Bone fracture

• Vertebral stem cells, distinct from other stem cells in the body, hold the key to understanding a range of conditions affecting the spine – including its higher incidence of cancerous tumor metastases, particularly from breast, prostate, and lung cancers.
• For a long time, physicians believed all bones formed in the same way – through a universal process of ossification.
• Specifically, the investigators identified a stem cell that is responsible for bone formation in the vertebrae.
• However, our discovery of this vertebral stem cell provides a likely explanation of why some cancers most often spread to the spine," stated Dr. Greenblatt.

• Bolster, MD, Harvard Medical School, shares five things patients should know about osteoporosis as they get older.
• During menopause, a woman's estrogen levels decrease, which contributes to a drop in bone density, Bolster explains.
• One of the most significant osteoporosis risk factors, Bolster says, is having a parent who has experienced a hip fracture.
• The Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation recommends screenings for all females aged 65 and older and all men aged 70 and older.

• MISSION VIEJO, Calif., July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Pain Medicine Associates (PMA) is pleased to announce that interventional pain management specialist Andres Betts, M.D., has joined the company's Mission Viejo, California pain management practice.
• He began seeing patients on July 3rd at the office, located at 26137 La Paz Rd, Suite 140, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.
• Dr. Betts is an innovative, board-certified, fellowship trained interventional pain management physician that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of pain disorders.
• He founded the Pain Clinic in Bellingham, Washington and Pain MD Medical Associates in San Clemente, California.

• New Zealand has also swapped out its traditional white shorts for teal blue to help combat period anxiety.
• The shame and taboo associated with periods stops many young girls from continuing sport, and misinformation about menstruation affects the performance and health of countless elite athletes.
• The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is an opportunity to dispel period myths and put a focus on the specific needs of athletes who menstruate.

Women athletes aren’t small men

• This research doesn’t consider the physical and psychological changes that women athletes may experience at each phase of the menstrual cycle, nor how that may affect peak performance.
• Research into how the menstrual cycle affects the performance of women athletes is growing.

No longer a mark of honour

• Overly intense training can cause some athletes to stop having periods.
• This has often been considered normal by coaches and a mark of honour among athletes themselves.
• Symptoms include periods stopping or becoming irregular, reduced performance, mood changes, and recurrent illnesses and injuries including stress fractures.

Change is happening, albeit slowly

• For example, the Australian Institute of Sport launched an initiative in late 2019 to “improve female athlete specific knowledge and systems of support”.
• Many women athletes themselves have started to speak up about the taboo associated with menstruation and are lobbying for change.
• She’s now using her profile to raise awareness of women’s health issues and to try and reduce the taboo around periods.

Girls’ barriers to sport

• Puberty, and the start of periods, is a time when girls’ participation in grassroots sport falls off sharply.
• A UK survey of more than 4,000 teenagers published last year found there are complex barriers and deep-rooted negative attitudes affecting girls’ enjoyment of sport, including period shame and body image issues.
• Various state governments are investing in grassroots sport facilities that better attend to the needs of women.


These can help girls and women be empowered to manage their periods in ways that will enable them to continue their participation and not feel ashamed or embarrassed. With the world cup media spotlight, we have an unprecedented opportunity to break menstrual shame, silence and taboo.