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But the minor twinge that started after one of her regular weight-lifting sessions soon grew into intense shoulder pain with accompanying arm and wrist weakness that threatened to sidetrack her busy life. She had a ruptured disc in her cervical (neck) spine.

Two wheels sped down a rural Missouri highway, and a 14-year-old fell in love. “It was a freedom feeling,” Tom Waller says, more than six decades after his first motorcycle ride. “And I’ve never lost it.

Bill Bunch’s favorite activities include golfing, tending to his yard, and playing catch with his grandson. Each one became more difficult and less enjoyable for the retiree during a six-year span in which a worsening back condition affected his hips, legs, and feet.

Staying active helps maintain joint flexibility and balance, promotes better posture and strengthens bones.

Growing up, Christopher Bryant couldn’t compete in sports or run due to a heart murmur.

Healthy bones are a critical component of the human body. Proper nutrition, calcium and vitamin D supplements are all excellent ways to improve bone health. Charles Grimshaw, MD, a BJC Medical Group orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician at Christian Hospital, says that monitoring for osteoporosis, osteopenia (a condition that occurs when there’s a decrease in bone mineral density) and metabolic deficiencies, like deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, are proactive approaches for supporting bone health.

Some people think that aches and pains and limited mobility are normal parts of aging or something they simply have to deal with. Often, that’s not the case.

How go the New Year’s resolutions? Unfortunately, most people who make a New Year’s resolution fail to keep it. Vague goals of “getting healthy” typically go by the wayside before the end of January. Instead, stick with specific targets that are realistic and achievable.

Exercise is good for your heart and offers many benefits, but do you really know how much physical activity you are getting? If not, then try a fitness tracker.

Clearing away snow and ice may be hazardous to your health, says Gus Theodos, MD, BJC Medical Group cardiologist at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Shoveling snow causes thousands of injuries and about 100 deaths each year in the United States. Most of those deaths are due to heart attacks.