This was the heading of a new research publication from late 2018, that was the analysis of studies containing over 2.5 million study participants. The relationship between structure and function is well-established as a truism in modern thought. However, there has never been an analysis of so many individuals before, detailing the connection between musculoskeletal conditions and other chronic illnesses.
According to the researchers, it was already well-established that these types of problems run together. In other words, those with the issues assessed in the study (low back or neck pain, or hip or knee osteoarthritis), also more frequently have other non-joint related chronic illnesses as well.
In fact, the authors state the rate of “heart disease, neurological disorders, gastric ulcers and endocrine disorders” is higher in those with at least one of the known joint disorders described above. This was a primary motivation for performing their analysis, according to the authors.
So what they did was gather a collection of hundreds of relevant research papers. And those that met the strict criteria of the authors were statistically analyzed for their combined outcomes. These selected studies all started with a group of volunteers that had a known issue that included one of the above items, back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, or general osteoarthritis.
The selected studies all looked at common outcomes categorized as chronic disease, be it one of cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc. And where they found convincing evidence, was that the long-term outcomes of these patients was that they were developing significantly increased rates of cardiovascular disease.
The authors suggested several possible mechanisms for this finding. They noted that those with pain are often less active, and prone to the effects of inactivity.
They also noted the potential for cardiovascular concerns with many of the common pain medications used by these types of patients. Inflammation levels were also noted as a potential related element at play. The authors stated the following of the need to address these musculoskeletal problems:
“Considering their high global burden, addressing musculoskeletal conditions via public health strategies may have an impact on other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.”
BMC Med. 2018 Sep 25;16(1):167. Musculoskeletal conditions may increase the risk of chronic disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Williams A, Kamper SJ et al.
Your health can protect you from the over-commercialization of the holidays. More and more, we hear about how the holidays have turned into something different than what they used to be. Instead of the “true” meaning of Christmas and other holidays they have become about consumerization. Buying and selling and big online sales, they had taken over the season.
Your health can protect you from the over-commercialization of the holidays. More and more, we hear about how the holidays have turned into something different than what they used to be. Instead of the “true” meaning of Christmas and other holidays they have become about consumerization. Buying and selling and big online sales, they had taken over the season.
Has anyone told you you don’t need permission to be a superhero? Or that you don’t need someone to tell you it’s okay to help other people? There are some amazing stories of people that decided they didn’t want to wait to help the people around them that needed help. These were people that didn’t have advanced degrees or complicated certifications. What they did have was the sense of action and an overwhelming urgency to start making changes in the world around them.
It’s a classic phrase by Rene Descartes – one that is instantly recognizable. And it comes from a totally unrecognizable world – 1637.
Yet it is still true today. Descartes’ attempt to get to the very bedrock of what he was as a human being is worth looking at as we turn over into the new year. Especially as we examine the beginning of something new – a time when discussions turn to the entire idea of new, and what the idea of new creates – the vision of new possibilities.
Anti-aging is a trick. And like all tricks, it’s not real. We all slow down, grow old, and die. But like all tricks, when done well, they are amazing and fun. Here is how the trick of anti-aging can work for you.
Take the aging progression above and expand it all the way. From the time we are very young, we grow, get bigger, stronger, smarter and generally better at everything as we go.
Here is the solution to understanding an ever-more common anxiety-causing malady. And how the key to solving it is getting two things – knowing what it takes to get healthy – and the power of understanding how to choose the quickest line at the grocery store.
