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Stem cell research for spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) involves damage to an area of the spinal cord that might result in a loss of muscle control, movement, and sensation.

10 Dec 2015

Living with Tourette Syndrome

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition characterized by involuntary movements or sounds, known as tics, which usually begin in childhood.

9 Dec 2015

How does Gestational Diabetes Affect the Baby?

Gestational diabetes is a health condition that involves high levels of glucose in the blood while a woman in pregnant.

9 Dec 2015

What Does Deep Brain Stimulation Involve?

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that may be used in the treatment and management of some health conditions.

9 Dec 2015

Neuronopathy and neuropathy: What's the difference?

This article will describe the distinctive characteristics of both neuronopathy and neuropathy and explain their differentiation during the diagnostic process.

9 Dec 2015

Sensory Neuronopathy - Sensory Ganglionopathy

Sensory neuronopathy, also known as sensory ganglionopathy, is a rare subgroup of peripheral nervous system diseases with specific characteristics, such as the primary and selective destruction of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neuron in the spinal cord and the trigeminal ganglia neuron in the skull.

29 Nov 2015

Does Cigarette Smoking Damage the Skin?

Smoking damages nearly every organ in the body. Whilst most people are familiar of its association with lung cancer, stroke and heart disease, it also has profound effects on the body’s largest organ – skin.

8 Oct 2015

How safe are ‘black henna’ tattoos?

While on holiday, many people opt to have a ‘fun’ temporary henna tattoo applied when they’re on the beach, by the pool or when at a festival. These are often advertised as ‘black henna’ temporary tattoos (BHTT), but there is no such thing as ‘black henna’: true henna extract is orange-red in colour.

23 Sep 2015

Nitrous Oxide for Labor: Choose Wisely

Nitrous oxide has been used for over 100 years to manage pain during medical procedures. In numerous countries in Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand, it is common to use nitrous oxide as an option in laboring women, in order to help them cope with pain. But although nitrous oxide was once available for labor in the United States, its popularity diminished in the 1970s with the advent of the epidural.

14 Sep 2015

Occupational Therapy: Your Life by Design

The role of an occupational therapist is often not fully understood, or is confused with the role of a physical therapist. What’s the differentiator? Cue the “your life by design” approach.

19 May 2015

Treacher-Collins Syndrome - Mandibulofacial Dysostosis (MFD1)

Treacher-Collins syndrome, also called mandibulofacial dysostosis (MFD1), is a genetic disorder causing the abnormal development of the bones that make up the lower part of the face.

16 Apr 2015

Retroverted Uterus (Tilted or Tipped Uterus)

Retroversion of the uterus is also called a tipped or tilted uterus. This condition most commonly occurs as a normal variant of uterine position in up to 30% of women. In a majority of women, the uterus is tilted forwards, to lie over the urinary bladder in front of it. Thus it faces towards the abdominal wall.

16 Apr 2015

Paruresis - Shy Bladder Syndrome

Paruresis is an embarrassing condition which severely limits the quality of life of the person concerned. It is best defined as the inability to urinate unless in a completely private setting. The affected person can sometimes pass urine only at home and when there are no guests. It is thought to be very common, a phobic condition ranking second to the fear of public speaking.

16 Apr 2015

Fowler's Syndrome - Urinary Retention in Women

Fowler's syndrome is a rare cause of urinary retention in young women. In these cases, there is no other neurological or anatomical abnormality to explain their inability to pass urine, and many may be wrongly diagnosed to have psychogenic urinary retention.

16 Apr 2015

Penile Curvature - Peyronie's Disease, Dupuytren's Contracture

The penis normally has a slight curvature, within 250 degrees of a straight line. Sometimes newborn boys may have a sharp bend, which is usually associated with hypospadias and other abnormalities.

16 Apr 2015

Folliculitis - Inflammation of Hair Follicles

Hair follicles are tiny sacs with hair-generating cells at the bottom. Folliculitis is an inflammation of one or more hair follicles. It is most often seen in the beard area (called ‘barber’s itch’), the arms, back, buttocks and legs. This is usually due to bacterial infection with Staph. However, viruses such as herpes zoster, and fungi, such as Microsporum, or yeast organisms like Malassezia, may also cause folliculitis.

16 Apr 2015

What is a Fallen Bladder?

The urinary bladder is a pelvic organ that both stores and releases the urine formed in the kidneys. It is located towards the lowest part of the abdominal wall, in front of the uterus. In most women, the uterus actually rests on the bladder.

16 Apr 2015

Exostosis / Osteoma - Benign Overgrowth of Pre-Existing Bone

An exostosis, also called an osteoma, is a benign overgrowth of a pre-existing bone. It forms during the active growth stage. In the majority of cases the bone overgrowth is capped with cartilage, and it is then called an osteochondroma. Exostoses do not show any consistent pattern of occurrence as far as location, size or number is concerned. They are often the result of trauma. In many cases an exostosis is asymptomatic, and found incidentally during a medical checkup.

16 Apr 2015

Excessive Blinking

Blinking is a normal and physiologically important phenomenon. It is infrequent in newborn babies, hence their wide-eyed stare. The frequency slowly increases as the nervous system matures. Adults blink about 14-17 times a minute.

16 Apr 2015

Arthrogryposis (arthrogryposis multiplex congenita)

Arthrogryposis is a name given to a large group of medical conditions in which multiple joints are severely fixed and immobilized by the formation of contractures present at birth, but not progressing thereafter.

16 Apr 2015