In osteoarthritis, or degenerative arthritis, the cartilage that protects the ends of the bones deteriorates. This is sometimes due to injury, but more commonly is a result of aging, diet and lifestyle.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, caused by an overactive immune system which causes the body to attack itself. Body enzymes slowly digest the tissue surrounding the joints and the body replaces it with scar tissue.

Arthritis can also be caused by a bacterial or fungal infection.

Some related conditions are fibromyalgia, gout, lupus, bursitis, neuritis, sciatica and other musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases.

One thing all of these conditions have in common is a mineral imbalance, with calcium deficiency playing a major role.

There are many different ailments one can suffer from which relate to the skin, such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis.

Eczema, or dermatitis as it is sometimes called, is a group of skin conditions which can affect all age groups. The severity of the disease can vary. In mild forms the skin is dry, hot and itchy, whilst in more severe forms the skin can become broken, raw and bleeding. Although it can sometimes look unpleasant, eczema is not contagious. With treatment the inflammation of eczema can be reduced, though the skin will always be sensitive to flare-ups and need extra care.

Acne is an inflammatory skin disease which affects the tiny pores which cover the face, arms, back and chest and the oil glands attached to them.

It is an abnormal response in the skin to normal levels of the male hormone, testosterone, in the blood. Both men and women have testosterone circulating in the blood, but in the acne sufferer, this hormone has a profound effect on the skin. This abnormal response is self limiting and eventually acne does get better without treatment, but there is no way of predicting how long this can take, and it may take years or even decades! Acne can also leave scars which are permanent and are easier to prevent than to treat.

Psoriasis is a non-contagious, chronic skin disease that comes in different forms and varying levels of severity. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of joint disease that is similar to rheumatoid arthritis.

Psoriasis is usually a mild condition, and there are many treatments available to help manage its symptoms. People who have been diagnosed with psoriasis are not alone—more than 7 million people in the United States have it.

Intestinal issues can commonly come in the form of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, i.e., heartburn or acid reflux).

IBS is an aggregate of symptoms that target the gasrointestinal system, including pain, upset stomach, gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea. There is no pathology in the colon or small intestine.

Heartburn, also called acid indigestion, is the most common symptom of GERD and usually feels like a burning chest pain beginning behind the breastbone and moving upward to the neck and throat. Many people say it feels like food is coming back into the mouth leaving an acid or bitter taste.

Some common ciculatory conditions include issues dealing with high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

High blood pressure increases your chance (or risk) for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke. It is especially dangerous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime.

Your blood cholesterol level has a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease. High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. A risk factor is a condition that increases your chance of getting a disease. In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States. Each year, more than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about a half million people die from heart disease.

The most common sinus conditions come in for form of sinus infections, or sinusitis, and allergies, including those affecting the eyes, nose and throat.

Sinusitis simply means your sinuses are infected or inflamed, but this gives little indication of the misery and pain this condition can cause. A sinus infection is often misdiagnosed as simply a cold, the flu, or a sore throat. The time to assess whether you have a sinus infection is often a week or so after the onset of a cold. If at that point you're feeling worse instead of better, and the mucus draining down your throat has thickened and turned a color, you may be in the clutches of a sinus infection.

People can be allergic to any number of things, chemicals found in the workplace, dust particles, dust mites, hair, etc. Allergies are a reaction by the body to a particular foreign substance. Allergies are the body's response to contacting or inhaling allergens resulting in the body's defensive reaction.

Relating to women's health are conditions such as endometriosis, homone imbalances and menopause.

Endometriosis is a painful, chronic disease that affects 5 1/2 million women and girls in the USA and Canada, and millions more worldwide. It occurs when tissue like that which lines the uterus (tissue called the endometrium) is found outside the uterus -- usually in the abdomen on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and ligaments that support the uterus; the area between the vagina and rectum; the outer surface of the uterus; and the lining of the pelvic cavity. Other sites for these endometrial growths may include the bladder, bowel, vagina, cervix, vulva, and in abdominal surgical scars. Less commonly they are found in the lung, arm, thigh, and other locations.

When a woman experiences prolonged stress, pregnenolone, a hormone essential for both coping with stress and producing female hormones, is diverted from the normal hormone pathway. As a result, the production of female hormones is compromised, causing a hormone imbalance. This condition can cause a multitude of symptoms including irritability, mood swings, headaches, sleeplessness, and weight gain.

Menopause is a natural biologic process, not an estrogen deficiency disease. Menopause represents the permanent cessation of menses resulting from loss of ovarian follicular function. Menopause can occur spontaneously (i.e., "naturally") or be induced through a medical intervention (i.e., sugery, chemotherapy, or pelvic radiation therapy).

Specific to men are conditions related to the prostate and some hormone imbalances (andropause) and certain sexual disfunctions.

Prostatitis is a persistent disease that causes pain and discomfort for many men. The term "prostatitis" refers to inflammation of the prostate gland. "Chronic prostatitis" refers to persistent inflammation and ongoing, long-term discomfort or pain. With it may occur the frequent urge to urinate or difficulty in urinating, burning during or after urination, and various sexual problems.

Andropause is a Hormone Imbalance due to the lack or absence of Testosterone which is the Male Hormone. Historically, by the age of 55 the amounts of Testosterone secreted by the Testis is significantly lower than it was at the age of 40 years. By the age of 80 most of the Male Hormone levels decrease to pre-puberty levels.