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2/8/2013

Winter Storm Hazard: Snowblower Injuries

Posted 10:00 AM 2/8/2013 by Robert Preidt

FRIDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The massive winter storm battering the northeastern United States means that many people will be using snowblowers to clear snow from their driveways and sidewalks.

While snowblowers can make that task easier, they can also cause serious injuries if (More)

2/7/2013

Health Tip: Dealing With Low Back Pain

Posted 5:00 AM 2/7/2013 by Diana Kohnle

(HealthDay News) -- Low back pain can result from an injury or from degeneration of disks between the spine's vertebrae.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests how to manage with low back pain:

• Ask your doctor about taking medication, such as a pain reliever (More)

2/6/2013

Health Tip: Care for Your Cast

Posted 5:00 AM 2/6/2013 by Diana Kohnle

(HealthDay News) -- If you must wear a cast or splint to protect an injury, it's important to care for it properly while you heal.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions:

• Keep the cast/splint dry by wrapping it in two layers of plastic when you (More)

2/5/2013

Sunshine Linked to Lower Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk: Study

Posted 7:00 AM 2/5/2013 by Robert Preidt

TUESDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Older women who've had regular exposure to sunlight may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, new findings indicate.

This beneficial effect -- which is believed to be due to ultraviolet B (UV-B) in sunlight -- was (More)

2/4/2013

Calcium Supplements May Raise Men's Death Risk From Heart Disease

Posted 2:00 PM 2/4/2013 by By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Men taking calcium supplements may be running a nearly 20 percent increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, a new study suggests.

Both men and women take calcium supplements to prevent bone loss. In this study of calcium intake, the risk of (More)

2/1/2013

Health Tip: How Your Feet Age

Posted 5:00 AM 2/1/2013 by Diana Kohnle

(HealthDay News) -- Your feet, as with most parts of your body, change as they get older. But what's considered normal?

The University of Michigan Health System says common changes to aging feet include:

• Spreading of the feet, which may require a bigger shoe size.
• (More)...

1/31/2013

Science Reveals How Owls Avoid Stroke While Rotating Heads

Posted 12:00 PM 1/31/2013 by Robert Preidt

THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- What a hoot: Scientists say they've discovered how owls can almost fully rotate their heads without damaging the blood vessels in their necks or cutting off the blood supply to their brains.

Owls have four major bone structure and blood vessel (More)

1/29/2013

When It Comes to Spine Surgery, There Is No 'July Effect': Study

Posted 10:00 AM 1/29/2013 by Robert Preidt

TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- There's no proof to support the widely held belief that July is the worst time of year to have spinal surgery, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., looked at whether there was any evidence of the so-called (More)

1/24/2013

Turning Tragedy Into Hope for Others With Spinal Cord Injury

Posted 7:00 AM 1/24/2013 by By Barbara Bronson Gray
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan 24 (HealthDay News) -- It was the start of 1988, a beautiful morning on a New Year's vacation at the beach in Martinique when Alan Brown went in the water for a quick swim. The ocean seemed a little rough, but the deep blue of the sea appeared to stretch into infinity.

Before (More)

1/23/2013

Jaw Pain Disorder Tied to Anxiety, Depression

Posted 10:00 AM 1/23/2013 by Robert Preidt

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- There's a link between depression and anxiety symptoms and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder pain, a condition that affects the jaw, according to a new study.

TMJ disorders affect the muscles and joints that connect (More)

1/17/2013

Weight Gain a Risk After Knee Replacement, Study Finds

Posted 3:00 PM 1/17/2013 by Robert Preidt

THURSDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- People who have knee-replacement surgery are at increased risk for weight gain, according to a new study.

Researchers examined the medical records of nearly 1,000 knee replacement patients and found that almost one-third of them gained 5 percent or (More)

1/15/2013

Obese Patients May Have Less Success With Back Surgery

Posted 3:00 PM 1/15/2013 by Robert Preidt

TUESDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Obese patients who undergo back surgery for a slipped or ruptured lumbar disk (lumbar disk herniation) spend more time in the operating room and have more blood loss and longer hospital stays than non-obese patients, according to a new study.

The study (More)

Many More Doctors Using Electronic Health Records

1/13/2013

Snowboarding Tops List of Winter-Sports Injuries

Posted 7:00 AM 1/13/2013 by Alan Mozes

SUNDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Across much of the United States, the winter months are a fun time filled with falling flakes and holiday cheer. But high season for snow and ice can also entail broken bones.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Daryl O'Connor of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose (More)

1/8/2013

Vitamin D Doesn't Improve Knee Arthritis, Study Finds

Posted 2:00 PM 1/8/2013 by Robert Preidt

TUESDAY, Jan. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Taking vitamin D supplements does not reduce pain or cartilage loss in people with knee osteoarthritis, researchers have found.

Some prior studies had suggested that vitamin D might benefit these patients.

"Vitamin D is a very hot topic in (More)

1/4/2013

Health Tip: You May Need a Bone Density Test

Posted 5:00 AM 1/4/2013 by Diana Kohnle

(HealthDay News) -- A bone density test measures the amounts of calcium and other minerals in your bones, and how likely you are to develop thin and brittle bones -- characteristics of a condition called osteoporosis.

The womenshealth.gov website says your doctor should evaluate the (More)

12/31/2012

Health Tip: Signs That Your Child May Have Juvenile Arthritis

Posted 5:00 AM 12/31/2012 by Diana Kohnle

(HealthDay News) -- Joint pain may be a common complaint among children, but prolonged joint pain accompanied by swelling can be signs of juvenile arthritis.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says common symptoms of juvenile arthritis include:

• Joint pain that is (More)

12/28/2012

Surgery May Not Be Needed for Ruptured Achilles Tendon

Posted 12:00 PM 12/28/2012 by By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Dec. 28 (HealthDay News) -- In the long run, patients who rupture their Achilles tendon fare equally well following nonsurgical treatment as they do with surgery, a new Canadian research review shows.

The catch: Nonsurgical patients can only expect to see results on par with (More)

Health Tip: Coping With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome