There are 22 bones in the face and head, but the lower jawbone—or mandible—is the only one of these that can move. The mandible connects to the temporal bone of the skull at two points just in front of each ear through the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). And as we discussed in our last post, the […]

The jaw is an area that doesn’t generally get much attention as some other parts of the body, but jaw problems are more common than you probably think. A class of jaw‐related issues called temporomandibular disorders affect millions of Americans each year, and the bothersome symptoms that result often require treatment. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) […]

October is National Physical Therapy Month, which is recognized and celebrated by physical therapists throughout the country every year. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness of the important role physical therapists play in reducing pain, improving mobility, and encouraging a healthy lifestyle in patients. In honor of this important month, we’d like […]

As we’ve shown over the last few posts, falls are one of the greatest dangers to the over–65 population, and suffering from just one fall can lead to an unfortunate cascade of consequences that will significantly impact one’s health status. But we’ve also explained that falling is far from inevitable in older age, because you […]

Falls are scary, and they can be disabling in a variety of ways. Directly, they often result in injuries that can make it difficult to move and function normally. Indirectly, they can create a significant fear of falling in many individuals, which in turn leads to less movement and activity that can further increase the […]

Although falls in the elderly result in nearly one million hospitalizations and tens of billions in healthcare spending each year, many people are still not properly informed about the scope of the problem or what they can do to address it. This gap in knowledge has been the motivation behind Fall Prevention Month, which is […]

Most people who develop neck pain will improve without any interventions, usually within a few days or weeks. But for some, the problem continues or may even worsen. Between 50–85% of patients report symptoms that don’t completely resolve, and almost half of these individuals will go on to develop chronic neck pain. This term is […]

The spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of one another. Together, these bones connect to create a canal that protects the spinal cord from damage. The uppermost portion of the spine that begins at the base of the skull is called the cervical spine. It contains nerves […]

The neck has an incredibly important job to do. It supports the head and allows us to move it in a wide range of directions so that we can better navigate the world around us. But because of how frequently it’s used and its position in the body, as we’ve already seen, the neck is […]

Most of us can recall one or more occasions when the day got off to a rough start because of a stiff neck. This can be explained by the fact that neck pain ranks among the most common types of pain you can get. Statistics vary on just how many people encounter neck pain, but recent […]

Tennis is a great form of physical activity that works out many parts of the body due to its demanding dynamics, but just like every other sport, it also comes with a risk for injury. The most common injury in the sport is called lateral epicondylitis, which is often referred to as tennis elbow. The […]

The carpal tunnel is a space at the base of the palm that contains several tendons and the median nerve, which provides sensation to most of our fingers. If these tendons and soft tissue thicken or any other swelling occurs in the area, the tunnel narrows, which puts pressure on the median nerve and leads […]