Bones, Joints and Muscles Health

Pain on the ball of the foot has many possible causes. It's important to find the underlying cause. Is it a musculoskeletal problem (muscle, tendon, ligament, bone or local nerve entrapment)? Or is it a neurolo... continue reading  about  For the past five to six years, the balls of my feet hurt and burn all the time. I've tried inserts, Dansko shoes, foot soaks, as well as pain and nerve medications. Any suggestions?

Hopefully you will not need to give up your regular Jazzercise class since it has worked for you this past year. Most likely you have "tweaked" a ligament or muscle that attaches to the knee. Even seasoned athl... continue reading  about  I am 62 and have been doing Jazzercise aerobic exercise regularly for over a year. I started doing Jazzercise in the morning and began having knee pain. Should I quit this type of exercise? If so, what else should I do to stay in shape?

This type of pain is usually caused by repetitive use, so called repetitive stress. We don't have a physiologic explanation for it. The location of pain is usually normal on imaging studies. The pain is related... continue reading  about  I sit hunched up at a computer all day, and my shoulders and elbows are really starting to ache. Is there anything I can do, other than just taking a break, to help prevent this pain?

Hip pain is a very common problem. Fortunately for most people, this is just a minor sprain of the hip flexors (muscles) that resolves with some stretching and time. Persistent hip pain, however, is a problem t... continue reading  about  I'd like to know if I have a hip problem or if it's something else. When I sit down and then get up and start to walk, my thigh hurts so much that it's hard for me to continue walking. The pain does go away eventually.

Achilles tendonitis is a tough condition to treat since many aerobic activities can aggravate the condition and one of the treatment strategies is to avoid these activities.Aerobic conditioning is incredibly va... continue reading  about  I have severe Achilles tendinitis and can't even go on long walks for exercise. What workouts would you recommend while I recover? It's been weeks since I've broken a good sweat.

Back pain can generally be divided into two categories: Acute (less than four weeks duration)Chronic (greater than four weeks duration)Acute back pain is very common and is one of the top reasons that patients ... continue reading  about  I've been suffering from lower back pain for two years. I've had an MRI, ultrasounds and x-rays, but they can't find anything wrong. However I still have constant pain. What other tests can be done to find the reason for my pain?

Perhaps not if you choose to pursue both in moderation. However, if you spend long hours in high heels, then you may continue to find long distance running difficult. Are you willing to drop down to two-inch he... continue reading  about  The arches of my feet can be really tight and achy now that I'm in my 40s. I love to wear high heels to work, but I'm also a long distance runner. Is my love for heels AND running mutually exclusive?

Articular cartilage is the glossy, firm, smooth tissue that coats the ends of bones in the joints of our body, like the knees, hips, and shoulders. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are two naturally produced... continue reading  about  My husband has bilateral hip and shoulder replacements, a result of having to take Prednisone after his kidney transplant 30 yrs ago. Needless to say, he has had every problem that Prednisone can cause. Could he benefit by taking glucosamine/chondroitin?

Thanks for the great question. Osteoarthritis is a common cause of knee pain - it is the "wear and tear" degeneration of the knee's cartilage layer that occurs over time. In basic terms, it is like the brake pa... continue reading  about  I recently heard about a new knee procedure that uses medical separators rather than total knee replacement to relieve pain from osteoarthritis degeneration. Can you tell me about this and where to find out about getting it done?