have been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, and descriptions of herbal treatments appear in ancient Sanskrit writings,...
Low back pain often results from injuries or muscle spasms. Common causes included prolonged sitting, muscle strain, ligament sprain, problems with the intervertebral discs, falls, vehicular accidents or the use of back muscles you do not usually...
Range of motion exercises, or ROM, may be done for a variety of reasons. Usually therapeutic in nature, they may be suggested by your doctor or physical therapist to rehabilitate an injured limb or body part. They can be used to increase the...
Good nutrition should be a priority before pregnancy, not just during it. That's the stance of Dr. David Barker, a U.K.-based researcher recognized for linking fetal nutrition and chronic disease during adulthood. Not eating nutritious foods...
The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerve fibers that diverge from the spinal cord into each arm. Damage to the brachial nerve--a condition called plexopathy--can occur due to inflammatory injury, birth defects or toxin exposure, reports...
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain and numbness in the hand, affecting your ability to use it. Surgery to treat carpal tunnel is generally indicated if the condition has persisted for at least 6 months and has limited your...
A cholesteatoma is an overgrowth of skin that occurs in the middle ear. The skin grows from the ear drum and accumulates in the ear behind the drum. The cholesteatoma can be either congenital or acquired. According to the Cleveland Clinic,...
Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of ticks. The disease is the result of exposure to the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Deer ticks are the main carriers of the bacteria. The disease is transferred when a deer tick feeds on an animal and...
Percutaneous disc decompression, also known as nucleoplasty, is an outpatient surgery used to relieve sciatica, a type of back pain that radiates down the legs. This surgery is ideal for people with herniated discs that are only mildly compressed...
The quadriceps femoris, or quad muscle, is located at the front of the thigh and is responsible for straightening the leg from a bent position. As indicated by its name, it is actually composed of four muscles: the rectus femoris, vastus...
Moebius (Möbius) syndrome is an extremely rare neurological disorder resulting in severe facial paralysis which is present at birth. Lack of facial expression is the hallmark of the syndrome. The syndrome is named after Paul Julius Moebius...
Damage to the facial nerve can affect your ability to control facial movement and, therefore, the symmetry of your face, says the Affiliated Otolaryngologisits website. Specific exercises can help retrain the nerve to activate the facial muscles...
When food becomes contaminated, it has the potential to make you sick. Depending on the source and level of contamination, the effects of contaminated food can cause symptoms such as cramps, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, nerve damage, allergies and...
Selenium is a trace element, meaning it is required by the body, but only in small amounts, as high levels can be toxic. Foods like crabs, fish, poultry and wheat are rich in selenium. Selenium is essential for the production of selenoproteins,...
A herniated lumbar disc is a rupture in one of the rubbery cushions between the individual vertebrae in your spine. There are different methods to repair a herniated disc. Often rest and physical therapy help to treat the herniated disc. Rarely,...
When a disc in the lower spine becomes ruptured, serious health consequences can ensue. The center of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, can bulge outward into the spinal canal, compressing the cauda equina, a collection of nerves that exits...
Bell’s palsy is a condition characterized by a temporary paralysis of the face. The paralysis is caused by damage to cranial nerve seven, or the facial nerve, which controls the contraction of many of the muscles in the face, reports...
The carotid arteries of the neck carry oxygenated blood flow from the heart and body to the brain. Narrowing and blockages of the carotid arteries increase the risk of transient ischemic attacks, hemorrhages or bleeding and strokes. The Heart and...
Prenatal vitamins are multivitamins that are specially formulated for pregnant women. These vitamins are intended to prevent maternal deficiency and support the developing fetus. Prenatal vitamins provide important vitamins and minerals necessary...
You'd be hard-pressed to find too many people who don't find getting a massage enjoyable. Because of that, massage can be relegated to a "special treat" status for people who want to pamper themselves with a day at the spa. But according to the...
The cervical spine is made up of seven vertebrae and the discs that serve as the cushion between them. Though the cervical spine naturally enables a wide range of motion, sometimes, surgery is needed to limit that motion in certain segments....
The mouth can be involved in several neurological disorders. The nerves that innervate the muscles of the mouth can be affected by a variety of processes, occurring anywhere along their paths, or in the motor control centers in the brain. Diseases...
