| News
and Updates |
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| NEWS ARCHIVE
| Exercise keeps age pains away
Researchers say older women can postpone the onset of arthritis by as long as three years if they exercise as little as 75 minutes a week. The University of Queensland study showed women in their 70s could avoid stiff or painful joints by moving them, but no such improvement was present in middle-aged women.
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| SOURCE |
Herald Sun online edition |
| DATE |
19th April, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Video game injuries common in thumbs and now elbow, wrist
Playing video games can be a real pain. In the shoulder. In the wrist and elbow. In the thumb.
Don’t believe it? Just ask Jill Jakub of Fremont. Video game injuries are nothing new. For years, people playing standard video games like Sony’s PlayStation models or Microsoft’s XBox 360 have gotten something they didn’t bargain for — sore thumbs and hands. But now, a new wave of interactive video games led by the Nintendo Wii is causing even more problems.
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| SOURCE |
Fremont Tribune.com |
| DATE |
6th April, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Children's Injured Feet Deserve Prompt Treatment, Full Rehab
Young athletes could see their sports dreams evaporate if they don't seek prompt treatment and allow full rehabilitation of foot and ankle injuries. That warning comes today from sports medicine experts meeting in Orlando for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) Annual Scientific Conference.
Athletic children who "play through the pain," ignore injuries, cut rehab short or skip it altogether could face repeated injuries and instability in their feet and ankles well into their teen years and adulthood. Long-term problems can include osteoarthritis and chronic ankle instability. According to the ACFAS Web site FootPhysicians.com, people with untreated chronic ankle instability may suffer activity limitations, arthritis, and tendon problems.
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| SOURCE |
PRNewswire |
| DATE |
14th March, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Get omega-3 where you can, but oily fish the best source
A NEW report predicts sales of foods with added omega-3 will be worth $7 billion in the US by 2011 ($A8.75 billion), a significant increase from the $2 billion achieved in 2006. The rapid growth in interest in omega-3 is similarly reflected in Australia, where research shows nine out of 10 shoppers say they incorporate omega-3 fats into their diets. In the years between 2000-2005, use of omega-3 supplements increased from 20 per cent to 41 per cent.
Omega-3 fats are found naturally in foods in two different forms – the plant form and the marine forms.....While the plant form of omega-3 may have its own particular health benefits, research shows it is the marine types that are particularly beneficial to health, and it is for this reason that fish oil is the type of omega-3 most commonly used to fortify foods.
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| SOURCE |
The Australian online edition |
| DATE |
3rd March, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Daily painkiller raises heart attack risk
THE safety of popular over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs has been questioned after a huge Harvard study found prolonged use can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
A study of more than 16,000 men found that those taking aspirin six or seven days a week over two years were 38 per cent more likely to suffer high blood pressure — a key cause of heart attacks — than non-users.
Paracetamol taken at the same frequency increased the risk by 34 per cent, while non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen led to a 26 per cent greater risk. Those who took 15 pills a week, regardless of type, increased their risk by 48 per cent.
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| SOURCE |
The Age online edition |
| DATE |
28th February, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| New arthritis drug, fewer side-effects
A new arthritis drug causes fewer stomach disorders and complications than older painkillers, researchers said today. They analysed the results of three clinical trials to assess the safety of Merck & Co's drug etoricoxib - sold under the name Arcoxia - as compared with diclofenac.
"Our results indicate that the rate of clinically important upper gastrointestinal events was lower with the COX-2 selective inhibitor etoricoxib than it was with the traditional NSAID diclofenac," said Professor Loren Laine of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
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| SOURCE |
Herald Sun online edition |
| DATE |
9th February, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| An experimental drug is straightening crooked fingers in the elderly.
Surgery was previously the only treatment option for people like Neville Galbraith, who has Dupuytren's contracture, a condition that results in fingers becoming progressively bent.
A day after an injection of clostridial collagenase into his hand last October, his finger "popped" straight.
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| SOURCE |
Courier Mail online edition |
| DATE |
26th January, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| NSW Govt rejects proposal to ban smokers from surgery
The New South Wales Government says it will not consider a proposal to deny people who smoke access to some elective surgery. The suggestion has been made by a respiratory surgeon at Sydney's Concord Hospital, Associate Professor Matthew Peters.
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| SOURCE |
ABC News Online |
| DATE |
6th January, 2007 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Acupuncture 'may help osteoarthritis'
Patients with chronic pain related to osteoarthritis experience "marked clinical improvement" with acupuncture plus routine care, German researchers have shown.
After three months, significantly greater improvements were seen in scores on a standardised osteoarthritis severity scale in the acupuncture group than in the control group, Dr Claudia M Witt, of Charite University Medical Center, Berlin, and colleagues report.
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| SOURCE |
Sydney Morning Herald online edition |
| DATE |
26th December, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| More durable joints
Research projects in Queensland universities are trying to stem the tide as the population ages, with warnings that unless solutions to these disease epidemics are found, three million people will be living with osteoporosis and fractures in 15 years.
Researchers at the University of Queensland's newly-opened Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at St Lucia are developing artificial meniscus to replace damaged knee cartilage.
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| SOURCE |
Courier Mail online edition |
| DATE |
12th December, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Mayo Clinic Identifies Cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Researchers at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic believe they have isolated a root cause of carpal tunnel syndrome, the painful, debilitating wrist and hand injury. In a report published in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the research team, led by Dr. Peter Amadio, explains that a “shearing injury” in the tissue that lines the tendons in the carpal tunnel may be responsible for the condition. The findings may lead to earlier diagnoses and more effective treatment.
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| SOURCE |
NewsInferno.com |
| DATE |
20th November, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Chronic disease straining health budget
MORE than 75 per cent of Australians have a chronic condition and the cost is straining the health system, acording to a new report. Some 15 million people had one or more persistent conditions including heart disease, arthritis and diabetes, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) paper said. Mark Cooper-Stanbury, the institute's head of population health, said it was straining the health budget, with chronic disease accounting for almost 70 per cent of the country's total health costs.
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| SOURCE |
Courier Mail online edition |
| DATE |
16th November, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Tumeric helps arthritis
The humble herb turmeric is being touted as the new arthritis treatment following a study on its effect on arthritic rats. The research, from the University of Kansas, examined the use of commercially available turmeric diet supplements and found it had a significant effect in preventing arthritis and alleviating the symptoms of the disease. Turmeric, long thought to have anti-inflammatory properties, inhibited joint destruction in tested rats and also prevented an increase in the number of cells that break down bones. It also blocked early inflammatory responses, altering the expression of hundreds of genes involved in joint swelling.
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| SOURCE |
The West Australian online edition |
| DATE |
6th November, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| New tennis elbow treatment as effective as surgery: study
Would-be tennis pros suffering from recurring tennis elbow may not have to go under the knife to get the most effective treatment, according to a study.
The study found that taking specially prepared platelets from the patient and re-injecting them into the tendon of the affected elbow provides more relief than more commonly used therapies that have failed to yield results and often result in surgery. The study, published in the November issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, evaluated 140 patients who suffered from tennis elbow for longer than three months and had scored at least a 60 out of 100 on a visual pain scale.
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| SOURCE |
CBC News Online |
| DATE |
23rd October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Out of joint - New-generation hip and knee joints are proving less effective and up to five times more expensive
An artificial hip might last 30 years in an inactive elderly patient, though on average, doctors give the devices a 10 to 15-year lifespan. But if you're aged 50, expect to cut that to between seven and 12 years, and each replacement lasts a shorter amount of time.
This wear-and-tear issue is a growing problem as younger patients emerge, for knee surgery in particular. Knee replacements in Australia have rocketed by 138 per cent in the past decade. This year alone about 65,000 joint replacements will be undertaken at a cost of more than $1 billion, and if the current rate of increase continues the number of operations will double in the next decade.
Orthopaedic surgeons have been pinning their hopes on new-generation prostheses to address the wear-and-tear problems younger patients face, but a controversial report released last week found these newer and more expensive devices aren't reaching expectations. It says that despite costing up to five times more, none of the newer devices introduced over the past few years has performed better than the best-performing older devices. A third of them have performed significantly worse. One particular type implanted in 500 patients failed in nearly 250 of them and needed to be removed within three years. It has since been taken off the market.
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| SOURCE |
The Australian online edition |
| DATE |
21st October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Engineering a tissue replacement for torn cartilage
Researchers at UQ's AIBN are developing an artificial meniscus to replace damaged knee cartilage. The meniscus is the knee's shock absorber. It is a cartilage spacer found between the thigh and shin bones, preventing friction and absorbing approximately one third of the impact load that the joint cartilage surface experiences.
In the latest round of Australian Research Council Discovery Projects announced recently, Professor Campbell was awarded $430,000 to develop a meniscal implant to benefit the millions of people annually affected by meniscus damage or loss. The project aims to develop a tissue-engineered meniscus using tailored three-dimensional scaffolds and mesenchymal stem cells (precursors of the meniscus).
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| SOURCE |
University of Queensland |
| DATE |
18th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Bikers roll on into the region
The opportunity to grow old, in keeping with the Ulysses Club motto, was too good to resist for a group of club members who recently came from all over Australia to participate in a four-day trail bike adventure in the South West. The riders gathered in Busselton and made the first stop in Northcliffe before riding to Walpole and Manjimup and back to Busselton, covering an average of 220 kilometres per day.
As well as organising various rides, members of the Ulysses Club also find time to fundraise for their favourite charities. The members’ charity of choice is the Arthritis Foundation and have in the past embarked on many fundraising adventures for the charity.
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| SOURCE |
The West Australian online edition |
| DATE |
17th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Paracetamol for pain study
Researchers at the University of Queensland's (UQ's) School of Pharmacy are seeking volunteers to participate in a discussion session about their use of paracetamol to treat pain. PhD student Nadia Barozzi said the school is investigating ways to give patients the most suitable prescription medicines for chronic musculoskeletal disorders.
Ms Barozzi said she hopes her research will help better understand long-term management of chronic arthritis pain and the relative therapy options available in Australia. “Paracetamol is often the medicine of choice for people with chronic pain such osteoarthrosis,” Ms Barozzi said.
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| SOURCE |
University of Queensland |
| DATE |
16th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| World Spine Day Media Release
October 16 is World Spine Day.
An estimated 16.5m people (based on 80% of the population) across Australia will suffer significant spinal discomfort or disability at some stage in their lifetime, and this number is steadily rising according to the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia.
Every year, spinal disorders and back pain costs billions of dollars in health care fees and diminished individual income and productivity
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| SOURCE |
Chiropractors Association of Australia |
| DATE |
for 16th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Alexander has answers to correct your creaking body
PROBLEMS such as back pain and tension headaches could be prevented if people changed their movement patterns, an Albury Alexander Technique teacher says.
Martin Finnegan believes people can get rid of these aches and pains by learning the technique.
The Alexander Technique claims to help people return to moving naturally — the way they moved before picking up bad habits.
“Before children learn to talk they move with a natural co-ordination, but as we grow up we pick up bad habits such as slumping and using excess tension” Mr Finnegan said. “People can be in such a habit of moving badly that it feels natural to them, when really it is doing their body harm.” “The Alexander Technique corrects these habits, giving people an experience of what it feels like to move naturally again.”
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| SOURCE |
The Border Morning Mail online edition |
| DATE |
13th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Women cola drinkers risk bone damage
Women have been warned to minimise their cola intake following new research showing they were at greater risk of bone fractures. The Framingham Osteoporosis Study in Boston revealed women who were daily cola drinkers had an average 5 per cent reduction in bone mineral density — which could mean the difference between having and not having a fracture. The findings relate to both full sugar and diet forms of cola and were proportional to the amount of cola consumed. Men with daily cola consumption were not affected.
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| SOURCE |
The West Australian online |
| DATE |
9th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Steroid Injections Do Not Provide Long-term Relief From Tennis Elbow, Study Says
Physiotherapy or a 'wait and see' approach are both more effective in tackling tennis elbow than corticosteroid (steroid) injections, a British Medical Journal study reveals. Researchers in Australia tested different treatments on three separate groups of patients with tennis elbow. The research found that the superior long-term effects of physiotherapy were replicated by the wait and see approach -- at the end of the study participants in both the physiotherapy and wait and see group had either much improved or completely recovered.
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| SOURCE |
Science Daily |
| DATE |
7th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Back Pain: Women Often Blame Their Bra
A new poll shows that for many women, bras are a pain in the neck, back, and shoulders. The online poll was conducted in August by Harris Interactive for the nonprofit North American Spine Society and the bra company Maidenform. More than 1,300 women participated in the poll. Fifty-nine percent of the women said their bra causes them to have back, shoulder, or neck pain.
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| SOURCE |
WebMD |
| DATE |
4th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Award winning research offers hope for back pain sufferers
A University of Manchester engineering student has scooped a top industry prize for research that could bring relief to thousands of back pain sufferers. Rachael Ambury scooped The Morgan Crucible prize for the Best Materials Student in the annual Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Student of the Year Awards. Her final year project, which focused on tissue engineering and examined how special braces or 'scaffolds' could be used to treat slipped discs and other back problems, received glowing praise from the panel of judges.
Employing an engineering process known as electro spinning, Rachael produced a series of 'bioresorbable' polymer scaffolds, which can be surgically implanted to hold tissue together, helping cells repair and re-grow. Using these bioresorbable scaffolds, which dissolve naturally over time, reduces the cost of treatment and allows the patient to recover quicker.
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| SOURCE |
EurekAlert |
| DATE |
4th October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Exercise part of managing back pain
80 percent of the adult population experiences some sort of back pain. Fortunately, this also means that there are lots of options. Your primary objective is to improve your structural integrity so that pain can be reduced and surgery avoided. According to Dr. Norman Marcus of the New York Pain Treatment Program, the role of the muscles is overlooked as both contributors to back pain, and as the path to relief. Sedentary lifestyle, weight gain and muscle imbalances brought on by poorly thought-out exercise programs, tension or the vagaries of the work day can all make some muscle groups too strong, allowing other muscle groups to become weak. When a weak area is allowed to stay that way, pain and degeneration are often the unfortunate result. Working on posture and correcting imbalances is crucial. A good way to do this is with yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi.
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| SOURCE |
Inside Bay Area Online |
| DATE |
2nd October, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| MRI of new back pain may not be helpful
Patients with a new episode of vexing back pain should not expect magnetic resonance imaging to provide a diagnostic explanation, say U.S. researchers. Development of serious lower back pain is rarely marked by corresponding new and relevant structural changes, according to a study by Dr. Eugene Carragee and colleagues at Stanford University and the University of Hawaii. Only two of 51 patients, or 4 percent, who developed serious low back pain had clinically significant MRI changes, suggesting that the cause of the pain is rarely structural.
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| SOURCE |
United Press International Online |
| DATE |
28th September, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Hip replacement may aid low back pain
Total hip replacement may have an unanticipated benefit with lower back pain, says a small U.S. and Israeli study. Total hip replacement, considered one of the most successful operations in medicine, can also relieve low back pain and improve spinal functional limitations, according to Dr. Peleg Ben-Galim and colleagues, who prospectively studied changes in hip and spine symptoms and disability in 25 men and women with a mean age 67. In addition to expected improvements in hip pain and function, the researchers noted significant decreases in low back pain and Oswestry disability scores.
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| SOURCE |
United Press International Online |
| DATE |
28th September, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Knee braces aren’t an over-the-counter miracle
Anyone limping down the aisle at the local drugstore has probably seen them: inexpensive elastic or neoprene knee braces beckoning — promising relief for aching knees. These inexpensive sleeves, which are popping up with greater frequency on professional athletes and weekend warriors, have their place, says Dr. Marc Safran, chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. For people with sore or mildly injured knees, mild arthritis and even those recovering from a sprain or knee surgery, they serve a therapeutic function. But don't expect miracles from the sleeve. Although the brace may relieve pain and swelling so the wearer can be more active, it probably won't cure an underlying injury, says Dr. Ali Motamedi, an orthopedic surgeon at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California.
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| SOURCE |
TheState.com – South Carolina’s Homepage |
| DATE |
27th September, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Easier reading for seniors
Seniors and people with mobility problems such as arthritis and back pain no longer need experience difficulty holding books, thanks to an invention by a young Australian. ReadEzy is the world's first book holder to support the book from the back. It securely holds the book from behind, while the pages are loosely gripped at the front so they can be turned or flicked with one hand. The result is an easy way for people with mobility problems to read without having to hold a book, and without having to use both hands.
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| SOURCE |
Mandurah Mail Online |
| DATE |
20th September, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Drug cuts osteoporosis fractures, study shows
An annual 15-minute treatment could prevent post-menopausal osteoporosis sufferers suffering painful fractures and help cut down on time-consuming medical treatment. An international study of more than 7700 post-menopausal women has found that the treatment reduced the rate of spinal fractures by 70 per cent and hip fractures by 40 per cent. Osteoporosis is marked by weakened bones and an increased risk of fractures in women after menopause. The new results were presented to a conference in Philadelphia by the drug manufacturer Novartis.
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| SOURCE |
The West Australian online |
| DATE |
19th September, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Voltaren users told not to panic
Doctors and pharmacists have told users of the popular painkiller Voltaren not to panic about research showing the drug greatly increases the risk of heart attack. A University of Newcastle study found the common anti-inflammatory medication diclofenac - best known under the Voltaren brand - boosts the chance of heart attack and stroke by 40 per cent. The work, an analysis of 17 studies published in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association, found diclofenac could be harmful, even at commonly used doses.
Australian Medical Association president Mukesh Haikerwal called for calm on the issue, saying those taking the over-the-counter medication should not panic. "(Voltaren) has been in use for 20-plus years and it is probably the widest-used anti-inflammatory drug in the world," Dr Haikerwal said. "Used wisely, and with good review, and at the minimum possible dose, it is a very good thing to continue to use if it helps your pain.
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| SOURCE |
ninemsn news online |
| DATE |
13th September, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Compound found to treat arthritis
Australian researchers believe they have discovered a new anti-inflammatory compound which could provide new hope for arthritis sufferers. Known as chaperonin 10, the compound has showed it was safe and effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
A study published today in the international medical journal The Lancet show that clinical improvement was obtained in all patients that completed the trial.
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| SOURCE |
Yahoo7 news online |
| DATE |
23rd August, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| A new way to treat arthritis
There are all kinds of products that claim to treat arthritis, from lotions to potions, pills and elixirs. But the latest treatment that claims to treat the painful symptoms of arthritis is ceramic clothing.
The 'Back on Track' clothing range claims to relieve the pain associated with arthritis, by virtue of the fabric which contains very fine ceramic particles.
Peter Lane, the spruiker for the clothing range says arthritis sufferers have experienced great results, particularly those with osteoarthritis.
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| SOURCE |
A Current Affair
Channel Nine |
| DATE |
23rd August, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| No bones about it - costs are high for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in Australia
Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions are a major cause of pain and disability among Australians, and with an estimated 6.1 million people having one or more of these conditions, the resulting expenditure on health services is substantial says a new report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Health expenditure for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in Australia 2000-01, provides details of expenditure on five major forms of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, chronic back pain, and slipped disc.
Report co-author Ms Tracy Dixon says the economic and personal burdens these conditions place on the community are high. Arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions are the third largest contributors to direct health expenditure in Australia, at $4.6 billion or 9.2% of total allocatable health expenditure in 2000-01,' Ms Dixon said.
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| SOURCE |
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
| DATE |
4th August, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Indoor Aussies at risk of bone disease
Australia may be the sunburnt country, but many of the nation's older people are at risk of bone disease because they don't spend enough time in the sun. Sunlight causes the body to manufacture vitamin D, which is needed to increase calcium absorption and ensure healthy bones. But elderly people who are housebound, live in residential facilities or spend most of their time indoors are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, said Dr Peter Roush, of the National Prescribing Service.
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| SOURCE |
ninemsn news online |
| DATE |
1st August, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Caution urged over new arthritis drug
Arthritis sufferers have been warned to exercise caution with a newly-listed painkiller belonging to a family of drugs linked to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The drug Prexige will be available on the federal government's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from Tuesday. It is the first COX-2 inhibitor to be marketed in Australia since the revelation in 2004 that the group of drugs increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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| SOURCE |
ninemsn news online |
| DATE |
31st July, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Sunny Osteoporosis treatment admitted to PBS
A new treatment for the crippling condition Osteoporosis will be available from tomorrow under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The once-a-week tablet combines a popular osteoporosis treatment and Vitamin D.
Rheumatologist Professor Philip Sambrook said research had shown that Vitamin D - most commonly found in sunlight - helped keep bones strong. He (also) said the combined tablet would enhance the performance of Osteoporosis therapy.
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| SOURCE |
Yahoo7 News online |
| DATE |
31st July, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| The Commonwealth Government extends the PBS listing of three drugs for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis
The Commonwealth Government is extending the listing of three drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 August 2006 to allow subsidised access for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The drugs covered by the extended listing are Enbrel®, Remicade® and Humira®.
Treatment with Enbrel®, Humira® or Remicade® may be initiated in patients with severe PsA who are unresponsive to current approved treatments. Patients may try each of the drugs in turn to find the one most suitable for their particular condition. The three drugs can help to preserve bone structure and improve pain relief to bring about an improved quality of life, compared with that achieved with existing anti-inflammatory drugs.
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| SOURCE |
Dept. of Health and Ageing |
| DATE |
22nd June, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Is there a miracle cure for back pain?
We've all done it. A bit of gardening or heavy lifting, even bending the wrong way, and your back goes. Astoundingly 80 percent of us will suffer back pain at some stage in our lives. Is there a miracle cure for back pain?
Sydney based Dr Leslie Nicholson is a lecturer in Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapy. Nicholson says 85 percent of people who see their doctor about a bad back will be told they're suffering from unspecified lower back pain.
Dr Nicholson says treatment for back pain sufferers has been reversed in the last 15 years. In the past, people were prescribed bed rest. Now they're told not to take it lying down.
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| SOURCE |
What's Good For You
Channel 9
online story archives |
| DATE |
2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Exercise Mistakes
Exercise is like driving a car — there is a wrong way and a right way to do it. When you do it right, you get from A to B in one piece. Do it the wrong way and you can end up flat on your back recovering from injury. Anecdotally, most of us are guilty of exercising the wrong way at some point and we have the scars and niggling injuries to prove it, says Sydney physiotherapist Tony Ayoub. "A lot of us do get it wrong and that's why we see so many people coming through our doors," says Ayoub, also the physiotherapist for the Australian Rugby League side.
He explains that many of his patients are social athletes who have pushed themselves too hard too soon or who haven't taken proper care of their body when faced with injury. It is vital to take care when exercising because small injuries can recur and gradually build up to become major ones.
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| SOURCE |
ninemsn health |
| DATE |
April 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Pennsylvania Researchers Discover Gene Causing FOP
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have located the genetic key which, when damaged, causes the body’s skeletal muscles and soft connective tissue to undergo a metamorphosis into bone, progressively locking joints in place and rendering movement impossible. Identifying the gene that causes Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), one of the rarest and most disabling musculoskeletal conditions known to humans and a condition that imprisons its childhood victims in a “second skeleton,” has been the focus at Pennsylvania’s Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders for the past 15 years. This important discovery is relevant, not only for patients with FOP, but also for those with more common musculoskeletal conditions.
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| SOURCE |
Sydney Morning Herald Online |
| DATE |
24th April, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Grants to improve rural health access
The Commonwealth Government today announced grants worth more than $10 million to improve private health services in rural areas across Australia. This funding will support 98 projects, managed by 68 different organisations, covering every state and the Northern Territory. It will enhance the capacity of the private health sector to deliver quality services to local communities. Most grants are for capital works and operating theatre equipment such as anaesthetic monitors. Other projects include establishing intensive care units, training, speech pathology outreach services, mobile physiotherapy services, renal dialysis and rehabilitation services.
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| SOURCE |
Dept. of Health and Ageing |
| DATE |
7th March, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Arthritis drug may work better second time around
Even if an initial course of methotrexate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) gives disappointing results, persistence may pay off. A second course may be more successful, researchers report.
Dr. Daniel Aletaha, from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, and associates in Austria identified patients who underwent one course of DMARD that failed and then tried another type of treatment. Among this group, 86 patients had a poor response initially to methotrexate -- either because it didn't help or because they couldn't tolerate the drug -- but then eventually tried it again. The success rate with a second course of methotrexate was 45 percent among those for whom the drug was ineffective the first time, and success was more likely if the first course had used a low dose of methotrexate (10 milligrams per week or less).
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| SOURCE |
Reuters Health |
| DATE |
2nd March, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| New Clue for Smoking's Impact on Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers have known for years that smokers are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, but Swedish scientists now think they know why: Tobacco use makes it more likely that a rare genetic condition will trigger the body's immune system to attack itself.
The findings don't appear likely to contribute to any immediate new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, which affects an estimated 2.1 million Americans. Still, the research is important because it provides more insight into what causes the disease, said Dr. John Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation (USA).
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| SOURCE |
Yahoo's HealthDay News |
| DATE |
9th January, 2006 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Yoga Eases Low-Grade Back Pain
The next time your balky back acts up, maybe you should give the Warrior a try. Or the Cobra. Or perhaps the Supine Butterfly.
A new study of 101 adults with chronic lower back pain compared the benefits of yoga, conventional therapeutic exercise, and the information contained in a popular back pain book. The result: Those who took weekly yoga classes for 12 weeks experienced the most increase in function and the biggest decrease in the need for pain medication. "The study suggests that for people who are looking to do something for themselves, you could clearly say that yoga is the best," said Karen Sherman, an epidemiologist and researcher with Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, and the lead author of the study.
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| SOURCE |
Yahoo's HealthDay News |
| DATE |
20th December, 2005 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Don't let arthritis get you down
When conventional medicine can’t provide all the answers, it’s worth trying out some different approaches that can help ease painful joints.
Nearly five million people in Britain suffer the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis in their hands, knees or hips – sufficiently badly for it to interfere with normal day-to-day activities. The condition is caused by wear and tear on the cartilage tissue in the joints so the likelihood of developing the condition increases with age.
Sadly, however, a new survey by the charity Arthritis Care says that ‘as many as two million people living with arthritis are frustrated with the outcome of consultations with health care professionals'. They say they receive neither adequate sympathy nor help to manage their symptoms. Four out of five GPs ‘seriously underestimate the impact arthritis has on people's lives', according to the charity. The result, they say, is that many sufferers become resigned to a life of pain, convinced that the condition is something they just have to put up with.
Fortunately, however, there are viable alternatives – with supplements, diet, lifestyle changes and widely accepted methods of managing pain to reduce its interference in everyday life. So how do they work?
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| SOURCE |
Saga Resource Centre UK |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Media release
from Health and Ageing Portfolio
A nine-month clinical trial involving 340 people
with osteoarthritis of the knee has been commissioned
to study the effectiveness of glucosamine.
The trial will be funded by a $450,000 grant through the National
Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The
study will be conducted as a nine-month clinical
trial in general practice surgeries, with a long-term
follow-up study planned.
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| SOURCE |
Dept. of Health and Ageing |
| DATE |
31st October, 2005 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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| Media release
from Health and Ageing Portfolio
The Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop, today launched
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions in Australia
2005 which provides an overview of arthritis and
musculoskeletal disease in the Australian community.
The report, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions
in Australia 2005 , prepared by the Australian Institute
of Health and Welfare, provides an overview of these
conditions. Ms Bishop said the number of people
affected and the extent of resulting disability
led to Australia's state and federal health ministers
declaring the conditions a National Health Priority
Area in July 2002.
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| SOURCE |
Dept. of Health and Ageing |
| DATE |
31st October, 2005 |
| FULL STORY |
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| ACCC
proposes to re-authorise the Homeworkers Code of Practice
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Homeworkers Code is a voluntary self-regulatory
scheme and provides for accreditation of parties
in the garment industry to assist in ensuring
that homeworkers are employed according to relevant
Award conditions. Homeworkers sew garments in
premises other than a registered factory.
The ACCC is satisfied that the arrangements under
the Homeworkers Code assist in:.
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| SOURCE |
ACCC |
| DATE |
31st October, 2005 |
| FULL STORY |
click here
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| Australian
Securities and Investments Commission - 2005 Media Releases - 05-342 Bradley Cooper found
guilty of corruption as a HIH executive
Mr Jeffrey Lucy, Chairman of the Australian
Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC),
today said the successful prosecution Mr Bradley
Cooper was a further important step in bringing
those associated with the failure of HIH to
account. On or after 8 January 2001, Mr Cooper
published a statement to HIH which recorded
that HIH owed The Goodwill Group Pty Limited,
a company controlled by Mr Cooper, $825,000
and $375,000 for a Sponsorship Package and Consulting
Fees which were neither overdue nor due and
payable. On 30 January 2001, Mr Cooper published
a statement to HIH which had attached a letter
dated 2 August 1999 signed by Mr Rodney Adler,
addressed to Mr Bradley Cooper approving an
undisclosed debt when in fact the approval letter
had not been created on that date.
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| SOURCE |
ASIC |
| DATE |
31st October, 2005 |
| FULL STORY |
click here
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| ‘Sport talk for strong bones’: landmark study
High impact exercise key to building bones, maintaining strength, preventing falls and speeding rehabilitation across all age groups – World Osteoporosis Day
Representatives from Australia’s sporting and medical arenas will join forces today (World Osteoporosis Day) to engage in some ‘Sport Talk for Strong Bones’ and launch Invest in your bones: Make it or Break it – a landmark International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) study focusing on the importance of exercise for building and maintaining strong bones.
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| SOURCE |
Viva Communications |
| DATE |
20th October, 2005 |
| FULL STORY |
click here |
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