August 3, 2020

Less Smoking, Drinking Means Fewer Hip Fractures for Americans

TUESDAY, July 28, 2020 -- In a rare bit of good health news for Americans, a new government study finds that hip fracture rates have fallen substantially since the 1970s.

Between 1970 and 2010, broken hips dropped by two-thirds among Americans in a decades-long health study. The likely reason? Researchers say drops in both smoking and heavy drinking played a significant role.

July 14, 2020

Muscle Relaxants for Back Pain Are Soaring: Are They Safe?

WEDNESDAY, July 1 , 2020 -- Back pain plagues many Americans, and new research shows that doctors are doling out muscle relaxant prescriptions to treat the pain -- often along with an opioid painkiller.

Experts worry that muscle relaxants may not help much and could cause troubling side effects, especially in older patients.

July 12, 2020

In Many Cases, Hip Replacement Also Eases Back Pain

THURSDAY, July 9, 2020 -- If you have a bad hip and lower back pain, a new study suggests that hip replacement surgery may solve both issues at once.

Researchers at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City focused on 500 patients who underwent hip replacement surgery and followed up with them one year after the operation.