Spinal Cord Injury
What is Spinal Cord Injury? A spinal cord injury usually begins with a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that fractures or dislocates vertebrae. The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Most injuries to the spinal cord don’t completely […]
Spina Bifida
Overview and Facts Spina Bifida is broader term for a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. Spina bifida includes any birth defect involving insufficient closure of the spine. Spina bifida occulta is a condition in which the bones of the spine do not close but the spinal […]
Sleep Apnea
Overview and Facts Sleep apnea, a disruption of breathing while asleep, is a deceiving sleep disorder – 90% of people who have sleep apnea don’t know that they have it! Although episodes of choking or gasping for air might occur hundreds of times throughout the night, you may not have any recollection of struggling for […]
Post-Polio Syndrome
Overview and Facts Post-Polio Syndrome or PPS, is a condition that affects polio survivors sometimes many years after having polio. Other common names for the disease are: Polio, Late Effects Post-Polio Sequelae Postpoliomyelitis syndrome Post-Polio Muscular Atrophy We will be using the term Post-Polio Syndrome or PPS in this discussion. What is Polio? Polio (or […]
Parkinson’s Disease
Overview and Facts Parkinson’s disease develops gradually, often starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while tremor may be the most well-known sign of Parkinson’s disease, the disorder also commonly causes a slowing or freezing of movement. Friends and family may notice that your face shows little or no expression and […]
Osteoporosis
What is Osteoporosis? How much do you know about Osteoporosis? Take our Quiz! Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced, leading to weakness of the skeleton and increased risk of fracture, particularly of the spine, wrist, hip, pelvis and upper arm.Osteoporosis and associated fractures are an important cause […]
Obesity
Overview and Facts Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. Definitions for Adults For adults, overweight and […]
Muscular Dystrophy
Overview and Facts Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of inherited muscle diseases in which muscle fibers are unusually susceptible to damage. Muscles, primarily voluntary muscles, become progressively weaker. In the late stages of muscular dystrophy, fat and connective tissue often replace muscle fibers. Some types of muscular dystrophy affect heart muscles, other involuntary muscles […]
Multiple Sclerosis
Overview and Facts Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body’s immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers your nerves. This interferes with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that’s not […]
Hepatitis C
Overview and Facts Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. Most people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have no symptoms. In fact, most people don’t know they have the hepatitis C infection until liver damage shows up, decades later, during routine medical tests. […]
