Health/Fitness « Weekly Gravy

The number and strength of head impacts, not concussions, cause degenerative brain injuries to football players, a new study suggests. That’s what appears to drive the growing number of cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), researchers say. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). It is also linked to the development of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. In this new study of 631 deceased football players, researchers found that the odds of developing CTE were related to the number of head impacts they experienced and how hard those impacts were. “These results provide added evidence that repeated non-concussive head injuries are a major driver of CTE pathology rather than symptomatic concussions, as the medical and lay literature often suggests,” said senior author Dr. Jesse Mez, co-director of clinical research at the Boston University CTE Center. These new data might provide football with ways to prevent CTE, according to researchers. “This study suggests that we could reduce CTE risk through changes to how football players practice and play,” said lead author Dr. Dan Daneshvar, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and physician-researcher at Mass General Brigham. “If we cut both the number of head impacts and the force of those hits in practice and games, we could lower the odds that athletes develop CTE.”… read on > read on >

If you have had a sharp pain shooting down one leg, you may be experiencing a condition called sciatica. Here is what you need to know about sciatica, including what it is, its causes, symptoms and treatments. Plus, learn about medications, self-care and stretches that may provide relief. What is sciatica? Sciatica refers to pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. The pain may be severe but usually clears up in a few weeks. Sciatica nerve pain causes and risk factors Causes of sciatic nerve pain include anything that affects the sciatic nerve, according to Penn Medicine: Slipped or herniated disk Spinal stenosis Piriformis syndrome Pelvic injury or fracture Tumors Spondylolisthesis The Cleveland Clinic notes that risk factors include: A current or previous injury Normal wear and tear Excess weight or obesity Insufficient core strength Your job Type 2 diabetes Physical inactivity Improper form when lifting Tobacco use Sciatica symptoms Penn Medicine further reports sciatica pain can vary from mild tingling to a dull ache or a burning sensation. Typically, the pain affects one side of the body. It may worsen: After standing or sitting At night When sneezing, coughing or laughing When bending backwards or walking a few yards When straining or holding your… read on > read on >

Summer’s here and the Mayo Clinic says babies need protection from the sun’s damaging UV rays, too. It only takes one severe sunburn during childhood or adolescence to nearly double the risk for a deadly melanoma later in life, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Babies are far more vulnerable to sunburn than older kids, so it’s essential to protect them against UV rays, said pediatric dermatologist Dr. Megha Tollefson, who offers tips for keeping babies safe outdoors. “Sunburns can be very painful,” she said, adding that severe sunburn can be a setup for infection. Sunburns are usually short-term concerns, but they pose long-term risks, too. “The more UV exposure a child gets — especially the younger in life that it starts — and the more sunburns they have, the higher their risk for skin cancer later in life,” said Tollefson, who practices in Rochester, Minn. Protecting yourself from the sun during the first 20 years of life is crucial for guarding against the long-term risk of skin cancer. For infants, avoid peak sun hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If that’s not possible, cover the baby with shade or long-sleeved clothing and a hat. Tollefson also recommends using sunscreen on areas of exposed skin. “We would recommend that, at that age, parents use the sunscreens that have physical blockers rather than… read on > read on >

Nearly 8 million Baby Shark and Mini Baby Shark bath toys have been recalled because they can cause serious injuries to children. When using these bath toys, particularly in a bathtub or wading pool, a child can sit, slip or fall onto the shark’s hard plastic top fin, posing risks of impalement, lacerations and puncture wounds, according to the company, Zuru. This recall includes both full-size Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim bath toys and Mini Baby Shark Swimming bath toys. The toys were sold at Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General Corp., Family Dollar Services, HEB Grocery Company, Meijer, Target, TJX Companies, Ross and Walgreens stores nationwide and online at Walmart, Target, Amazon and other websites. The full-size toys have tracking information on the bottom, including raised lettering with the model number #25282 and a date code beginning with the letters DG followed by “YYYY/MM/DD” in the date range DG20190501 through DG20220619. Only full-size Baby Shark toys with a hard plastic top fin are included in this recall. The mini-size bath toys also have tracking labels on the bottom, including raised lettering with model numbers #7163, #7175, #7166, or #25291 and a date code beginning with the letters DG followed by YYYY/MM/DD in the date range DG2020615 through DG2023525. Zuru knows of 12 reports of children falling or sitting onto the recalled full-size… read on > read on >

The future for a child diagnosed with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine that typically occurs just before puberty, can feel uncertain. As a parent, you want answers to your questions about scoliosis and how it can affect your child’s development. Here’s what you need to know. What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine. In some cases, the spine curves either to the left or the right in a “C” shape. In others, the spine curves both ways in an “S” formation, according to Boston Children’s Hospital. What causes scoliosis? The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) explains idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type and the cause is unknown; however, a combination of genes, hormones and changes in cell structure could be the cause. Other causes include: Congenital factors occurring during fetal development Genetic disease Traumatic injury Neuromuscular diseases like cerebral palsy Tumors Types of scoliosis “There are three primary types,” said Dr. Stephen George, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. George explains in an online video the three types are: congenital; neuromuscular; and the most common, idiopathic scoliosis. Congenital scoliosis is caused by malformed vertebrae during fetal development. Neuromuscular scoliosis is due to weak muscles that are unable to support the spine. This is the result of muscle impairment… read on > read on >

It’s not the late nights, but the smoking and drinking that happen during those late nights, that are killing people who are “night owls” earlier in life, a new study claims. Researchers studied twins in Finland for 37 years, looking at different chronotypes, the body’s natural inclination to sleep at a certain time. Although they saw that the evening types had a slightly increased risk of dying than the morning types, it was those other habits that were at the root of that greater likelihood of premature death, the study found. The findings were published June 15 in the journal Chronobiology International. “Our findings suggest that there is little or no independent contribution of chronotype to mortality,” said study author Dr. Christer Hublin, from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki. “In addition, the increased risk of mortality associated with being a clearly ‘evening’ person appears to be mainly accounted for by a larger consumption of tobacco and alcohol,” Hublin said in a journal news release. “This is compared to those who are clearly ‘morning’ persons.” Researchers were inspired to do this study by past studies that had linked night owls to a higher risk of disease, including heart problems. Among those were data from the UK Biobank published as part of a 2018 study that found a small increased risk of death from… read on > read on >

If you suffer from upper back pain, it’s time to reclaim your comfort and regain control of your daily life. Relief from this debilitating condition is within reach. Here, you will learn about the causes of upper back pain and strategies to alleviate your discomfort. What is upper back pain? Imagine discomfort that takes residence between your shoulder blades, affecting your daily life, and keeping you from doing many of the things you love. That’s just what upper back pain entails — a sensation of pain or discomfort from the base of your neck to the bottom of your ribcage. According to Dignity Health, this form of back pain can vary in intensity, ranging from a mild annoyance to a debilitating ache, and it can either be persistent or surface only during certain activities. While back pain is widespread, upper left back pain and upper right back pain are less common than their counterparts in the lower back. The bones in your upper and middle back form a sturdy connection with your ribcage, limiting their mobility compared to the more flexible bones in your neck and lower back. This unique skeletal structure contributes to the distinctive nature of upper back pain, requiring specific attention and care. What is causing my upper back pain? If you are experiencing upper back pain, you want to understand what… read on > read on >

New York-based physical therapist Brittany Garrett, now 33, was sidelined by excruciating hip pain for close to eight years before she got an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. She tried physical therapy to improve her flexibility, among other treatments, but nothing seemed to help. The former volleyball player’s pain was so intense that it was getting in the way of her career and her active lifestyle. “I have to be able to demonstrate exercises, do lunges, be on my feet, get on and off the floor and lift heavy things, and I couldn’t,” Garrett recalled. She eventually underwent imaging exams, including an MRI that showed she had femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), an underdiagnosed condition that occurs when abnormal growths at the hip joint cause painful friction and set the stage for hip osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear form of the disease. “It was a relief to have the diagnosis and know that it was an anatomical issue, and there was also relief in knowing that I could have surgery to get rid of pain and get my life back,” Garrett said. In the past, this type of surgery involved huge incisions and dislocating the hip, but now some surgeons can treat FAI with minimally invasive hip surgery via tiny incisions and instruments guided by a small camera, reducing risks and downtime. Garrett underwent two minimally invasive surgeries to… read on > read on >

Whiplash — an often underestimated injury that can strike in the aftermath of a collision — inflicts injury and pain on its unsuspecting victims. If you find yourself grappling with the relentless effects of whiplash, you’re not alone. Numerous legal websites estimate that at least 3 million Americans per year sustain whiplash injuries. Here’s what you should know about a whiplash injury, including what it is, and its causes, symptoms and treatments. What is whiplash? “Whiplash is a type of neck injury that occurs when an individual’s head is jerked backward and then forward suddenly, similar to the cracking of a whip. It commonly happens during motor vehicle accidents, particularly rear-end collisions, but it can also occur during sports activities or falls,” said Dr. Jeremy Smith, an orthopedic spine surgeon and director of the spine surgery fellowship at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Southern California. The unfortunate truth is that whiplash neck is no joke. The Cleveland Clinic indicates that whiplash is often dismissed as fleeting pain, soreness or stiffness. However, the ramifications can be far-reaching, leading to long-term pain and complications. In the most extreme cases, whiplash has the potential to unleash severe spinal injuries, causing permanent disability or even proving fatal. What causes a whiplash injury? “The primary cause of whiplash injury is the sudden and forceful movement of the head and neck,” Smith… read on > read on >

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have long-term effects, much like a chronic condition, a new study says. Looking at hundreds of patients, researchers found that problems related to traumatic brain injuries can last for years, with people improving and declining at different time points. These problems encompassed memory, thinking and everyday functioning. “TBI is essentially a chronic condition like many other chronic conditions,” said lead researcher Benjamin Brett, an assistant professor in the Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “Things can change, both up and down, improve and decline throughout multiple years.” Because of this, there’s a need to monitor patients “well beyond that post-injury period,” Brett said. “We need to establish systems of care that involve continued monitoring and treatment.” The idea may be controversial, however. A chronic condition implies an underlying disease that is expected to change and/or get worse in predictable ways, said Dr. Daniel Torres, a neurologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “I would not consider TBI a chronic condition because it is an unpredictable condition with which different individuals can have greatly different consequences,” Torres said. For the study, Brett and his colleagues collected data on more than 900 people who had mild TBIs, mostly concussions, and nearly 200 people who had moderate to severe TBI. These were conditions like… read on > read on >