Skeletal and muscular health management involves nutritional support for bone density, targeted stretching, and structured rehabilitation protocols for injuries.
You couldn't open or close your mouth without your masseter muscles. Imbalances or tightness of the masseter on each side of your jaw can contribute to temporo-mandibular joint, or TMJ disorder. Characterized by pain, stiffness and clicking in your jaw, TMJ can cause headaches and neck pain.
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Squats are a whole-body workout. When you do them properly, they build nearly every muscle you have. Do them improperly and you run the risk of real pain or injury. Even if you're a squatting pro, you might still suffer severe leg cramps after squats. Cramps are a bit of a mystery.
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You may be fearful of drinking seltzer water because you heard it is bad for your health. Negative ideas about seltzer include the fact that it may irritate your stomach, erode the enamel on your teeth and cause osteoporosis. But seltzer water isn't much different from regular water.
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Leg cramps are painful contractions of the leg muscles; the incidence of leg cramps increases with age. Often there is no official cause for the leg spasms; however, there are conditions or medications that can cause them. If the leg cramps become persistent, a doctor's visit may be needed to determine the cause.
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A lumbar disc herniation occurs in the lower back and results in symptoms such as sharp or dull back pain, muscle spasm, leg weakness and sciatica. Lumbar disc herniations are common problems, affecting an estimated 1 to 2 percent of Americans, according to a September 2006 article in "
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Inversion boots, otherwise known as gravity boots, allow for complete, inverted suspension from a stabilized horizontal bar or inversion rack. The boots strap around the ankles and attach to the bar, allowing you to hang safely, upside-down and otherwise unsupported.
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Muscles contract when being used and will relax or loosen when not in use. However, your muscle may sometimes stay tight or suddenly involuntarily contract. An involuntarily contracted muscle is often called a cramp or a spasm. Muscle cramps can occur for different reasons.
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The diaphragm and longitudinal muscles of the stomach play an important role in everyday functions. The diaphragm is responsible for supplying the force behind every breath you take; your longitudinal muscles help stabilize your body when you are moving around.
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Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammation of the plantar fascia, a ligament on the bottom of your foot that connects the heel with the toes and supports the arch. Pain occurs in the arch of the foot and near the heel, and is worse in the morning until you have walked for a while.
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Sciatica is a painful condition that can also lead to weakness and numbness in the low back, hips and legs. The first step in treatment is to diagnose the underlying problem that is causing the sciatica nerve to be irritated.
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Groin muscle strains -- sometimes called pulled muscles -- are painful injuries, caused by forceful movements of your leg, such as stepping off a curb while off balance or falling with your leg stretched out to the side. Female athletes whose sports require running, jumping and kicking are prone to these injuries.
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Regular exercise is the best way to prevent lower back pain, but you shouldn't exercise while you have severe back pain, according to "Low Back Pain," a report by The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library.
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Learn about the potential long-term effects of a spinal fusion, including complications, deformity treatment, and scoliosis surgery outcomes. Understand why spinal fusion is necessary and how it can impact your body.
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Lower back pain is the most common work-related disability. Most instances disappear after a few days -- if your pain lasts for more than three months, it's considered chronic. Low-impact exercises, especially walking, are appropriate activities if you suffer from recurring lower back pain.
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Having tight muscles in the low back impedes flow of blood through the muscles and can cause painful cramping and spasms. Tight muscles are weak muscles that are in a constant state of contraction, says licensed massage therapist Julie Onofrio on the Massage Seattle website.
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Sharp pains in your abdomen can be as minor as gastrointestinal gas, or as serious as appendicitis. Movements such as stretching or twisting of your torso and abdomen may aggravate your symptoms. Treatment varies based on the cause, but may include rest, over-the-counter medications and in some cases surgery.
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Hurdle stretches have been used by sports teams and physical education teachers for years to stretch the hamstring muscle. However, this stretch is falling out of favor among coaches and educators because it poses a higher injury risk than other hamstring stretches.
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Although the time required to heal a bone fracture depends upon the health and age of the patient as well as the severity of the fracture, it generally takes several weeks to several months to heal, reports American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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Shin splints occur when stiff or overworked muscles and tendons in the lower leg begin to pull on the tibia bone and the connective tissues around the bone. Many athletes, particularly runners, experience this painful injury. You can heal most cases of shin splints with rest and other simple remedies.
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Swelling that takes place in the body is a result of inflammation. Usually, inflammation is the body's response to infection such as bacteria and viruses. According to the Cleveland Clinic, white cells within the immune system trigger inflammatory chemicals that are meant to protect the body.
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