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Muscles, bones and joints

Nothing might sound easier than putting one foot in front of the other. But it actually needs a whole orchestra of support. A person needs more than half of their 720 muscles, 200 bones and 68 joints to take a step. Some of the joints have a weakness though: their durability. With age, wear and tear lead to problems in the knees, hips, shoulders and back. These are some of the most common health problems - along with injuries to the muscles, bones and joints at any age.

Feature: Ankle sprain

Sometimes one awkward step is all it takes for your foot to twist sideways. Most of the time this does not cause any damage, but sometimes your ankle may swell up and hurt. If after an accident like this you cannot put weight on your foot, or if you have difficulty walking, it is likely you have sprained your ankle. Find out here which immediate measures help against pain and swelling, and when surgery might be necessary.

Feature: Exercise, weight loss and osteoarthritis

Being very overweight is a risk factor for osteoarthritis. Excess weight puts strain on knee and hip joints and favors wear and tear of the joints. Painful osteoarthritis can make it more difficult to get enough exercise – and this again often leads to putting on more weight and the symptoms getting worse. Read our fact sheet to find out about how helpful exercise really is and what kind of training is best suited for people with osteoarthritis.

Feature: Forms of massage

“A” for ayurveda, “C” for cupping massage or “T” for trigger point massage – the various forms of massage differ in terms of things like the hand movements used, the pressure applied when kneading, rubbing or tapping, as well as the area of the body that is massaged. We have put together information about the most commonly used forms of massage here.

Forms of massage at a glance

Feature: Preventing osteoporosis

What are the major risk factors for osteoporosis? Why do some people's bones break more easily when they are older? Does smoking influence bone health? Can exercise prevent bones becoming brittle? These and other interesting questions are discussed in our Fact Sheet. And you can use our calculator for a rough check on whether you are getting enough calcium.

Research summaries

Workplace neck and shoulder pain: Do ergonomic equipment, exercise or treatments help?

This information is no longer available because the research analysis that it is based on is out-of-date. We will publish information on any new findings as soon as they become available. more...

Achilles tendon injury: Operation or orthotics?

This information is temporarily unavailable. New research results on this question are expected here in 2009. more...

Carpal tunnel syndrome: Do corticosteroid injections work?

Corticosteroids injected directly into the wrist can temporarily relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. Two injections probably do not help more than one injection. more...

Neck pain: Does manipulation or mobilisation help?

Manipulation of the neck or upper back could possibly relieve chronic neck pain in the short term. But the scientific evidence for this is weak. If it does help, the effect may wear off within several weeks or months. more...

Open limb fractures: How well do antibiotics protect against wound infections?

Antibiotics improve healing and prevent infections after open limb fractures, and they are a key element of treatment. more...

Low back pain: Can massage help?

Some forms of massage, for example acupressure, can relieve low back pain that has lasted longer than several weeks. As well as relieving pain, massage could possibly improve mobility too, especially if accompanied by exercising or stretching. more...

Rheumatoid arthritis: How helpful are low-dose corticosteroids against flares?

Corticosteroid medications have a bad reputation for adverse effects. But when taken in low doses for a short time they have fewer adverse effects and they can help reduce painful arthritis flares. more...

Arthritis: Can psychological techniques help people cope better with the pain and the disease?

Psychological support can help to reduce the pain and disability caused by arthritis. Strategies that encourage self-management appear to be particularly helpful. more...

Osteoporosis: Can calcium and vitamin D prevent osteoporosis?

Older people can reduce their risk of osteoporosis by taking calcium supplements every day. It is not clear whether extra vitamin D helps to strengthen people's bones if they do not have a vitamin D deficiency. more...

How does the spine work?

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Chronic ankle instability: What treatments work?

Strength and coordination training can help in the treatment of chronic ankle instability. People who start rehabilitation exercises as early as two to three weeks after the operation become active again sooner than people who do not start until six weeks after the operation. more...