How to Get Rid Of Diseases

Iliotibial Band Syndrome (aka IBS) is a pain in the…well, knee actually. The iliotibial band is a long, thin, fibrous tissue running from your hip to the outside of your knee, but when it acts up, the only part that suffers is the outside edge of your knee. So although you feel like you have a knee injury, the problem actually originates in the hip. If your hip muscles aren’t strong enough to support your leg movement, it stresses out your IT band, which ends up rubbing on that bump on the end of your femur next to your knee, causing you pain. Anything causing your legs to operate on different levels—i.e., differing leg lengths, shoes with worn-out soles, or sloped ground—can also result in iliotibial band syndrome. Athletes who use repetitive leg motions, like cyclists and runners, often find themselves with iliotibial band syndrome. It’s especially common in runners who don’t cross-train, resulting in strong leg muscles, but weak hip and core muscles. I’ve had it, and lucky for y...

Knots are good when you’re a boy scout…but many of us don’t have those kinds of knots. No scout can help us get rid of muscle knots. They are, if you’ll pardon the pun, a real pain. Everyone has experienced knots before, and even with the best of intentions, they will getdsdsdssdddssdfasdfasdfasdf knots again. Smaller than the muscle spasms associated with muscle cramps, they generally inhabit the muscles around the neck, shoulders, and lower back. Symptoms include a painful tenseness in a small area that seems to intensify when stretched, and might feel harder than surrounding muscle when probed. Getting rid of them sometimes requires a good strong massage…but sometimes that’s just not available. Muscle knots are caused by an atypical contraction or constriction of muscle tissue that fails to release. Much like cramping, the ultimate biology involved is a bit mysterious. However, there are a number of things that have been shown to have an effect on the problem, or even prevent i...

So you rolled your ankle while playing basketball (or just slipping on the ice) and now you’re hobbling around the house whining, or perhaps you got in a fender bender and your neck is even stiffer than the drink that’s serving as your painkiller. Congratulations, you’ve probably got a sprain or strain on your hands! Sprains and strains are fairly common minor injuries that are very similar. Sprains relate to overstretching ligaments, and strains relate to the tendons and/or muscles. Now you’re wondering what the difference is between ligaments and tendons. They’re all part of your musculature, but ligaments attach your bones to each other, and tendons attach your muscles to your bones. Sprains and strains can be the result of both overuse and the sudden stress caused by falling, twisting, or otherwise injuring yourself. Muscles are more likely to sustain injuries when they are already tired, aren’t sufficiently warmed up, or if they lack the strength to properly support your body. ...

Ah, summer, the warm nights, hanging at the beach with friends, relaxed schedules, and Chub Rub. Wait?! What?! Yes, Chub Rub: that not-so-wonderful companion of warm nights, summer skirts, and my thighs rubbing. *sigh* It’s not just happening to me though. Even my skinny friends have complained about Chub Rub and the associated pain that comes with it, which makes me think that our cute little nickname for this skin condition isn’t really the most accurate representation. But, since I’m not in charge of such things as handing out cute nicknames for irritating skin conditions, and for lack of anything better, Chub Rub it is. So, for about three months out of the year, I actually have something in common with my runner friends and I can pretend to be one of them…I just can’t get those number stickers that say I ran a certain distance. Chub Rub is actually no discriminator of persons based on size, physical fitness, or activity; it can affect anyone at anytime – there are a lot of dif...

You never really notice just how much your body works for you until bursitis kicks in. The joints in your body consist of lots of little parts—bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, bursae, cartilage—and they have a tough job to do. Naturally, that’s an area that can easily be injured or overworked. And also an area that seriously throws off your groove when it isn’t working right. Bursitis is just one of those many possible overuse injuries that result from repetitive forceful movements or constant pressure on joints. Bursae are the little sacs of fluid that lie in between your bones, tendons, and skin and, when working properly, they make movement easier and less harmful on the moving parts. Areas that are commonly affected are the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee, but anywhere there’s a bursa, there can be bursitis…so we need to know how to get rid of it. Risk Factors Advancing age. Work or activities using repetitive motion. Other health conditions including arthritis, diabetes,...