Back pain through the ages

Most people will experience back pain at some point, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people come to accept a level of discomfort as part and parcel of their daily lives. Most back pain is avoidable if people have even a basic awareness of the root causes and make some simple adjustments. […]

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What is Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a long term condition that causes tenderness and pain in the muscles and can affect sleep and mood. ‘Fibromyalgia literally means painful muscles and it is a collection of symptoms rather than a specific disease that is well understood,’ says Dr Ganean Baranidharan, consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine at Leeds Teaching Hospitals […]

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Regular wound dressings work

A new study of open leg fractures suggests there is no difference to patient recovery whether high-tech negative pressure wound therapy devices are used, compared to standard wound dressings. The randomised clinical trial was conducted by the University of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit and the University of Oxford across 24 hospitals representing the UK Major […]

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Smoking directly damages muscles

Not only is smoking bad for your lungs, but new research shows that components in cigarette smoke directly damages your muscles. The research, published in The Journal of Physiology, indicates that smoking decreases the number of small blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to muscles in the legs. Smoking limits a person’s ability to […]

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Fish oil does reduce joint pain

Taking fish oil supplements could help reduce the pain of patients with osteoarthritis, a new study in Rheumatology reports. In the largest, most up to date study of its kind, researchers from the University of Surrey examined the link between diet and the effective self-management of osteoarthritis. Analysing 68 previous studies in the field, researchers […]

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New hip implant for active patients

Surgeons are treating patients with a new type of hip implant that could lead to better outcomes for younger, more active people requiring surgery. Fifteen patients have so far been treated with a novel ceramic hip resurfacing implant in a new trial at Imperial College London. Early results suggest patients can return to physical activities […]

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Augmented reality helps surgeons ‘see through’ tissue

Using augmented reality in the operating theatre could help surgeons to improve the outcome of reconstructive surgery for patients. In a series of procedures carried out by a team at Imperial College London at St Mary’s Hospital, researchers have shown for the first time how surgeons can use Microsoft HoloLens headsets while operating on patients […]

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Lung disease piling on the pressure in A&E

The perennial outrage over emergency winter pressure in NHS hospitals is now subsiding. As usual, we have seen the blame game and finger-wagging headlines about the failure to prepare. Emergency cash injections ensue, which of course is just fire-fighting money, while recommendations and solutions seem to be ignored. A year later we do it all […]

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OTC lipid ibuprofen first-line treatment for joint pain

Could lipid ibuprofen be a first-line OTC option for flaring joint pain? Joint pain is a common problem with many possible causes. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease in the UK, causing joint pain and stiffness. The knee joint is probably the most frequently affected. As well as joint damage, muscle weakness is a key […]

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Saving Faces Ted Talk

Facial surgeon Iain Hutchison works with people whose faces have been severely disfigured. By pushing to improve surgical techniques, he helps to improve their lives; and by commissioning their portraits, he celebrates their humanity. NOTE: This talk contains images of disfigured and badly injured faces that may be disturbing — and Hutchison provides thoughtful answers […]

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