Joint & Muscle Health
A joint is where two or more bones are joined together. Joints can be movable, like knees, or rigid, like the joints between the bones in your skull. Cartilage cushions the ends of bones where they meet and enables them to move smoothly and easily against each other. Synovial fluid fills spaces in the joint with the synovial membrane keeping it in place, helping your cartilage stay healthy. Skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles, which are controlled by your somatic nervous system. You direct how and when they work. They comprise 30 to 40 percent of your total body mass. They connect to your bones and allow you to perform functions like walking, chewing, maintaining your posture, and expanding your airway. They enable you to move your bones and help to protect and stabilize your joints. Involuntary muscles are the cardiac and smooth muscles, they are controlled by your autonomic nervous system. Cardiac muscles in your heart pump blood through your body. Smooth muscles make up your organs, blood vessels, digestive tract, skin and other areas. They help blood vessels contract or expand and keep food moving through your intestines. Keeping your joints and muscles healthy lets you move your body as intended and enjoy physical activity. A balanced diet, plenty of movement, and the right amount of sleep will help your joints and muscles stay healthy.
Are These Oxalate-Rich Superfoods Making You Sick?
Generally thought of as good for you, some vegetables and fruits contain compounds known as "oxalates," which can cause health issues.
Why You Should Eat Sesame Seeds
These tiny seeds are nutrient dense, full of flavor, and helpful against many ailments
Replenish Collagen for Healthy Joints: Best Exercise, Diet, and Supplements to Replenish ‘Shock Absorber’
Replenish Collagen for Healthy Joints: Best Exercise, Diet, and Supplements to Replenish 'Shock Absorber'
Can Beetroot Really Improve Athletic Performance?
Beetroot is gaining popularity as a performance-enhancer for athletes and those wanting to gain a competitive advantage in running and cycling. Some people juice beetroot, some eat it, others mix ...
Mullein: Popular ‘Weed’ for COVID Lung, Many Other Conditions
Mullein is often viewed as a weed, an unwanted guest. Mullein's intimidating size (it can grow to be 11 feet tall in its second year) makes it misunderstood. It is ...
Knee Pain: Treat With Lifestyle Changes
A review of 47 studies on 22,037 patients with knee osteoarthritis treated for at least 12 months showed no clear difference in controlling long-term pain between medications and placebos (JAMA, ...
Are the Risks of Vitamin D Toxicity Overstated?
An epidemic of vitamin D deficiency is being met with supplements that may present risks
2 Types of Osteoarthritis and 4 Methods of Prevention
It is not uncommon for aging knees to make cracking or popping sounds when in motion, however, combined with knee soreness and stiffness from sitting for long periods of time ...
Cherries to Promote Weight Loss, Improve Heart Health and Treat Gout
Sitting down to eat a bowl of fresh cherries is one of life’s clean and honest pleasures. Thankfully, cherries are more than just a delectable fruit, they come packed with ...
3 Behaviors Hurting Your Knees, 5 Tips to Maintain Knee Joints and Relieve Pain
Knee pain is not unique to the elderly—many people in their 30s and 40s also find the soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments beginning to deteriorate, causing lack ...
The Medicinal Properties of Vanilla: From Ancient History to Modern Use
Vanilla has a long history of diverse usage, both culinary and medicinal. Its medicinal benefits and applications are based on the chemical properties of vanillin and vanillic acid, vanilla's active ...
Protein Supplementation Increases Muscle Mass—but There’s a Catch
You’ve probably heard that protein is necessary for building muscle. But you may wonder, does consuming extra protein really do that, and if so, how? That’s what a recent study published ...
Want to Know How to Loosen Your Tight Hip Muscles?
Tight hip muscles can lead to pain elsewhere in your body, promote poor posture, and limit your range of motion—and are a leading cause of falls in the elderly. STORY ...
New Repurposed Drug Offers Hope for Hand Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, is the use-related breakdown of cartilage in our joints. There is no cure currently available. However, new research points to innovative solutions ...
Why Your Muscles Deteriorate With Age
Healthy muscles enable you to move throughout life and support the rest of your body. Without functioning muscles, your body would have trouble stabilizing itself and would be more prone ...
Clinical Research: Korean Medicine Treatment Is Effective in Treating Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Shoulder osteoarthritis (SOA), a degenerative joint disease, affects nearly one-third of adults aged 60 and older in the United States and can cause pain, stiffness, reduced range of motion, and crepitus—“hearing ...
Doctor Reveals Effective Long COVID Treatment
? Sponsor OFFER: Get pure, easy to store American Elderberry extract at 20% off with code Health20 at WisconsinElderberry.com ----------- Dr. Pierre Kory, an intensive care lung doctor, is actively ...
Confidence Fuels Activity for People With Arthritis
Osteoarthritis patients who feel more confident in their abilities in the morning are more physically active over the course of the day, new research suggests. The findings suggest that self-efficacy—one’s ...
Acupuncture to Relieve Neck Pain, Plus 9 Tips to Prevent Cervical Spondylosis
Dr. Jonathan Liu, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner with more than 26 years of professional medical experience, shares the story of one of his patients. Ms. Ren, a middle-aged ...
Muscles Weaken with Aging Even If You Exercise
With aging you can expect to lose muscle size and strength, which increases risk for lifestyle diseases and disabilities (GeroScience, 2020;42:1547–1578), such as: • heart attacks (Eur Geriatric Med, 2016;7(3):220–3) ...
Self Care: 10 Ways to Correct Pelvic Misalignment at Home
Pelvic misalignment or abnormal pelvic tilt can trigger uncomfortable symptoms such as pain in the lower back, hips, legs, and knees. A sedentary lifestyle, sitting with the legs crossed, and poor ...
A Non-Surgical Approach to Healing Herniated Disc
Using traditional Chinese medicine to holistically address the causes of a slipped disc and improve recovery
5 Exercises to Fix Slipped (Herniated) Disc
Lumbar back pain, numb feet, and inability to sit for a long time may be caused by lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis. The lumbar spine of the human body ...
Who Is and Isn’t Suited to Barefoot Running? and If I Want to Try, How Do I Start?
You might have noticed a buzz on social media about barefoot running, with many proponents breathlessly describing it as the most natural way to run. But not everyone is a ...
Why Exercise Probably Can’t Help You Target Fatty Areas of the Body
Many people who want to lose weight have a particular area of their body that they wish they could lose fat from most – whether that’s their stomach, arms or ...
8 in 10 People Will Experience This Common Health Problem
It’s one of the leading causes of disability, lost wages, and lowered productivity. It’s estimated that 8 out of 10 of us will experience it at least once in our lifetime. It’s ...
Excess Body Fat Can Age Your Brain Faster Than Muscle
Research shows that maintaining healthy levels of muscle mass has a beneficial effect on your brain and may slow your rate of cognitive aging. Here's the strategy you should strive ...