Arthritis may be a joint disease, but strengthening the muscles is an important component in its treatment. That is because a leading cause of limited movement in people with arthritis—especially, for instance, knee arthritis—is the weakening of surrounding muscles, rather than pain, dysfunction or abnormalities in the joint itself. This raises an important question: Is […]
Patients often ask whether they can exercise while undergoing dialysis. The answer is yes, with permission of your physician. Staying as fi t as possible reduces the likelihood of hospitalizations and improves quality of life. It is a natural mood elevator and can help relieve the depression that can accompany dialysis dependency. Since patients on dialysis […]
You and a friend both have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but your treatment regimens are very different. You wonder why, for are not all cases of RA basically the same? Broadly speaking, any incidence of RA occurs because the body attacks its tissues as if they were foreign bodies. This is the hallmark of an autoimmune […]
Falls. They are the fear of many older adults. They can range from harmless stumbles to severe accidents, the effects of which can take years to heal. One of the best methods of avoiding falls might be the proactive use of exercise. Usually thought of for sculpting the body and improving cardiovascular conditioning, exercise can […]
After receiving a diagnosis of “arthritis of the knee,” which is the most common form of osteoarthritis, you might be surprised when your doctor recommends exercise. Because osteoarthritis involves a progressive deterioration of the protective joint cartilage, the bone is exposed within the joint—leading many to believe that exercise would only intensify the condition. This, […]
As we age, both men and women experience changes in bone composition. One such change, thinning (loss of mineral content) of the bones—typically in your lumbar spine and hip—tends to be experienced more frequently and to a greater degree by women, particularly following menopause when estrogen levels drop. Types of Bone Thinning Your treatment will […]
The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that osteoporosis is a major health threat for 55% of people 50 years of age or older. Ten million people— 80% of them women—have osteoporosis, and almost 34 million people have low bone mass and are at an increased risk to develop the disease. With one in two women and […]
