Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone. It’s the most common chronic condition of the joints and is estimated to affect some 27 million Americans. It’s sometimes referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis.

We put enough demands on our bodies and back every day without adding the burden of excessive weight. Studies — and common sense — tell us that obesity contributes substantially to lower-back pain and arthritis, and it has a deleterious impact all over the body.

Trampolines are no longer seen just at the circus or at a gymnastic competition. They’re in backyards now around the country. They can be fun, but they have to be treated with respect and caution. Injuries ranging from cuts and sprains to fractures are relatively common. And severe injuries to the neck, back and spinal cord are all too frequent. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind if you’ve bought a backyard model for your kids:

Make sure the trampoline is equipped with high, protective screening that can keep a wayward flying youngster inside the bouncing area.

Your feet are the foundation of your body. They are subject to considerable pressure with each of the hundreds of steps you take every day. When they are working properly, they help keep everything above them in proper line. So treat them right. Here are some things to consider when buying shoes:
• Your foot size changes with age. That’s because the foot spreads. The arch lowers a little and things loosen.
• Have both feet measured every time you buy new shoes.
• Have your feet measured when you are in a standing, weight-bearing position.

With aging comes a tendency for the head and the neck to shift forward from the shoulders. Over time, this tendency will make the upper back more rounded and noticeable. This area of the back is sometimes referred to as the “hump pad,” and it’s a result of the body depositing fat over the newly exposed area. More technically it’s known as upper thoracic hump, a reference to the thoracic part of the spine.

The hallmark of chiropractic treatment is the spinal adjustment, a manipulation of the individual bones — the vertebrae — that make up the spine. The purpose of the adjustment is to make sure those bones, through which the spinal cord stretches, are properly aligned. That’s important because the nerves that carry information from the brain to various parts of the body emanate from the spine, and reach out between the vertebrae. A vertebra in an improper position can impair the function of the nerve and cause a problem — pain or malfunction — in the affected body part.

As we age, maintaining the flexibility of our bodies is an ever-increasing challenge. Flexibility is key to fighting off the stiffness that comes with aging. Also, the more flexible you are, the better you’re able to keep your balance and avoid an accident, like a fall, at home. So whatever sort of workout regimen you follow, be sure to incorporate some activities that are intended to improve flexibility.

Generally, after the start of any new sort of physical activity you may feel a little soreness. Starting chiropractic treatment can yield the same result. So, if you are among the roughly 30 million people who see chiropractors each year, welcome to the club.

A new scientific review of 148 studies enrolling over 4.3 million adult chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers has found that nearly one in ten patients experiences opioid dependence or opioid use disorder and nearly one in three shows symptoms of dependence and opioid use disorder. The researchers divided the 148 studies into four general categories, depending on how the studies defined problematic opioid use.

It takes some patients by surprise, but one of the first things a chiropractor will do during your initial visit is measure the length of your legs. If you’ve gone to see a chiropractor because your back is bothering you, it’s reasonable to wonder why the doctor is looking at your legs. But here’s the reason: It’s not uncommon for people to have legs that are of slightly different lengths.