Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries tend to occur in sporty people. Injury can happen if you suddenly change direction or land badly. It’s more common in sports involving lots of contact, changes of direction and speed, or jumping and landing. Your knee has two cruciate ligaments – the anterior and posterior – to keep it secure and stable during movement. They cross over to form an X, attaching your shin bone (tibia) to your thigh bone (femur). Hence an ACL injury can feel like the knee is giving way, and you get a popping sound on movement. Pain and swelling occur worst around the line of the joint. It can be hard to fully straighten or fully bend your knee – and even walking can be very painful. There are three categories depending on the severity of the ACL injury: Grade 1 is when the ligament is slightly stretched or just a few of the fibers of the ligament are damaged but the knee is still stable and supported by it. Grade 2 is when a few more of the fibers are damaged so it is partially torn or the ligament is stretched to the point that it is loose and the knee is no longer stable or supported by the ligament. Grade 3 is a complete tear of the ligament where the ligament has actually been torn in half and can no longer support the knee.

Living with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the ankle can be challenging, bringing pain and discomfort that disrupt daily activities like walking and standing. You might be seeking answers if you're facing persistent ankle pain, swelling, or stiffness. PsA is an inflammatory condition often linked to psoriasis, affecting about 3 in 10 people with a skin disease. It results from an immune system malfunction that causes inflammation in both skin and joints, including the ankles. Ankle pain and swelling from PsA can make everyday tasks hard, and stiffness, especially in the morning or after inactivity, can be particularly troublesome. Understanding PsA's causes and symptoms is crucial for effective management. Working with your doctor on a treatment plan involving medications, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes can help. Early diagnosis and intervention are vital to maintaining your quality of life.

Living with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can be challenging, not just because of joint pain and stiffness, but also due to the potential impact on other areas of the body, including the eyes. For many individuals with PsA, eye symptoms may not be immediately linked to their arthritis, leading to confusion and concern. Commonly affected joints include the elbows and ankles, where inflammation can cause significant pain and restrict movement. Moreover, some individuals may experience neurological complications such as peripheral neuropathy, which can add another layer of complexity to managing PsA. Understanding how PsA can affect your eyes is crucial for managing your overall health and seeking appropriate care. This guide aims to clarify the connection between PsA and eye symptoms, helping you identify whether your eye discomfort could be related to your arthritis and what steps you can take for relief.

Living with psoriatic arthritis is tough. It's not just joint pain – it can affect many parts of your life. How it can affect your nervous system is often not talked about as much. This adds even more complexity to an already tricky disease. For people dealing with psoriatic arthritis, the idea of having neurological problems can be worrying. However, understanding these issues is important for managing the condition well.

Are you feeling tired all the time? If you have psoriatic arthritis (PsA), this might sound familiar. Many people with PsA deal with fatigue, which means feeling very tired, and it can make everyday life harder. Imagine waking up already tired, even after sleeping all night. Simple things like getting dressed or making breakfast can feel like a lot of work, and you might get even more tired as the day goes on. This is what many people with PsA experience. So, why does arthritis make you tired? Research shows that 5 to 8 out of every 10 people with inflammatory arthritis often feel tired, even if they haven’t done much. The inflammation from PsA can mess with your sleep and lower your energy, leading to tiredness. Understanding why this happens is important so you can manage it better. By learning about what causes PsA fatigue and its symptoms, you can find ways to feel better. The next sections will talk about treatments, management tips, and other reasons you might feel tired.

Living with arthritis can be tough, and knowing about all the different symptoms is important for managing the disease. Arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), can cause changes in your nails because of inflammation and problems with the immune system. RA is a disease where the immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and sometimes joint deformity. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of arthritis where the cartilage and bone in a joint break down, leading to pain, stiffness, and less movement. While most people know about joint pain and stiffness, OA can also affect other parts of the body, including the nails.

Menopause is a major change in a woman's life, and it often brings physical changes. One common problem after menopause is joint pain and osteoarthritis. Women are more likely to get osteoarthritis after menopause. About 6 out of 10 women who have gone through menopause show signs of osteoarthritis on X-rays. Understanding how menopause and osteoarthritis are connected can help women manage their symptoms and find the right treatments.

As you get older it can become more difficult to care for your feet for a number of reasons. Firstly, you may have joint and dexterity issues in reaching your feet and using tools for maintenance and care, such as clipping toenails. Secondly, you may have medical conditions that put your feet at risk, such as a lack of feeling in the nerves in advanced diabetes, which might cause infection, or poor circulation putting you at risk of chilblains, eczema and ulcers. Components in skin that keep it stretchy, plump and well-nourished decline with age, which means you may be at higher risk of dry and cracked skin, or have skin that’s more likely to tear or ulcerate. We’ve put together a list of common foot problems for you to be aware of, but it may be worth investing in regular foot care, either with a podiatrist (sometimes also known as a chiropodist) or even at your local beauty salon, to keep your toes and feet in good condition.

A fracture is a break or crack in one of the bones in the body. Fractures are most common with increasing age as the strength of our bones decreases and our risk of falls increases. The main symptoms of a fracture are pain, swelling, and deformity at the site of the fracture. There may be swelling and a different shape to the affected area, which will be painful to touch. Small breaks may cause minimal pain, but large breaks, such as hip or leg fractures, can cause severe pain and make you feel very unwell.

Back pain is a common condition that can affect people of all ages. It can be caused by factors such as poor posture, injury, or worsening conditions like arthritis. However, not many people are aware that spinal problems can also impact digestion. This is because the central nervous system (CNS) plays a significant role in controlling the movement and function of the muscles and organs in the digestive system. When the CNS is disrupted, it can lead to digestive problems, such as bloating, gas, and constipation. Also, spinal misalignments can cause nerve pinches that affect the communication between the CNS and the digestive system. This can lead to further digestive issues, such as acid reflux, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. It is important to note that not all digestive issues are caused by spinal problems. However, if you have back pain and digestive problems, you should talk to your healthcare provider. They can help you determine whether your symptoms are related to spinal issues and suggest appropriate treatment options.

A slipped disk - sometimes called a herniated disk or ruptured disk - is a common medical condition that affects our spine. The spine is composed of vertebrae (our backbones) and between each pair of vertebrae is a rubbery disk that acts like a cushion or shock absorber to help prevent the vertebrae from rubbing on each other and being damaged or inflamed. These disks have a tough outer layer and a soft inner gel-like substance. A herniated disk occurs when the inner core of the disk breaks through the outer layer and pushes into the spinal canal. This can irritate nearby nerves and cause a range of symptoms. In this article we look at whether a slipped or herniated disk can cause dizziness or headaches.

Back symptoms such as pain and reduced movement are common and are often due to problems with the disks that sit between each of our backbones. These can sometimes bulge a little to cause symptoms and, at other times, cause problems if they herniate (often called a ‘slipped disk’). In this article, we look at whether it is possible to tell the difference between them, what tests are sometimes needed to make an accurate diagnosis, what symptoms they cause, and how they are usually treated.