Posted on 26 February 2010. Tags: musculoskeletal diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, prevent musculoskeletal disorders

In this article we are trying to guide people to avoid wrong postures which can create some very bad conditions in your musculoskeletal system. People work on their computers all day long and they need to have methods of taking care of their bodies at the same time. It is therefore very important to have a proper work station to take care of these unwanted problems.
Musculoskeletal diseases range from simple pains to more problematic and serious conditions. People using computers on regular basis can have some simple complains like numbness or burning sensations in the hands, swelling of the joints and pain in the writs, arms and elbows and sometimes pain in the neck and back as well.
Other symptoms may include dry and itchy eyes, double vision, cramps, weakness, stress headaches and related ailments. Computer users may be having problem with the way they are sitting on the computer all the time, and the chair or back rest that they are using may not be the adequate one for their backs. Also, you need to take breaks in between to create a balance, and the work station that you may be working in may not be ergonomically stable. However, these factors may not lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
However, in order to prevent any kind of problems, it is best to check out all the possibilities and make amendments wherever necessary. It is important to check whether your chair is comfortable enough and whether you are maintaining a proper pose and if your workstation is balanced enough to allow you to sit for long periods of time.
There are some very simple precautions that you can take on very regular basis and they include taking breaks from your computer regularly. Take a walk of your office or place of work at least once every hour. Stretch your body and relax, change positions regularly. Try to mix computer work with non-computer work as much as possible, keep your keyboard and mouse in the same level and don’t hold your mouse too tightly. Try to remember to click your mouse gently.
The monitor of the computer will also play a very important role in creating a good environment to avoid musculoskeletal disorders. Make sure that it is in the right angle to your vision. It should not be lower of higher, you should not have to strain your neck to look up or down in the process. And the monitor should be at least 14 inches away from your face.
Your keyboard should be able to be detachable and it should have legs so that you can change positions if required. It should allow your elbows to rest on the table without having to bend them too much. You will have to check the position of the elbows as they should be parallel with the arms and they should not bend. There are some very good keyboards that come especially designed to allow your elbows to rest on them with the help of gels boards. The position of the keyboards should be the same as the position of the mouse, and any other pointing devices.
Your chair should be comfortable but not unstable. It should have a good back rest that allows you to go back but that it comes back to your straight position automatically. It should be extremely important to make sure that the chair supports your lower back. Your chair should be able to adjust to your height. This is important as the knees should be bending on a right angle, otherwise you will have problems with your knees as well. If this is not the case then use a foot rest.
Posted in Bones, Joints and Muscles
Posted on 21 February 2010. Tags: causes of osteoporosis, development of osteoporosis, diseases like osteoporosis, prevention of osteoporosis, risks of osteoporosis, what is osteoporosis?

The structure of our bones has the capacity to grow and regenerate itself all throughout our growing years approximately up to the age of thirty years, and then the process slows down and in some cases it starts to reverse and deteriorate thus creating diseases like osteoporosis. This disease is very common in women during their menopausal years.
Estrogen is responsible for the protection of the bones as this encourages the growth hormones to produce the right chemicals which allow the bones to grow and to become strong, however, with menopause this hormone decreases and so does the ability of the body to regenerate its bones at the proper speed.
Other causes of osteoporosis include diet and racial status, plus family history of the disease. Tall and thin women tend to have more problems than smaller women. However, some lifestyle habits like smoking, alcohol intake, lack of proper exercise and lack of calcium on your diet can also increase the risks of osteoporosis.
Other diseases that can contribute to the development of osteoporosis are kidney problems, liver problems, endocrine or glandular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. Some side effects of medications like steroids, seizure drugs, hormones taken for balancing the thyroid and blood thinners have caused osteoporosis on people. The reasons for these side effects are not very clear and it does not happen to all those taking the medications, therefore, it is something that is still been studied.
Osteoporosis is a disease that affects women more than men and there are definitely many ways of handling the situation once the disease has been diagnosed. However this disease is irreversible and a person suffering from osteoporosis should be very careful about falls of any kind which are very common in old age, as the bones may not be able to handle a fall very well and you will end up with a broken bone very easily.
Prevention of osteoporosis may be the best way to handle the situation and in order to prevent osteoporosis; you need to be aware if there is any history of the disease in your family. If there is a history, then you will have to be extremely careful about your habits. Try and live a very healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly to keep yourself fit. Also, consult your doctor for the possibility of taking extra calcium at some stage in life to avoid this painful and disturbing disease.
Posted in Bones, Joints and Muscles, Featured, Women's health
Posted on 19 February 2010. Tags: arthritis, Inflammation of the joints, osteoarthritis, suffers from arthritis

The bone structure of the human body functions in a very systematic way. The bones are joined at different specific places by ligaments. These joints are then covered by cartilages and the joint contains a synovial fluid that allows the cartilage to remain flexible and allow full movement of the joint. Inflammation of the joints is called arthritis.
When a person suffers from arthritis, the join will be swollen, red and tender, and you will be experiencing severe pain while bending that joint at all times. The most common known forms of arthritis are the rheumatoid arthritis, the osteoarthritis and the gout.
Arthritis is unfortunately one of the most common diseases in the USA with about 80 million people of the age of 60 and above suffering from arthritis on regular basis. Since arthritis is considered to be a chronic disease, cure of the disease is almost impossible; however there are many treatments that you can find that will help you cope with this painful situation.
There are about 100 different types of arthritis. Of them all, one of the most common ones is osteoarthritis. This particular kind of arthritis affects the cartilage of the joint and it normally attacks the large and harder working joints like the knees, hips, feet and hands, low back and neck.
Now other type of arthritis which is very common is the rheumatoid arthritis. This type of arthritis does not only affect the joint and it can spread to the tissue of the skin, lungs, eyes and even blood vessels. It is considered to be an autoimmune disease which goes against the body systems and starts to attack the joins creating all the symptoms that arthritis people get and at the same time creating havoc in the balance. Rheumatoid arthritis functions in a symmetrical pattern where if you are having problems with the left knee, it is most certain that you will next be having problems with your right knee as well.
Gout is another common form of arthritis where the patient is unable to get rid of uric acid in a normal manner. This acid then accumulates in the joints of the knees, heels and ankles and toes and it can be extremely painful. The reasons for this ailment is not fully known, however, stress, alcohol and drug abuse and low immune system can be the causes of gout.
Posted in Bones, Joints and Muscles
Posted on 16 February 2010. Tags: coping with sciatica, sciatic nerve, suffering for sciatica, suffering for sciatica pains

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve that runs from the lower back of the spine. However, due to many factors, which include a slipped disc or arthritis, or bad posture and lack of proper exercise, this nerve may get pinched and create a condition which is called sciatica.
Sciatica then develops as a back pain, leg pain, and it can go up to the feet as well. It is possible to cure this condition with proper exercises, however, bed rest is not recommended as this may stiffen the affected nerves and make the pain worse as well.
The best measures that you can take is to consult your doctor to find out whether you are actually suffering for sciatica pains and what are the options you have to get rid of the problem. Your doctor may recommend some tests to find out the exact reasons in the first place; however these are not very complicated. Pain killers may also be prescribed which will help you cope with the pain and discomfort.
However, if the pain is very severe, your doctor may prescribe stronger analgesics and the side effects of these drugs may affect your digestion giving you nausea, dizziness and drowsiness. These pain killers are also addictive.
There is however some very simple methods to avoid Sciatica problems and these include a good exercise program on regular basis which allows the back to remain active and flexible, weight management and proper care of your back while you sleep.
However, you should always keep in mind that there is no end to the complications that may happen from a simple pinch of a nerve ending, and therefore, you should contact your doctor and find out what is the best method of treatment, to avoid any further complications that sciatica pains can have on your system.
Posted in Bones, Joints and Muscles
Posted on 15 February 2010. Tags: arthritis patients, common joints affected by arthritis, information on arthritis, joints affected by arthritis, most common joints affected by arthritis, symptoms of arthritis, treatment of arthritis, treatments for arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that affects one in three people in the USA. Treatment of arthritis is not easy, and therefore coping with the painful effects of arthritis is very difficult. The most common joints affected by arthritis are those of the knees and this can be due to sport injuries or because of bad accidents where your knee was affected. However, arthritis is also considered to be a hereditary problem.
Some of the symptoms of arthritis will include pain in the leg muscles and joints, swelling and tenderness and a cracking sound when you bend your knees. The weather conditions can also affect the joins and the rainy or humid climate can be very bad for your conditions.
Some arthritis patients have more problems bending their knees of affected joints in the morning hours when the joints are stiff. However, it is not necessary that having joint pains will mean that you are having arthritis. It is very important to consult your doctor and to get proper tests done to clarify whether you are suffering from arthritis or not to take proper medication and precautions.
The doctor will look into all the possibilities and symptoms that you are having to determine whether you are actually having arthritis or whether you are having some kind of joint injury which can be treated easily.
There are many over the counter pain killers and treatments for arthritis, and it is good to follow the doctor’s recommendations after proper consultation before taking any drugs for this disease. Physiotherapy is also good to help the healing process of the joints. However, if your ligaments have already suffered beyond certain stage, then surgery may be the only option at that stage.
There are many herbal therapies also available for the treatment of arthritis and you should look into the possibilities. The information provided in this article is done only for the purpose of understanding and you should contact your doctor before you think of taking any kind of medication for arthritis.
Posted in Bones, Joints and Muscles, Featured
Posted on 13 February 2010. Tags: Prevention of rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

According the Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal diseases, it has been predicted that by the year 2020, almost sixty million people all over US will be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. When you think of something like arthritis, you think of the elder generation, however this disease is common among all ages and this also includes children.
Arthritis, if not treated properly at its early stages, can create havoc in your life leaving you crippled and unable to function normally. One of the most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis is morning stiffness and therefore you should not ignore these symptoms at all.
However, rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that will not only affect your body, it will also affect your emotional and mental balance, as it affects your whole lifestyle in a very bad manner. There are so many things that we take for granted, and therefore, when we come across problems like arthritis, it becomes very difficult to accept that these things are not possible for us anymore. There is then a big change in our lives and we need to make a lot of adjustments.
Of course, there are a lot of preventive measures that you can take to keep your system away from such kind of depressing diseases. Also, proper treatment at the proper time goes a long way in stopping the disease from becoming severe.
On the first stage, arthritis attacks the muscles and ligaments of the joints and creates inflammation and pain. The symptoms normally appear at several parts of your body at the same time, however, some times the disease is also spreading slowly and you can think that you just had a sprain only.
On the second stage, the disease starts to destroy the ligaments and cartilage that are inflamed and eventually the muscles around the joint areas as well making it very painful for any kind of movement to take place. The worse cases can also experience that the cartilages actually disappear and that becomes a deformation of the body in itself.
Rheumatoid arthritis starts with very similar symptoms as those experienced when you have a muscular or joint injury due to sports or a simple fall, however it is an autoimmune disease that begins to destroy the body gradually. The disease, if not treated will eventually target most of your joints, however the most common parts that experience the beginning of arthritis include the fingers, hips, feet and knees.
Posted in Bones, Joints and Muscles