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Changes In The Musculoskeletal System

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By 2030, more than sixty percent of the baby boomer generation could have multiple chronic conditions (Garza). As the aging population grows, the health care system will change in a series of different ways such as needing more medical assistants or doctors to help treat the patient’s maladies, expanding health care facilities, and taking on financial issues. The continuous development in treatment and technology have allowed individuals to live longer because diseases now can be diagnosed and treated in earlier stages. Older individuals are susceptible to a wide number of health conditions because their bodily functions do not work as well as they used to when they were younger. Medical students prepare to treat and learn about the numerous …show more content…

Arthritis is defined as the inflammation in joints causing the them to become stiff, less flexible, and painful (Simmers). Millions of adults and half of all people over the age 65 are distressed by this ailment along with the other forms of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when an individual's cartilage begins to deteriorate allowing the bones to rub together. This is most often diagnosed in the excessively used hands, neck, and lower back, as well as the weight-bearing knees and hips. When diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the body attacks the lining of a joint leading to inflammation in it. Rheumatoid arthritis does not just attack the joints, but it also attacks significant organs. (“Senior”) To reduce arthritis pain experienced by a person, increased physical activity and self-management education is suggested (“Arthritis”). Osteoporosis, a condition in which bones lose calcium and other minerals, accounts for bone embrittlement. According to Jeffrey Curtis and Monika Safford, “It has been estimated that ten million people in the United States alone have osteoporosis, with almost thirty-four million more having low bone mass. The elderly population accounts for most of the burden, with seventy percent of all fractures sustained by those aged at least 65 years.” (Curtis) These diseases create problems because seniors can easily fall and encounter trouble with fine finger movements leading to extra visits to the hospital. Older adults with arthritis tend to seek care from physical therapists to assist in mobility and flexibility of the joints to alleviate

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