For many people with back pain, hydrotherapy -- exercising in water -- offers a way to build muscle strength and flexibility with minimal stress on joints and muscles. This article is written by Kelly Daley, senior physical therapist at Johns Hopkins' Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Strengthening the muscles that support the back helps both to prevent low back pain and injury and to treat existing back problems. But many exercise programs are too strenuous… More...
What should you do if your doctor's advice for treating your osteoporosis conflicts with treatment for your diabetes, or other medical condition? Johns Hopkins researchers analyze this common problem and offer bottom line advice.
Half of people over age 65 have three or more chronic diseases, and they juggle advice from different doctors about how to deal with them. Researchers who recently set out to look at this problem have demonstrated how challenging it can be… More...
Are you at risk for osteoporosis? Although many of us think of our bones as stable, solid structures that do not change with time, the truth is that bone is living tissue that undergoes a constant process of rebuilding.
The word osteoporosis means porous bone. A person with osteoporosis typically has low bone mass, poor bone quality, and fragile bones. This combination, together with the increased risk of falling among older people, leads to painful… More...
Research on the use of opioid medication to relieve chronic back pain yields surprising results.
Most cases of back pain resolve in a matter of weeks to months, but for some people the pain becomes a constant problem that interferes with their daily lives. If ignored, chronic back pain -- generally defined as unremitting pain that lasts at least six months and is not relieved by standard treatments -- can lead to depression, disturbed sleep, poor… More...
A recent report indicates that women who are at the highest risk for osteoporosis are the least likely to get bone density tests.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that all women age 65 and older get screened for osteoporosis. In addition, postmenopausal women who are under age 65 but who have additional risk factors for osteoporosis (such as use of corticosteroids or a family history of osteoporosis) or who have recently had a fracture should be… More...
Although traction has been used to treat low back pain since ancient times, there's little evidence to show that it actually helps.
For most back pain sufferers, the back pain resolves quickly, regardless of the type of treatment. Fewer than 5% of people with back pain have a major medical problem that requires either intensive care or surgery. But if you experience severe back pain that doesn't improve after a couple of days of bed rest,… More...
Yoga practitioners have long touted this ancient exercise as a back pain treatment. Now there’s scientific evidence to support this claim. A major study on the use of alternative therapies found that almost 60% of people who consulted a medical doctor for back pain had tried some sort of alternative therapy. More...
Fewer than 5% of people with back pain have a major medical problem that requires intensive care or therapy. Many back-pain sufferers self treat with rest, ice, heat, or another therapy. In most cases, back pain resolves quickly, regardless of the type of treatment. However, you can take the following steps on your own to help ease your back pain. More...
At some point in their lives, four out of five people experience back pain. Yet the vast majority of them will never know exactly what caused their back pain. Your back pain may be very specific -- you can literally put your finger on it -- but usually a physical exam does not reveal any identifiable cause such as a herniated disk or a neurological problem. X-rays and magnetic resonance scans are notoriously unhelpful. More...
Two studies point to the connection between poor coping skills and back problems. If you have pain in your back, the source may be inside your head. One of the main causes of back pain is emotional stress, and back pain may be a signal that you are not coping well with stress, according to two new studies.
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If osteopenia is a warning sign that osteoporosis may develop, how much should you worry? Johns Hopkins researchers offer advice.
If you’ve ever had your bone mineral density tested, you may have been given your score -- more precisely, your T score. The T score is drawn from the world of statistics; it reflects the number of standard deviations a person’s bone mineral density (BMD) is above or below the norm. In this instance, the “norm… More...
For patients with back pain, the Charite artificial disk offers some clear advantages – but also some unanswered questions.
Each year, some 200,000 people undergo spinal fusion surgery for chronic and disabling low back pain. Some back pain sufferers may be candidates for a new device, the Charité artificial disk. … More...
We’ve come a long way since 1971. That was the year when New York Times reporter James Reston, accompanying Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on a trip to China, described how Chinese doctors used acupuncture to ease his pain after an emergency appendectomy. More...
What We Think We Know About Osteoporosis
Most American adults don’t know as much as they should -- or think they do -- about osteoporosis. In a small but in-depth study reported in the Journal of Rheumatology (Volume 32, page 673), researchers conducted one-on-one interviews with 15 older adults, asking a series of questions designed to illuminate the depth of their understanding about osteoporosis. Of the 15 participants, 11 were women; the mean age was 75.5… More...
There’s no question that low back pain can lead to depression, but can depression lead to low back pain? The answer appears to be yes.
In a three-year prospective study of 148 people aged 35 - 70 years, depression proved to be a stronger predictor of low back pain than the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The three-year incidence of back pain was 67%; those who reported… More...
The use of spinal-fusion surgery has increased drastically in recent years, from 150,000 procedures in 1993 to 300,000 in 2001. Although many long established uses exist for spinal fusion -- for the treatment of severe scoliosis, spinal tuberculosis, and vertebral fractures -- doctors are increasingly using spinal fusion to treat back pain resulting from degenerative changes in the spine, disk disorders such as herniated disks, and spinal stenosis. More...
The technical name for your tailbone (which is actually made up of several bony segments at the base of your spine) is the coccyx, and pain in that area is called coccydynia. Tailbone pain is usually caused by falling and landing on the coccyx. Older adults, who often have balance problems, are particularly at risk for this type of fall, especially when walking on ice or a wet floor. More...
Back pain can affect much more than just the back. Back pain may exacerbate other health problems or cause complications such as depression. Therefore, the amount of money spent specifically on back-pain care does not necessarily reflect the total costs of treating back pain More...
Osteoporosis is not just a woman’s disease. Johns Hopkins provides a review of risk factors, screening tests, and drugs that are FDA-approved for use in men with osteoporosis.
For many of us, the face of osteoporosis belongs exclusively to older women. As we’re finally coming to understand, men can get osteoporosis, too. Osteoporosis is estimated to affect approximately two million men in the United States, and that number is expected to grow as more men survive… More...
People who have osteoporosis may need to be screened for celiac disease -- an intestinal disorder that is proving to be more common than previously thought. In a study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers evaluated 840 people, 266 of whom had osteoporosis; 12 of them tested positive for celiac disease, vs. six of 574 people who didn’t have osteoporosis. Further study via endoscopic intestinal biopsies confirmed the presence of celiac disease in nine of the participants with osteoporosis and in one person who didn’t have osteoporosis. More...
Ready to try something new for your back pain? Iyengar yoga may be the way to go.
There’s nothing new in the world of exercises for back pain, correct? Not exactly. In fact, there’s more evidence that yoga—specifically, Iyengar yoga—can help alleviate chronic back pain.
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The drug Forteo (teriparatide) is better than Fosamax (alendronate) for treating back pain related to osteoporosis. In a randomized controlled study of 146 women reported in the Journal of Rheumatology, half received an oral placebo and a self-injection of 40 micrograms of Forteo daily. The other half received 10 milligrams of Fosamax daily and a self-injection of a placebo. The active phase of the study lasted for a median of 14 months and the follow-up phase of the study lasted for an additional 2.5 years. More...
A new study from Finland shows that endurance and resistance exercises can help soothe chronic neck pain.
Treatments for chronic neck pain include medication, spinal manipulation, improvements in posture and ergonomics, and relaxation techniques. Now a study from Finland shows that neck endurance and resistance exercises are also effective options for neck pain.
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Is your mattress too hard? Does your neck hurt? Here’s some advice to help soothe your pain.
For those vulnerable to low back pain, minimizing back stress while you sleep can be an important preventive measure. Choosing the right mattress can help. More...
People who are lactose intolerant or who eat a vegan diet often don’t consume enough calcium. So how do you get enough calcium in your diet if dairy is not on your plate?
Dietary calcium is essential for maintaining normal bone metabolism, and dairy products are by far the largest source of calcium in the Western diet. But two groups of people --those with lactose intolerance and vegans -- often don’t get enough calcium because of… More...
In a perpetual slouch? Poor posture can lead to back pain, or worse! Follow these simple posture tips for back pain relief!
Contrary to popular belief, standing at attention -- with head and shoulders rigidly pulled back and lower back excessively arched -- is not correct posture and can be hard on the back. Good posture allows the body to follow the natural S-shaped curve of the spine. As simple as that sounds, however, poor habits,… More...
A test called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA) is the most accurate way to tell how solid your bones are – and it requires less radiation than a regular x-ray. More...
The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Bulletin This quarterly journal is essential reading for anyone facing the challenge of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, knee replacement, hip replacement, gout, fibromyalgia, bursitis, or another rheumatic condition! In each issue you’ll read about new medications, emerging therapies, surgical options, arthritis pain relief, pain management strategies, research findings, and more. PLUS, subscribe now and you'll also get 4 FREE Johns Hopkins Arthritis Special Reports as instant downloads.Read more...
2008 Arthritis White Paper Arthritis now affects over 70 million Americans. The Johns Hopkins 2008 Arthritis White Paper provides in-depth knowledge on the most recent breakthroughs concerning the most common forms of arthritis—osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, it includes two other rheumatic diseases: fibromyalgia syndrome and bursitis, and also ankylosing spondylitis, gout, and lyme disease. PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Active Living with Arthritis through this exclusive web-only offer. Click here to read more or order the DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Click here to read more or order the PRINT EDITION
Johns Hopkins Recipes for Arthritis Health How food affects arthritis has been a source of controversy for years and has often resulted in questionable remedies and diets. What is not controversial, however, is that those with arthritis should control their weight and maximize nutritional health by eating a variety of nutrition dense foods. The recipes in this book are not only highly nourishing, but are designed specifically for those with impaired mobility or fatigue. Read more...
The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 A home medical encyclopedia designed with YOU in mind, to give you a “crash course” on more than 100 major medical concerns for people over 50, organized in an easy-to-use A to Z format. Read more...
Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies Check your symptoms in PART A, then find a thorough discussion of the possible causes and your remedies in PART B, in this invaluable home health reference book for anyone over 50. Read more...
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