The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway made up by the bones of the wrist through which nerves and tendons run to and from the hand. These structures are responsible for movement of the hand and fingers (the tendons that connect the muscles of the forearm to the bones in the hand) and carries sensation from the hand back to the central nervous system. In carpal tunnel syndrome, there is increased pressure on the median nerve – this nerve has both sensory (sensation) and motor (motion) functions.
Continue reading
Gout is the inflammation of a joint due to urate crystals that build up around it. This inflammation results in swelling, pain, tenderness and redness of the joint. Gout usually occurs as attacks that last for a few days or weeks and then subside. These attacks may recur at any time depending on a number of factors. Men are more likely to be affected by gout and the big toe is the most common joint that is affected. However gout can occur in any joint and tends to target the leg and hand joints more frequently.
Human bone is densely packed with a number of substances, like calcium, to give the body a rigid support structure. In osteoporosis this compact material starts to break down and the bone becomes weak or brittle. Brittle bones mean that the body or affected bone can take less weight and impact and will easily break under stress. Due to the nature of osteoporosis, healing of the bone will also be impaired. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men, especially after the onset of menopause but any gender or age group can be affected with osteoporosis.
