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Strong abdominal muscles may actually prevent you from incurring a back injury, since these muscles are so critical to maintaining your spine's position, as well as assisting you with lifting. Strong abdominals can also lower, minimize, or avoid back pain from excessive strains, help your body deal

Before the early 1970s, seat belts and shoulder restraints were not standard equipment in automobiles. And it wasn't until 1985 that the first airbags began appearing in cars. The positive impact those two innovations have had on the reduction of spinal cord injuries cannot be underestimated. In fact,

Ankle pain can be caused by something as minor as an ill-fitting shoe or as major as an injury. Many kinds of ankle pain originate on the outer, or lateral, side of the ankle. People with ankle pain often complain about difficulty walking or participating in sports. Some types of ankle pain are constant

In general terms, arthritis is a gradual breakdown or deterioration of the joint spaces in your musculoskeletal system. According to some experts, 8 out of 10 Americans over the age of 55 suffer from one form of arthritis or another. In many cases, arthritis can become so painful and debilitating, simple

Did you know that people lose 20 to 40 percent of their muscle (and along with it their strength) as they age? Our population is aging rapidly as a result of the huge baby boom in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by declining birth rates in the succeeding decades. Thanks to remarkable advances in medicine

Lower back Lie flat on your stomach. Raise one arm at a time. Hold for 5 counts, then slowly lower. Do 20 repetitions for each arm. Try raising one leg at a time. Hold for 5 counts, then slowly lower. Do 20 repetitions for each leg. Advanced versions of this exercise involve raising both legs or arms

Back injuries are sustained in a myriad of ways and some people are more likely to develop back pain and injury than others are. Some people incur back injuries from doing seemingly nothing; a simple twist or turn the wrong way in bed, for example, could cause a vertebra to go out of alignment. Others

In recent years, evidence has come to light that we are placing our children at risk for debilitating muscle and joint injuries from overloaded backpacks, a staple among elementary and high school-aged kids. Overloaded backpacks: Cause the shoulders to round, leading to poor posture later in life Distort

Since most of us spend at least a third of our lives lying down, a good quality mattress goes a long way in avoiding a whole host of musculoskeletal problems later in life. In addition, a quality mattress will help you get a good night's sleep, which most health practitioners agree is essential to a

The act of birth is both a joyous and traumatic event. Few people realize how traumatic birthing can be on an infant's spinal cord. Even under the best of circumstances with highly trained and competent physicians, a baby's nervous system can incur damage while traveling through the birth canal. Often,