Most elbow joint pain is the result of trauma or overuse. Athletes often experience elbow pain after intense exercise; the elderly get it from a lifetime of stress on the joints. Even children suffer from "nursemaid's elbow." Fortunately, the...
Most muscles cover bone. When you flex these muscles, a joint is moved. The abdominals, however, are a complex web of muscle that covers a cavity that contains your viscera. They help stabilize your body during movement, protecting your spine. Due...
It is important to know the basic anatomy of a joint and how it works in order to understand some of the disease processes that can affect joints. Most actual joint diseases (as well as joint pain) are types of arthritis. There are several...
Internal or medial rotation is a simple joint movement that involves numerous muscles. Subscapularis, teres minor, pectoralis major, latisimus dorsi, anterior deltoid and the long head of biceps brachii all work together to rotate your humerus...
Even for the most experienced athletes, effectively wrapping the knee joint before an athletic event can mean the difference between serious injury and success. Consequently, wrapping joints before a competition or exercise is a practice that...
When suffering from painful joint pain, flexing and exercising may seem like an undesirable task. Joint pain, often referred to as arthritis, can result from the inflammation of the tissue surrounding the joint. According to the U.S. National...
Though the knee is a simple hinge joint moving in primarily one direction, it bares much of the weight of your body and the forces exerted during locomotion. The joint is made up mostly of ligaments and bone compared with your hip joints and...
When the knee is injured, the pain and frustration involved can linger on years after it has taken place. This makes it very important to preserve the health of your knees every chance you get. The knee is a simple yet complex joint. It has a...
Leg extensions are a simple, single-joint exercise that offer an excellent way for beginners to develop enough strength to move on to more technically demanding exercises. This is one of the best exercises for isolating the quadriceps, a group of...
The acromioclavicular joint, also called AC joint, is a point in the shoulder where the clavicle and acromion join. This joint allows you to raise your arm over your head. If you have an AC joint injury, you may benefit from strengthening the...
A goniometer is a device that measures the range of motion in a joint. This simple device resembles a mathematical compass, with a flat plastic disc and measurements attached to two plastic legs, one labeled stationary and one labeled for...
With more than 15 bones in each foot and multiple bones in the ankles, the lower anatomy utilizes a complex system of articulating joints. However, the ankle itself is a relatively simple hinge joint. The two motions allowed by the ankle joint are...
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association jointly recommend that healthy adults under 65 years of age should do strength training exercises twice a week, performing eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 different...
Knee injuries can be treated with therapeutic exercise, depending on the severity of the injury. Exercises are important to maintain full range of motion (ROM) within your knee joint that could otherwise be lost due to swelling or inflammation,...
Toe pain can result from several problems, including bunions, hammertoes, corns, calluses and arthritis. To prevent toe pain, avoid wearing narrow and ill-fitting footwear. Performing exercises with your toes on a regular basis can strengthen the...
Snorkeling is a unique form of cardiovascular and muscle strengthening exercise. It requires minimal equipment --- a mask, snorkel and sometimes fins --- and is especially beneficial for those suffering from joint pain or limited mobility....
A good fitness routine should include a little bit of everything. You need to perform cardio activities to improve your aerobic fitness and resistance training to keep your muscles healthy and strong. When designing your strength training plan,...
A weighted vest is a versatile, portable and low-cost piece of resistance training equipment. These vests are excellent tools for developing strength and power. Weighted vests are reasonably safe pieces of equipment that are used by nearly all...
Although outwardly your knee joint appears simple in design, it's actually one of your body's most complex joints. Numerous muscles--including your quadriceps group, hamstrings and gastrocnemius--exert forces on your knee, and your knee is...
Tendinitis can affect several different areas of the body. In all cases, the tendon becomes inflamed or damaged, usually from overuse. That's why overworked regions such as the wrist, elbow and knee regularly suffer from tendinitis. Some of these...
Bone health is a concern for both men and women, particularly as they get older. As people age, they may begin to lose bone mass or their bones may become brittle. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 12 million people...
Gout is a disease in which uric acid builds up in the joints, causing painful swelling. Gout can be acute--happening only once--or chronic, with attacks happening months or even years apart. Some people who experience one episode of gout never...
Darryl Johnson, veteran firefighter with the Chicago Fire Academy, once noted, "Firefighting needs endurance and strength. The two work hand-in-hand, so that's what I started targeting." This comment was made after Johnson nearly failed in...
When joint pain becomes so severe that a person stops using the joint as much as possible, the condition becomes even worse, as the muscles supporting the joint become weak and stiff. The goal of joint replacement is to relieve chronic pain due...
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, locks up from excess stress, trauma to the head or even a lot of dental work. Yoga poses can help release the painful TMJ symptoms. Certain yoga positions are more beneficial than others, but do not make the...
A finger joint injury can make simple daily tasks more difficult. According to the National Institutes of Health, some examples of common finger injuries include damage to the tendons, joint sprains, fractures and joint dislocations. Depending...
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the most common types of arthritis that cause joint inflammation and pain. Overuse, injury or conditions like gout, bursitis and psoriasis are other possible causes of inflammation. Finding the cause of...
Ligaments are fibrous, elastic bands that hold bones together in a joint. The ligaments stretch and allow the joint to move in different positions. The ankle joint connects the lower leg to the foot and has multiple ligaments working together to...
The knee is a simple hinge-type joint that is responsible for bending and extending the lower leg. This joint allows us to carry out everyday functions such as walking and running, in addition to high-level activities such as kicking, jumping and...
Ball and socket joints can get tense and can need to be relaxed. Get expert tips and advice on massage and other treatments in this video.
Bursitis is an inflammation of sacs containing synovial fluid called bursae. Learn about bursitis, including treatment options, in this video.
Underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, leads to a large range of symptoms, often resembling other illnesses. Learn more about underactive thyroids 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.
