Medical dictionary

What is shingles?Shingles is a viral infection that causes a tender and painful rash which most commonly presents either on the right or the left-hand side of the torso. You can also get shingles on your face, eyes and genitals. Shingles is not life-threatening, but it can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.What are the symptoms of shingles?The first signs of shingles are usual

What is shockwave therapy? Shockwaves are high-powered sound waves that can be used to treat injured or painful tissues. Correctly applied, they have a therapeutic effect. Such treatments are primarily used for the treatment of conditions within orthopaedic and rehabilitative medicine.   What does shockwave therapy treat? Although shockwaves have multiple therapeutic benefits,

What is short bowel syndrome?Short bowel syndrome, or short gut syndrome, is a disorder caused by a functional loss of a portion of the small intestine - a fundamental organ for the absorption of nutrient substances during the digestive process. This, in turn, causes poor absorption of nutrients from food. Short bowel syndrome may derive from the surgical removal of the intestine, o

What is a short frenulum?A short frenulum is also known as frenulum breve. The frenulum of the penis is the elastic fold of the skin that joins the underside of the glans (head of the penis) with the inner surface of the foreskin. Its function is to help the foreskin to contract over the glans. A short frenulum is when the frenulum of the penis is so short that it restricts the movement

What is short stature?Short stature is when a person’s height is significantly below the average for someone of that age, gender or ethnicity. While it can apply to adults, the term more commonly refers to children and it is important for parents to monitor their child’s growth patterns. If parents have any concerns, they should visit a paediatrician to see if there is a problem in their child’s g

What is the shoulder? The shoulder is the part that serves as the link between the arm and the body. It is formed by the union of the ends of three bones: the clavicle, the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus, as well as muscles, ligaments and tendons. The main shoulder joint connects the head of the humerus and the scapula, or shoulder blade, and is called the scapulohumeral joint. It

What is shoulder arthroscopy?Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive technique that allows access to and treatment of many injuries and diseases of the various structures that make up the shoulder joint. The joint is accessed through two or three small incisions of less than one centimetre. Arthroscopy has become the technique of choice for shoulder pathologies, enabling the treatment of

What is a shoulder dislocation? The shoulder consists of the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (upper arm bone). The humerus inserts inside the glenoid cavity (socket) of the scapula. It is the joint with the highest range of movement, due to the high number of surrounding muscles. Shoulder dislocations are a common injury in sports and occur when the head of t

What is shoulder instability? Shoulder instability is a problem affecting the structures surrounding the shoulder joint. The shoulder is a ‘ball-and-socket’ joint, meaning the end of the humerus (the upper arm bone) looks like a ball, fitting inside the corresponding socket, called the glenoid, in the scapula (shoulder blade). In shoulder instability, this joint either slides out