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Historically, surgeons have prescribed knee braces, like a Bledsoe brace, for patients who have had ACL surgery. The brace serves to stabilize your knee and allow your ACL to be protected while it heals properly. However, there has been increased scrutiny as to the effectiveness of using a knee brace after ACL surgery. What Does the Knee Brace Do? After you have ACL repair surgery, it takes time for the graft that the surgeon used to reconstruct your ACL to heal....

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition in which the penis cannot obtain, or sustain, an erection firm enough for sex. ED is more common in older populations, affecting 44% of people with a penis ages 60 to 69, compared to 5% of those under age 40. However, cases of ED in younger age groups are becoming more prevalent. While occasional occurrences of ED are common, it becomes a cause of concern if it happens more than 50% of the time....

A large blood vessel of the thigh, the femoral vein is a major pathway in which blood from the lower limbs travels on its way back to the heart. It is sometimes called the superficial femoral vein (in contrast with the deep femoral vein). This paired vessel, meaning it is located in both legs, is the main deep vein of the thigh, making it critical for lower limb and foot function....

A fever is a natural part of your body’s defense against illness. Infections are the most common cause of fever, and your body temperature may increase due to other causes, including medication use, inflammation, and other factors. In some cases, a fever can occur without a known cause. Fevers aren’t generally dangerous, and an increased temperature isn’t even officially considered a fever until it is higher than 100.3 F degrees F....

One of the most inspiring deaf or deafblind women is Helen Keller (1880–1968). She learned to communicate and became a noted author, lecturer, and political activist. Early Years Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Her birthplace is a museum today. An unidentified illness took her hearing and sight when she was only 19 months old. After losing both, her family was not able to communicate with her or teach her effectively....

Hirschsprung’s disease is a congenital cause of intestinal blockage or obstruction. It’s uncommon, occurring in about 1 in every 5,000 births. It is caused by a lack of ganglion cells (nerve cells) at the end of the colon and rectum. Normal peristalsis requires these ganglion cells, so without them, you don’t get the wave-like contractions of the intestines that move things along, causing them to become contracted and blocking the passage of stool out of the colon....

Senescence literally means “the process of growing old.” It’s defined as the period of gradual decline that follows the development phase in an organism’s life. So senescence in humans would start sometime in your 20s, at the peak of your physical strength, and continue for the rest of your life. The word “senescence” is derived from the Latin word senex, meaning “old age.” In the longevity and healthy aging fields, senescence is the decline in health and function associated with aging....

Geographic atrophy treatment options remain limited. Treatment pathways for this advanced eye condition range from making lifestyle changes to prevent it from occurring to methods of maximizing remaining vision. This article will discuss treatment for geographic atrophy, including lifestyle changes, over-the-counter vitamins, vision-maximizing procedures, and other possibilities. Home Remedies and Lifestyle Your lifestyle can play a role in helping to keep geographic atrophy at bay, including: Smoking is the most modifiable risk factor....

Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is not only a frightening symptom, but also it is often an important sign of a serious medical problem. For this reason anyone who experiences unexplained dyspnea needs to see a healthcare provider for an evaluation. When you see the healthcare provider, they must take all the time necessary to pin down the correct diagnosis, since making the right diagnosis is critical in choosing the best treatment....

Telling your child that you have cancer may be one of the most difficult conversations that you will have as a parent. We instinctively try to protect our children from things that could hurt them or their feelings. When diagnosed with cancer, parents may try to protect their children by not telling them, but it may do more harm than good. What is the best way to tell your child that you have cancer?...

When a loved one dies, parents and guardians often question whether infants and/or young children should attend the subsequent funeral, memorial, and/or burial service(s) held for the deceased, or if the kids should remain at home with a babysitter or with a neighbor or friend. Understandably motivated by the desire to protect children from traumatic, emotional events in general, parents and guardians might also wonder if their child is simply too young to understand what’s going on, or worry that the service(s) will trigger fears about dying and death afterward....

Many people rave about Pilates, claiming that it saved their back or improved their posture in a significant way. Others love yoga, saying nothing else comes close to giving them the pain relief they seek. But when it comes to these two popular forms of exercise, is one method better for your back than the other? A Brief History of Yoga The 3,000-year-old Indian practice first appeared in Yoga Sutras, considered the foremost text on the subject and written before 400 CE....

While we don’t know for certain what causes the diseases, we do have some information at what appears to put people at an increased risk of developing the disease. Keep in mind that anyone can develop lymphoma. Some people develop the disease who have no risk factors, and others have many risk factors but never develop lymphoma. There are two main types of lymphoma, and some of the risk factors are different for these two types....

Menopause is a normal part of aging for people who menstruate. The average age of menopause in the United States is 51. This article will review basic facts about menopause—including how common it is, who gets it, and how likely it is to cause complications. Menopause Overview Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of menstrual cycles. An individual is considered to be in menopause after 12 months without a menstrual period....

Microfracture surgery is a treatment option that can help repair areas of damaged cartilage. If you have a small area of cartilage damage (not widespread arthritis), microfracture surgery may help stimulate new cartilage growth. While it is most commonly performed for knee joint problems, it can also be used effectively for problems in other joints in the body. It has also been used for treatment in other joints including the hip, ankle, shoulder, elbow, and other joints....

Neck sprains can range from mild or moderate to severe. Following an incident that causes neck trauma, you can experience a range of symptoms. See how to tell which category of sprain your injury falls into and when to see the healthcare provider. After Neck Trauma A painful neck injury can be alarming. It can be hard to know if you or someone else has had serious neck damage. Often, a neck injury leads to bruising, dislocation, or a neck sprain or strain....

The pectoralis major muscle, or most commonly its tendon that attaches to the arm bone, can rupture. Athletes often call this a pec rupture or torn pec, but it is more accurately called a pectoralis major muscle rupture. Pectoralis major ruptures are uncommon injuries that occur almost exclusively in men between the ages of 20 to 39. While partial tears can occur, these are less common, and usually, a complete rupture of the tendinous attachment of the muscle to the bone occurs....

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful condition that affects the knees of growing adolescents. Treatment is focused on reducing pain and typically involves the restriction of physical activities until the pain and swelling resolve. Physical therapy is another facet of treatment that aims to strengthen and condition the affected knee. Osgood-Schlatter disease tends to affect children during growth spurts and will usually resolve once the adolescent growth cycle is complete. With that said, Osgood-Schlatter disease can affect the quality of life of children and prevent them from forming good exercise habits....

If you are having pain that limits your ability to perform your normal work and recreational activities, you may benefit from the skilled services of a physical therapist (PT) to help you recover. Your PT can use various treatments, manipulations, and exercises to help you regain range of motion, strength, and mobility. If you’re in the United States, you will see a physical therapist, while in many other parts of the world, you would likely see a physiotherapist, also known as a physio....

There are many health benefits of keeping your blood pressure within the normal range, though most of them are focused on your heart and cardiovascular system. A new study has shown that keeping your blood pressure under control may help slow the rate at which your brain ages. Key Takeaways According to a new study, keeping your blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg may help slow the aging of your brain.The effect of lower blood pressure was observed in brain scans from healthy people taken over several decades and included people in their 40s to their 60s....