San Antonio College Library

Many older women and some older men suffer from osteoporosis, a condition in which bone mass loss is greater than normally occurs with aging. Osteoporotic bone is shaped like normal bone but calcium loss causes the inside to be more porous and spongy. Osteoporosis makes bones more likely to fracture during walking, coughing, or bathing. Doctors recommend mild exercise to strengthen bones, a balanced diet with foods high in calcium, and, in some cases,...

Bunions are usually caused by prolonged pressure put on the feet that compresses the big toe and pushes it toward the second toe. Over time, the condition may become painful as extra bone grows where the base of the big toe meets the foot.

I'm Dr. Alan Greene, and let's talk for a moment about tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is a kind of tendonitis. It's an inflammation and injury to the tendons usually on the outside of the elbow. Tendons are those fibrous bands that connect the muscle into the bone. When those tendons get damaged, as they often can in racquet sports or also in baseball, sometimes overusing a screwdriver, a lot of ways you can do it, we typically call it tennis elbow or...

This program distinguishes between the two types of arthritis and describes the nature of the diseases and the treatments: in the case of osteoarthritis, described as a wear-and-tear disease, arthroscopic surgery, cortisone shots and anti-inflammatory medications, and surgical joint replacement; in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, various medications, from aspirin to gold salts and methotrexate, and surgery, including the benefits of early surgical...

This program shows how a support team consisting of a plastic surgeon, orthodontist, general dentist, logopedist, dental surgeon, otorhinolaryngologist, and a social worker cooperate to provide help for children and families of children born with this condition. The various types of schisis (formerly, harelip) are shown before and after operations, which are described through animation.

This program presents a disability simulation in which an all-star football player learns to deal with some of the day-to-day physical challenges faced by single-arm amputees. In addition, two enabling activities are featured: golfing at a course designed specifically for wheelchair users, who compete using specialized clubs and adapted carts, and cruising on a motorcycle ingeniously customized for paraplegics. Also, the importance of wheelchair-friendly...

In this program, the issues of body image and self-acceptance are considered first by a teenager with a neurological disorder preparing for her first prom and then by a group of adults who first became disabled later in life. In addition, the need to improve attitudes and eliminate prejudices that can come between people with different types of disabilities is discussed; yoga modified for paraplegics and people with MS is spotlighted; and a quadriplegic...

The disks between the vertebrae are liable to displacement when put under strain. Heavy lifting may produce forces which cause a lumbar intervertebral disk to move out of place ("slipped disk").

For people with disabilities, the great enemy is depression and a feeling of helplessness, which is why preserving some means of simply getting around is so important. This program looks at ways individuals with disabilities and their caregivers can overcome problems of physical mobility. Using clear-cut demonstrations and excellent computer graphics, the program illustrates techniques of lifting and moving a patient. The basic types of wheelchairs...

Rheumatoid arthritis can ravage the human body if not treated in time, but there is good news. This program explores medical innovations that are improving the quality of life for patients with advanced RA. Case studies profile patients who have resumed active lives after struggling with pain and fatigue for years. Renowned RA experts-including Dr. Steven Paget of Cornell University's Weill School of Medicine and Dr. Alvin Wells, director of the Rheumatology...