Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that is usually seen in children between 10-15 years of age during the growth spurt just prior to the onset of puberty. About 2-4% of people in the US are affected by this condition. Scoliosis Awareness Month is celebrated in the month of June to help raise awareness regarding the diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis. Here are 5 interesting facts about scoliosis:

Osteoporosis is a bone thinning disease that can result in fractures. It is considered a “silent” disease as many people aren’t aware they have osteoporosis and are diagnosed with the condition only after they have sustained a fracture due to very minor trauma. As May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, here are the top ways to prevent osteoporosis:

Arthritis is a term that refers to a group of diseases that cause pain, stiffness, and swelling of your joints. Symptoms may be mild, moderate, or severe and may come and go, but generally worsen over time causing immobility and restrict your ability to perform activities of daily living.

With May being National Arthritis Awareness Month, let’s look at some tips to keep arthritis from slowing you down:

The explosive nature of the golf swing and the many hours spent in practice on the golf course can result in nagging injuries, which if left untreated may cause permanent damage to your musculoskeletal system. Here is a list of 7 common golf injuries and how they can be treated:

Did you know certain foods may be able to reduce aches and pains in your joints? As this is National Nutrition Month, let’s focus on inflammation-fighting foods that bolster joint health.

1. Salmon: One of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon also contains calcium, vitamin D, and folate, all of which are vital for strengthening your bones.

2. Sweet peppers: They are excellent sources of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and folate. Sweet peppers preserve bone health and protect cartilage cells.

If you often experience knee pain with routine activities such as climbing a flight of stairs, walking, or when standing up from a seated position and you have tried pain medications, injections, and physical therapy without much relief, it may be time to consider knee replacement surgery.

With the current advances in knee replacement surgery, you may be back on your feet the same day as the surgery and be discharged home within a day or two.

Since its first emergence in the 1980s, minimally invasive surgery has been gaining ground in the surgical arena over traditional open surgery. Here are some interesting facts about minimally invasive surgery:

Smaller incisions: Instead of a single large surgical incision as made in open surgery, minimally invasive surgery involves the use of 2 or 3 smaller incisions through which specialized instruments may be inserted to perform surgery.

Imagine the scenario of two patients undergoing hip replacement surgery, one follows the doctor's advice regarding physical therapy and the other one doesn't. After a few weeks, the one having undergone physical therapy will have vastly superior hip range of motion, function, and less pain in the new hip compared to the one that has not heeded the doctor's advice.

Did you know that about 300,000 sports related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur each year in the United States alone. Athletes that are involved in contact sports are at a significantly higher risk of developing head injuries.

A head injury is any type of trauma that injures the scalp, skull, or brain. In case of an open head injury, there may be bleeding, swelling, and bruising. A closed head injury may cause loss of consciousness, headache, lightheadedness, confusion, and dilated pupils. Serious brain injury may manifest as seizures, vomiting, convulsions, or paralysis.

To effectively tackle the national problem of obesity and encourage more people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, January is celebrated as National Weight Loss Awareness Month. There is a logical link between arthritis and obesity. The more weight you carry on your frame, the more stressed your joints become exacerbating the wear and tear caused by arthritis.

Studies have demonstrated that obese or overweight people are at a higher risk of developing arthritis and that arthritic joint pain and swelling is more intense if you are overweight.