The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge that connects your lower jaw to your skull, right in front of your ears. This joint lets you chew, talk, and yawn. When something goes wrong with the TMJ, it can cause pain, headaches, and make it hard to move your jaw. TMJ problems are called TMJ disorders or TMD. They can affect one or both sides of your jaw and may cause pain, stiffness, or trouble moving your jaw. Causes of TMJ Disorders TMJ disorders can happen for several reasons: Jaw Injury: Getting hit in the jaw or having an accident can hurt the TMJ. Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Grinding your teeth, especially at night, puts a lot of pressure on the joint. Stress: Stress can make you clench your jaw or grind your teeth, which strains the TMJ. Arthritis: Diseases like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis can damage the joint. Misaligned Bite: If your teeth don’t fit together right, your jaw has to work harder, which can cause pain over time.

The term ‘tennis elbow’ is more correctly known as lateral epicondylitis and is a painful condition affecting the outside part of the elbow. The lateral epicondyle is the bony prominence at the outer part of the base of the humerus or upper arm bone. A similar condition affects the medial epicondyle (the bony prominence at the inner part of the elbow) and is usually called 'golfer's elbow'. What causes tennis elbow? Tennis elbow occurs because of our anatomy. The muscles that straighten out our wrist and fingers anchor onto a small bone at the outer side of the elbow. Repetitive movement under tension of these muscles can irritate the sheath these muscles are contained within and also cause tiny tears of the muscle, too. The subsequent irritation and inflammation then causes all the symptoms and these symptoms are probably related to the poor healing process rather than to any original injury. Who gets tennis and golfer's elbow? Any sport, hobby or work activity in which repetitive arm movement, a type of RSI and muscle overstraining are involved can cause it, with the highest risk involving using a bent elbow while holding a racquet or tool. It also affects people more frequently over the age of 35 and both men and women are affected equally. It is uncommon in people under 30, probably because the healing ability of the tissues is better below that age. How do I know if I have tennis elbow? It usually starts with discomfort on the outer part of the elbow that gradually increases with movement. Pressing on this part is painful as is bending the wrist upwards against pressure. The wrist may feel weak so picking up everyday objects such as books or pans may become difficult. Eventually, the pain travels all along the upper arm and outer part of the forearm and it may get so painful that the arm is held close to the body to prevent it hurting. There is usually tenderness over the lateral epicondyle in tennis elbow, and over the medial epicondyle in golfer's elbow.

Tendonitis is a common painful condition that can affect tendons around a joint. In most cases, tendonitis is a self-limiting condition and will improve after a period of activity restriction. Tendonitis was previously believed to be a condition of inflammation within a tendon. However, it is now understood that tendonitis does not involve inflammation, but instead represents multiple micro-tears accumulating, with the tendon then generating a healing response. Most cases of tendonitis are caused by a sudden change or increase in your activity levels.

Subacromial impingement (also known as shoulder impingement syndrome) is a condition characterized by the painful movement of the shoulder. Pain often occurs when moving the shoulder and arm in specific directions and can be associated with weakness. Subacromial impingement is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. It most commonly affects people aged 30-70, and around one in five people will experience symptoms of subacromial impingement at some time in their lives. Subacromial impingement tends to cause pain that can be felt at the top of the shoulder and can spread down the arm towards the elbow, pain worse when lifting your arm to the side and above your head, and weakness when lifting your arm to the side.

Repetitive strain injury (also known as RSI) is very common and is when repetitive movement causes pain due to overuse or strain of muscles, ligaments, or tendons. The symptoms can range from pain and aching to numbness or tingling, and they tend to start and are made worse by doing repetitive movements. It can occur in the areas around different joints or muscles in the body, with the most common areas being the hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, and neck. Repetitive movements, stress, vibrating work tools, and cold weather can also increase your risk of developing RSI. Common reasons for developing RSI are doing repetitive tasks at work, gaming or using a mouse, playing sports, using a wheelchair, and being a musician. However, not everyone in these categories develops RSI.

Living with psoriatic arthritis affecting the elbow can be challenging. It brings ongoing pain and discomfort and limits how well you can move your arm. It's crucial to grasp what's going on with this condition, especially if it's affecting your elbow. Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis caused by the body's immune system acting up. It causes swelling and pain in the joints, including the elbow. Interestingly, it's often seen alongside the skin condition psoriasis, showing how it affects not just the joints but the skin, too.

Parkinson's disease is a complex nerve disorder that affects movement. Approximately 1% of the population over 60 years has the condition. Symptoms start slowly, usually in those over 50 years old, and progress over time. It affects both men and women but is very slightly more common in men. The main symptoms are tremors, stiffness, and slowed movement, which can significantly affect their day-to-day activities. There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but medication can be used to improve symptoms, and most people respond well to it.

Osteoporosis affects over 10 million people in the US. It is where the bones become more fragile, weak, and likely to break. Osteoporosis is a chronic condition that develops slowly over years and is usually not painful unless it progresses to a fracture (a break in the bone). Often, it's only after sustaining a fracture that most people find out they have osteoporosis. The common sites for injuries and fractures are the bones in the spine (called the vertebrae), the hip, and the wrists, but fractures can occur anywhere. Prior to developing osteoporosis, your bones will transition through a phase of osteopenia. This is when you have a lower bone density than others your age. Developing osteopenia doesn't necessarily mean you will develop osteoporosis; there are things you can do to prevent it.

Osteopenia is when your bone's density (or strength) is lower than normal. A test measures this and is called a DEXA scan (a scan measuring bone mineral density). Osteopenia is similar to osteoporosis, although a milder form. In osteoporosis, the density of the bone becomes even lower and puts the bone at risk of breaking. If you have osteopenia and your bone density continues to decrease, it can lead to osteoporosis. As we age, our bones naturally become less dense. However, this particularly accelerates in women after menopause due to decreasing levels of estrogen, which helps to protect bone strength. Calcium is a mineral that helps make and keep our bones strong. It is particularly important as it can help slow the loss of bone density and can help prevent osteopenia. You get calcium from your diet from foods such as dairy products, leafy green vegetables, and soybeans or foods fortified with calcium, such as certain cereals. Vitamin D is also important for bone strength as it helps your body absorb calcium. Your body makes vitamin D from direct sunlight exposure, or if this is not possible (such as in the winter months in the US), you can take vitamin D supplementation. Other ways to help improve bone strength include regular exercise (weight-bearing exercise can help strengthen bones) and avoiding smoking or excessive alcohol intake.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is associated with increasing age, though it is distinct from the changes associated with aging. Osteoarthritis is a disease affecting the cartilage layer that covers the ends of bones at a joint and normally functions to provide a smooth surface that allows friction-free joint movement. Any joint can suffer from osteoarthritis but some of the most common include: hips back knees shoulders fingers It is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage in the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, and impaired mobility. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of osteoarthritis, as well as the latest advancements in treatment options.

Arthritis is a term used to describe pain and inflammation affecting a joint. Any joint in the body can be affected by arthritis, but the most commonly affected joints include joints of the hand and fingers, hip, knee, shoulder, lower back and neck. There are two main types of arthritis: osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis. The majority of cases of arthritis affect older adults. A very small proportion of people with arthritis are young children or teenagers. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis affecting young people and refers to persisting joint inflammation that first occurs under the age of 16 and which lasts for at least 6 weeks. There are a number of different types of JIA, but all are uncommon, affecting around 1 to 2 children in every 10,000. In juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the body’s immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, swelling and, in some cases, joint damage. The problem is very variable and can affect only one joint, a few, or several joints around the body. There may also be other symptoms not affecting the joints (known as extra-articular symptoms), such as eye inflammation, inflammation of the lining of the heart, lungs or abdomen, a high temperature, or feeling tired all the time. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a rare condition and is usually only diagnosed by specialists. It is important for a diagnosis of JIA to be made since, without treatment, it can lead to growth problems, bone weakness and delay of puberty.

A hip fracture is a break in the thigh bone (femur) around the hip joint. Hip fractures are most common with increasing age as the strength of our bones decreases and our risk of falls increases. Hip fractures most often occur following a simple trip or fall while standing or walking, and it commonly affects the neck of the femur, so you might see doctors write #NOF (neck of femur fracture) as shorthand. A hip fracture is possible if you cannot stand on the injured leg, that leg appears shorter or turned outwards, and there's significant bruising and swelling around your hip.