DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE

DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE - Joints, which are the points in the body where two bones meet, are what facilitates movement and provides stability to the musculoskeletal system. Within the joints, areas of cartilage support nearby bones by adding a cushioning of sorts and preventing them from grinding against one another. Joints bear a significant amount of the body’s weight and are regularly strained as an individual goes about their everyday activities. For this reason, joints are highly susceptible to gradual deterioration and injury. Degenerative joint disease, commonly referred to as “osteoarthritis”, is a condition in which the shock-absorbing cartilage that cushions joints becomes inflamed, breaks down and is eventually lost. 

The primary cause for degenerative joint disease is age and general wear and tear incurred due to the body’s natural aging process. However, certain factors can incite or exacerbate this condition, such as:

• Frequently lifting heavy objects or making strenuous movements, often due to manual labor and jobs requiring a lot of physical activity

• Congenital joint malformation

• Genetic predisposition and gender, as women are more likely to encounter osteoarthritis than men

• Joint injuries or unexpected traumas, such as those that may occur in a car accident or high-impact sport. Even if the wound has healed, it can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis years later.

• Obesity or carrying extra weight

• Lack of exercise and regular activity

• Smoking

• Malnutrition
  

VERTIGO

VERTIGO - Vertigo is a sensation of feeling off balance. If you have these dizzy spells, you might feel like you are spinning or that the world around you is spinning.

Less often vertigo may be associated with:

• Head or neck injury

• Brain problems such as stroke or tumor

• Certain medications that cause ear damage

• Migrane Headache

• Spinning

• Tilting

• Swaying

• Unbalanced

• Pulled to one direction

• Feeling nauseated

• Vomiting

• Abnormal or jerking eye movements

• Headache

• Sweating

• Ringing in the ears or hearing loss

Vertigo is often triggered by a change in the position of your head.

Symptoms can last a few minutes to a few hours or more and may come and go.

SCOLIOSIS

SCOLIOSIS - Scoliosis is a lateral curvature in the normally straight vertical line of the spine. When viewed from the side, the spine should show a mild roundness in the upper back and shows a degree of swayback in the lower back. When a person with a normal spine is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be straight. When a person with scoliosis is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be curved. The diagnosis of scoliosis and the determination of the type of scoliosis are then made by a careful bone exam and an X-ray to evaluate the magnitude of the curve.

Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve to the side. It can affect any part of the spine, but the most common regions are the chest area and the lower section of the back. The majority of children with scoliosis do not require treatment as the curve corrects itself as the child grows. However, based on the degree of curvature and the age of the child, a combination of bracing and physical therapy is often recommended.

Scoliosis signs and symptoms in children

• The head is slightly off center

• The ribcage is not symmetrical - the ribs may be at different heights

• One hip is more prominent than the other

• Clothes do not hang properly

• One shoulder, or shoulder blade, is higher than the other

• The individual may lean to one side

• Uneven leg lengths

FACET JOINT ARTHRITIS

FACET JOINT ARTHRITIS - The facet joints are posterior joints of the spine which help connect the vertebra and disc space of the spine together. In between these vertebra are cartilage to provide cushioning and lubrication for free movement. However, in facet joint osteoarthritis, the cartilage is worn down, creating painful friction which can limit mobility and cause back pain. Osteoarthritis can cause breakdown of cartilage between the facet joints. When the joints move, the lack of the cartilage causes pain as well as loss of motion and stiffness. The facet joints are located in the back portion of the spine. The joints combine with the disc space to create a three-joint complex at each vertebral level. The facet joint consists of two opposing bony surfaces with cartilage between them and a capsule around it that produces fluid.

The combination of the cartilage and the fluid allows the joint to move with little friction. However, facet joint arthritis causes the cartilage to breakdown and the joint movement is associated with more friction. The patient loses motion and as they get stiffer they have more back pain.The pain does not follow a nerve root pattern. It is actually called "referred pain," as the brain has trouble localizing these internal structures. Patients often complain of pain in a generalized, poorly defined region of the neck or back. Pain is usually worsened by sudden movements or prolonged episodes of poor posture. Many patients find the worst time is at night, when all the muscles relax and the arthritic joints grind together.