Doctor visits, medications, surgeries, all these can make a patient feel tiring and if the results of all of them turn out to be average or negative, anyone can lose hope and fall into depression. Thankfully, there are some treatment methods like TENS, which will never disappoint anyone and gives the best benefit of healing at home.

TENS? What is that?

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a therapeutic modality that comes in a small battery-operated device alongwith electrodes which involve the transmission of low-voltage electric impulses along nerve strands and skin’s surface to treat acute to chronic pain.

What does a TENS machine do?

The small, hand-held, battery-powered TENS machine sends electric currents through the medium of electrodes that have adhesive pads which are placed on the painful area of the body to be treated.

Now, TENS function on the basis of two theories. One is The Gate Control Theory which suggests that there’s a neural mechanism in our spinal cord that acts as a kind of gate which shuts and opens up the flow of signals from the periphery to the brain. Whether the gate is open, closed or partially closed depends on what sort of signal it receives from the brain to change the perception of pain in the user’s body. The electrical impulses thus interfere with the transmission of pain messages and block the pain receptors from being sent from the nerves to the brain and spinal cord by diverting its attention to the electric signals.

The second theory is Endorphin Release in which the electrical impulses encourage the brain to produce the natural morphine-like substance called endorphins to block pain messages from reaching the brain and to promote faster healing of the affected area.

TENS comes with different adjustable settings to control amplitude (intensity) of stimulation and pulse width (duration) of each pulse to use it as per the treatment requires.

Types of TENS in Physiotherapy

There are different types of TENS treatment like the traditional (Hi TENS, Normal TENS), Acupuncture (Lo TENS, AcuTENS), Brief Intense, Burst Mode, and Modulation Mode.

What is a TENS unit used for?

As said before, TENS therapy can treat acute to chronic pains and discomforts from a sports injury, menstruation, migraines, pulled muscles, joint conditions, postoperation, cancer, bursitis, tendinitis, endometriosis, painful diabetic neuropathy, spinal cord injury etc.

Benefits of TENS therapy

TENS therapy is a safe, noninvasive, natural, drug-free method of pain management. It saves one from becoming dependent on medications for lifelong and their adverse side-effects. Having a pocket tens unit for pain relief like SONICTENS makes it easy for you to continue your treatment anywhere, anytime.

TENS contraindications

• Application of the electrodes over the trunk, abdomen or pelvis during pregnancy is contraindicated although is handled safely, there is no risk.
• Patients with a Pacemaker or any other implanted electronic device should avoid routine treatment with TENS.
• Patients having an allergic response to the electrodes, gel or tape
• Patients having dermatological lesions e.g. dermatitis, eczema
• Application over the anterior aspect of the neck or carotid sinus

Conclusion

TENS therapy has proven its effectiveness in improving the mobility of joints and in reducing the intensity of pain to a great extent. If you are looking for a safe, effective and best portable tens machine, go for SONICTENS.

Even a minor pain like a headache or a pain due to some injury or sprain makes our life miserable even if it stays for a day or few. Imagine the life of those living with lifetime pain and discomforts due to a disease or condition, can’t even think about it? Well, thankfully there’s a non-invasive solution to this and that is IFT.

IFT Treatment

A clinically approved treatment modality, IFT that stands for Interferential Therapy, is a highly recommended and practised therapy by physiotherapists and pain specialists for treating muscle spasms and strains since many years now. It is a drug-free, non-invasive promotion of healing and pain relief which now comes infused in a small, portable and handy device with multiple interferential modes and other settings that is capable of delivering ‘proper’ IFT therapy.

How does interferential therapy work?

Whereas TENS delivers periodic electric pulses to stimulate surface nerves and block the pain signal, IFT transmits a continuous stimulation deep into the affected tissue thereby blocking the pain signals and reducing swelling and inflammation which causes pain. They also stimulate the secretion of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers and aid in relaxing strained muscles and promoting soft-tissue healing.

How to use IFT machine?

Interferential Therapy utilises the significant physiological effects of low frequency (<250pps) electrical stimulation of nerves. The self-adhesive electrodes are placed on the affected area and the upon setting the required interferential mode on it, the interferential current device then starts emitting electrical impulses which are penetrated deep into the skin. The underlying tissue and nerves beneath the skin get stimulated which then begin the healing process. The impulses feel like a minor prickle on the skin and leave no side effects behind.

Interferential current therapy contraindications

It is advisable to avoid IFT Therapy if you have any of the following;

• Arterial disease
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Infective condition
• Pregnant uterus
• Danger of haemorrhage
• Malignancy
• Pacemaker
• During menstruation
• Febrile condition
• Large open wounds
• Unreliable patient
• Dermatological condition

Benefits of IFT

IFT therapy is extremely useful in;

• increasing blood circulation
• reducing pain, and inflammation
• vasodilation
• curing oedema and hematoma
• removing waste substances from the affected area
• increasing muscle stimulation
• Increasing metabolic rate
• decreasing blood pressure
• treating chronic ligamentous lesions
• improving restricted movements of joints
• restoring the lost movement of muscles

In a nutshell

The deep penetration of IFT signals works in a ‘special way’ because it is ‘interferential’ as opposed to ‘normal’ stimulation and hence is effective in its own way. It is known for its versatility in treating diverse symptoms, accelerating the healing process and restoring normal movement and when combined with other treatment modalities like TENS or EMS, it can double the process of healing of the affected area extremely well. If you want to gain the benefit of IFT at home along with other treatment modalities, then you must check out Combo3 Plus – TENS, EMS & IFT Multi-Stimulator and see for yourself.

Ultrasound, we all are familiar with the term but, we only relate it to pregnancy which the doctor uses to check on a fetus during pregnancy. Well, not to get confused as that is diagnostic ultrasound, which scans the inside of the body while the one used to treat pains and aches is Therapeutic Ultrasound, a treatment modality commonly used in physical therapy.

What is Ultrasound Therapy?

Trending a lot nowadays, ultrasound therapy came into existence back in the 1950s and has proven its ability to heal acute to chronic pain leaving no side effects behind. It is a modality used and recommended by physiotherapists and even pain specialists. The ultrasonic waves produced in it when comes into direct contact with the skin provides deep heating to soft tissues including muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments in the body, which thereby reduces the pain and inflammation of the affected area to almost zero.

Why Use Ultrasound Physiotherapy?

The heating and healing powers of ultrasound generated by the effect of sound waves that are higher than the frequency we can hear, produce a number of benefits. The sound waves generated by the ultrasound therapy machines vibrate, causing the tissues in our body to heat up due to increased friction in between them. The heat thus produced relaxes the tension or strain in the affected area and relieves us from the pain, inflammation or swelling that has been built up due to an injury, disease or condition. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, pain-free, and 100% natural remedy and hence is the safest option to recover faster from anything.

Where to Use Ultrasound?

Ultrasound can be performed directly on the affected area in a circular motion for 5 to 30 minutes depending on the severity of the treatment after the application of ultrasound gel which helps reduce friction and aids in the transmission of the ultrasound waves.

When and When Not to Use Ultrasound Therapy?

Ultrasound therapy in physiotherapy is used to treat all an injury, swelling, muscle spasm, strain, stiffness, arthritis conditions, bursitis, tendinitis, chronic pain, inflammation, migraines, tissue repair, and almost all major joints related painful conditions.

There are also some instances where you should not use ultrasound at all like;

• Open wounds
• Boney or areas of decreased sensation
• Parts of the body with metal implants, like in a total knee replacement of lumbar fusion
• Near or over a pacemaker
• With pregnant women
• Around the eyes, breasts, or sexual organs
• Over fractured bones
• Near or over an implanted electrical stimulation device

How to Use Ultrasound Therapy at Home?

Ultrasound therapy machines come with an ultrasound transducer (sound head) which contains a small crystal and a transmission coupling gel which has to be applied on the affected area before starting with the treatment. Upon plugging the device, slowly move the sound head in a small circular direction on your body. The electrical charge generated during this is applied to the crystal which will start vibrates rapidly, creating piezoelectric waves. These waves are emitted from the ultrasound sound head as ultrasound waves which will enter into your injured tissues during application of the modality. You will start feeling a slight warming or tingling sensation around the area being treated. Just keep moving the head or you may start experiencing pain. You can also set the time, depth of penetration of the ultrasound waves or even the intensity of the ultrasound as per your requirement.

Conclusion

Ultrasound therapy is a clinically tested and proven treatment modality which is absolutely safe to use. Although there are various types of ultrasound machines available in the market, opting for a handy, easy-to-use and a trusted ultrasound therapy device will give you the benefit of healing at the comfort of your home safely. For which Pain Relief Portable Ultrasound – US 111 (Standard) is the best option.

You might have read or seen that in ancient times, the physicians used to press certain points of the patient’s hand and the patient feels relaxed and relieved. Well, it was no magic, it is pure science called “Acupressure” which is now again in demand.

Acupressure is healing using one’s own hands. It requires no fancy equipment, just the power of your hands is enough. According to the age-old traditional Chinese method, to which acupressure is rooted, our body has invisible lines of energy flow called meridians (also called “chi” or “qi”) and there are about 14 meridians that originate at our fingertips and connect to our brain and then connect to an organ associated with a certain meridian.

Hence, whenever any one of these meridians face a blockage or becomes out of balance, various symptoms and health conditions can arise. To restore balance, acupressure or acupuncture (the one where needles are used) is practised on certain pressure points of the body to boost the immune system, relieve pain, release stress, and treat a range of ailments, from head to toe.

Now let us see, which are the 5 important hand pressure points, pressing which, you can create balance in your health.

1. The Base of Thumb Point

Located the pressure point by running a finger down your thumb to the wrist crease at the base of your thumb. Apply gentle pressure and massage with your finger to help alleviate respiratory and breathing problems.

2. Inner Gate Point

To locate this acupressure point location, hold your hands out with the bases touching like you are receiving a gift. Now approximately 3 centimetres from the crease of your wrists, you will find the inner gate point in the middle. Firmly massage this point with your thumb in order to relieve nausea and it is also considered to be an acupressure point for gas which aids digestion and cures stomach pain.

3. Outer Gate Point

To locate the outer gate hand pressure point, check the backside of your arm between the 2 tendons. Place three fingers from your other hand above your wrist and use them to apply gentle pressure to the point in order to give your immune system a quick boost and you a rush of energy.

4. Heart 7

As the name depicts, this one is the acupressure point for the heart. Found in the crease of your wrist, it lies in line with the space between the ring and pinkie finger. A firm acupressure massage on this point can prevent anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, and depression.

5. Small Intestine 3

Located at the outside part of your hand, right on the edge, just below your pinkie finger, pressing this pressure point will help relieve neck pain, earaches, and headaches that occur at the back of your head.

Benefits of Acupressure

Needless to say, the acupressure technique has countless benefits from relieving stress, tension and anxiety, improving sleep, relaxing muscles and joints, soothing the pain and discomfort of a sports or other injury, reducing digestive issues and headaches, alleviating chronic pain to much more. It stimulates the body’s circulatory, lymphatic and hormonal systems and helps the function of the immune system and the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

There so much our elbow joint do in our daily routine. From dawn to dusk, our elbows are working constantly while picking things up, hugging, shaking hands, waving and so on. Now a sudden elbow pain strikes or you feel a minor discomfort, imagine how the rest of your day will be if the elbow doesn’t feel right. Terrible, isn’t it?

A pain, discomfort or an injury in our elbow joint can occur without any invitation. You might be unaware but our certain carelessness in our daily routine is the reason why the majority of us are complaining of elbow joint pain today. Then there are injuries which can worsen the functioning of the elbow, if not given timely care and treatment. Let’s see what are some of the common elbow discomforts, what causes them and what are the solutions that can help get over with it.

1. Tennis Elbow

The tennis-elbow is the one common injury that every sportsperson complain about once in a lifetime. Yes, even the God of Cricket, the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar was once a victim of tennis elbow. The time period between 2004 to 2006 was like almost no cricket for the fans of the legendary batsman. He had sleepless nights feeling the pinch of injuries and could not even lift his son Arjun’s plastic bat. It took four-and-a-half months for the national icon to recover after the surgery of his tennis elbow. To know what is tennis elbow, its symptoms, reasons and home remedies for tennis elbow, click here.

2. Arthritis

There are certain types of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout etc., that can affect your elbow, triggering pain from elbow to your hand.

3. Golfer’s elbow

Known as medial epicondylitis, golfer’s elbow is a bit similar to tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). It affects the inner parts of the elbow joint where the tendon that connects the elbow bone to the forearm muscles which enables the flexing of the wrist and fingers to get inflamed. Activities that involve repetitive motion or forceful gripping cause golfer’s elbow where the victim may feel a burning sensation in the elbow.

4. Trapped Nerves

Just like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, even the nerves in your elbow joint can get squeezed causing sharp pain in the inner elbow which are termed as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Radial Tunnel Syndrome depending upon the affected nerve.

5. Injuries

Sprained elbow, elbow fracture, elbow dislocation, all these are common sports injuries or can happen anytime due to a fall or a blow which follows severe pain in the elbow and forearm, along with swelling, numbness and tingling in some cases, and/or an inability to straighten or move the arm.

Elbow Pain Home Remedies

• For any discomfort in your elbow, you can always start with R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compress, elevate) treatment which will stimulate the blood flow and help to relieve the pain to some extent.
• If the pain persists, you can make use of elbow splints to give extra support to your elbow muscles.
• Under expert guidance, you can practice some tennis elbow stretches or elbow exercises to minimize the stiffness of muscles and tendons that surround the elbow joint and improve muscle flexibility.
• If nothing helps, get an electrotherapy device and treat your elbow naturally at the comfort of your home. The combination of therapeutic ultrasound and TENS in it can ease and treat any type of elbow pain without any harmful effects.

Remember last year’s 4x100m relay race at the IAAF World Championships in London, when the Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt tore his left hamstring in the final race of his career and had to exit the track via a wheelchair? Hamstring injuries are that bad and every sportsperson carries a risk of getting it injured at some point. They are the most common injury in sports which accounts for 37% of the muscular injuries observed in a sport worldwide.

Before getting into the details, let’s understand what are the hamstring muscles, what do hamstrings do and how do they get injured?

What is Hamstring?

The anatomy of the hamstring muscle group consists of three main muscles: the bicep femoris, semimembranosus and semitendinosus that originate from the lower part of the pelvis, traverse the back of the thigh and attach around the knee, providing excellent stability to the knee as well as the power to flex the knee and resist extension of the knee. Therefore, running (especially sprinting), cutting and kicking sports athletes are more prone to develop hamstring injury.

Hamstring Injuries

When the hamstring muscle trios get over-stretched or undergo too much strain or rapidly contracts against resistance, they tear or cramp up which is common in running, soccer or basketball. It can be anything a pull, a partial tear, or a complete tear. Hamstring injuries are classified as Grades I, II or III according to their severity. Grade I is mild and usually heals readily, grade 2 hamstring tear is a partial tear of the muscle itself while grade 3 is a complete rupture of the muscle and a catastrophic career-ending injury where the tendon tears completely away from the bone and may even pull a piece of bone away with it which is called an avulsion injury. Swelling, bruising or discolouration, weakness are the signs of a hamstring injury.

Causes

• Pulled hamstring or hamstring stretch occurs majorly due to muscle overload. Also, when you extend or stretch your leg while it is weighted, or loaded, your muscle lengthens as it contracts, or shortens and cause a strain in your hamstring.
• Apart from athletes, the risk of pulled hamstring is also high in water skiing, weight lifting, dancing and ice-skating
• Tight muscles due to lack of daily physical activity are vulnerable to hamstring injuries
• An imbalance or fatigue in muscles
• Increasing age can increase the risk of hamstring injury
• Muscles or spinal degeneration can also lead to hamstring problems

How to heal a hamstring injury quickly?

Acute hamstring injuries can be treated with the traditional method rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) which when combined with Ultrasound i.e. U.R.I.C.E can heal even chronic hamstring injuries from the root cause quickly and without any side effects. Other than that, you can make use of hamstring wrap to get some instant pain relief. You can also seek the help of some hamstring recovery exercises but make sure to practice it under expert guidance because hamstring injury needs extreme care to recover. You must give your body proper rest and allow the tear and the tissue to heal fully or else re-injuries can occur and destroy your sports career forever.

No pain, no gain, the exercise motto, is indeed inspiring and true but it can cost your muscles and joints to an extent that you may end up causing chronic or even unrepairable damage to them.

Our muscles are already constantly working while we walking, climbing, standing, all day and when you hit the gym, their responsibilities double up. Although it is true that muscles get stronger by breaking down first but, its the rebuilding process after a workout where the real magic happens. Workout damage the muscle fibres which are then repaired or replaced through a cellular process where the muscle fibres fuse together to form new muscle protein strands or myofibrils. These repaired myofibrils increase in thickness and number to create muscle hypertrophy (growth).

Muscle soreness occurs when your gym workout cause micro-tears in your muscle tissue, which leads to delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Slight swelling, stiffness, reduced range of motions in the affected joints, increased tenderness and reduced strength in the affected muscles are what one may face along with muscle soreness. Typically it should last a day or two but, if you feel ‘I can’t move a bit’ type of pain, then that muscle soreness is something big and bad which needs to be taken care of.

You can either counter gym pain with certain preventive steps or deal with it after with the below muscle pain remedies.

1. Stretch it out

Your muscles contract and the muscle fibres shorten during a workout, stretching them a bit will release the tightness and promote mobility and can lead to a faster recovery. Stretch your muscles until it feels pretty tight, hold for 5-10 seconds and release. If it’s too painful to even think about stretching, skip it.

2. Move it

If your body hurts after your first day at a gym or otherwise, don’t decide to become a couch potato. Of course, the last thing you want to do when everything hurts is to move, but that’s exactly what you need to do. Sore muscles are the signs that your muscles have been stretched, keep it going by moving. Light activities like walking, swimming, yoga etc., which are termed as “Active Recovery,” will increase circulation and improve the blood flow throughout the body that carries nutrients and oxygen required for muscle repair.

3. Hydrate

We sweat a lot while working out and dehydration can make your muscle soreness and muscle cramps even worse. When muscles break down, they release waste products and toxins that need to be filtered out of the body and nothing better than water can do that job. Hence, it is important to stay hydrated to treat the pain after a gym workout.

4. Ice and Heat it

If there’s swelling – ice it and if it’s simple sore – heat it. Ice reduces inflammation and heat improves blood flow. Alternating ice and heat therapy will speed up the muscle recovery process. You can also take a warm Epsom bath to loosen up the tight muscles.

5. Have protein

Protein is a critical nutrient for building and maintaining muscle, hence your sore muscles need protein to repair itself. People who work out, need for about 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, while for an active person who’s 150 pounds, about 95 to 136 grams per day is necessary.

6. Massage

A 20-minute massage can be an effective muscle pain remedy if done right. Use a foam roller to massage your sore muscles or ask your friend or spouse to give you a good massage to relax the tight sore muscles and soothe muscle aches.

7. Treat it right

Muscle soreness should never be taken lightly. Swelling, cramps, pulled hamstring, anything can follow if muscles are not treated rightly. Hence, it is necessary to check its severity and treat it timely to avoid excess damage. Using an ultrasound and TENS therapy for post-workout pain is said to have proven results of faster muscle recovery.

Whatever it is, don’t stop your workout, get moving and get going!

The pace in which the number of mobile users is increasing, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that mobile phones have become one of the basic necessities of life and being phone-less even a single day makes us feel incomplete, isn’t it?

According to Statista, the number of smartphone users in India is predicted to reach almost 468 million by 2021. No doubt this little wonder has made our lives easier and world smaller with access to almost everything from the comfort of our home and office, but as they say every good has its evil. Prolonged and constant use of mobile phones can pose a serious threat to health if not taken care of. So, discussed here are both the short-term and long-term effects it can have on our health. Let’s see what are they.

Chronic Pain:

Spending so much time leaning down over our phones, we disturb the natural alignment of most of the body parts. Hands are used constantly while sending text messages and e-mails using mobile phones. Rapid speed while responding to the messages can cause finger, elbow and joint inflammation and pain. Also, while multitasking most of the people hold the phone between the neck and shoulder which can strain the back and neck muscles causing severe back and neck pain.

Eye vision problems:

The mobile screens are smaller than the computers and laptops. Generally, people spend 2-4 hours a day staring constantly at the screen. Prolonged staring at this small lit-up screen while reading can strain our eyes. Also, the blue light emissions from the phone can wreck our vision in the long run.

Illnesses Risk:

Our mobile phones are filthier than we think. Using or placing it anywhere makes it a hotbed for disease-prone germs and bacteria. A study says that mobile phones carry 10 times more germs than the toilet seat.

Causes Stress:

Most of us has the habit of snuggling up in bed with our mobile phones, constantly checking the messages on social media, reading and texting till late at night. This can harm our sleep making us sleep-deprived. Lack of good hours of sleep can be very much stressful.

What to do about it?

The solution that seems most pronounced is to cut back on the mobile phone usage but, the way it has become part of our daily life, cutting back looks like a daunting task. Well, mobile users can take the following simple precautionary measures while using the handset which can protect us and our family from health hazards :
● Avoid carrying the mobile phones in the pocket or anywhere close to the body and avoid keeping it in vibratory mode. Hold it away from the body to the extent possible especially when it is on because it emits radiation.
● Make use of wired headsets or Bluetooth while speaking on a mobile phone to keep it away from your head. Put the phone on speaker mode more often to talk.
● Avoid using the phones when the signal strength is weak as it emits higher radiation. Use your phone where signal strength is good.
● Keep the mobile phones away from children and pregnant women as they absorb twice as many radiations as others.
● Never put your mobile phones under your pillow or on the bedside table while sleeping because you may go to sleep but your mobile phones don’t. They still emit radiations while it’s on.
● Blink often while staring at your mini-screen.
● Clean your mobile phones more often with rubbing alcohol wipes.

On an end note
The attempt here is not to vilify the revolutionary mode of communication but to avoid non-essential use of mobile phones to reduce the risk of potential health hazards. After all, health is more important than a smartphone, isn’t it?

Not all joint pain is arthritis but an acute one can be a sign of it too. Confused? Arthritis is indeed a very tricky condition where it becomes very much challenging to differentiate between normal, random pain and arthritis pain. And lack of which leads to major complications later. Don’t worry it can be avoided.

Early detection of any condition proves beneficial and same is with arthritis. It does give some signals and symptom before its onset which we hardly take note of or completely ignore considering it silly.

You might be aware of A to Z of Arthritis its Types and Treatments but its the early signs that matters the most. So, we have rounded up some of the initial and most common signs and symptoms of arthritis which you must check for if you are not able to figure out your constant and unknown aches for reason. Let’s get started.

1. Morning Stiffness

One of the common signs of all types of arthritis, generally, people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often wake up in the morning with stiff joints. It can last between a few minutes to a few hours or a day or two. Due to the presence of the RA factor, the joints become inflamed and turn stiff in the morning. Although it usually begins at hand, stiffness at specific joints or the entire body is an early sign of RA.

2. Fatigue

Extreme tiredness and lack of energy are common for people having arthritis. In fact, it can actually be considered as the first symptom of arthritis because it comes weeks or even months before the signs of other symptoms show up. Fatigue is worse as it can lead to weight loss and even depression as it adversely affects emotions and mood, occupation, relationships with people, sex drive, productivity, attentiveness, creativity, and happiness. It occurs due to the body’s reaction to inflammation, poor sleep, anaemia, and medications which we gulp down to feel better.

3. Pain in Specific Joints

Since there are more than 100 types of arthritis, their symptoms also vary. Like in osteoarthritis, you may feel pain and tenderness around your knee joint, or any other particular affected joint. If any such specific joint like knee becomes painful on a daily basis, you must immediately get it confirmed and start with natural or osteoarthritis knee treatment at home.

4. Decrease in range of motion

Joint inflammation gradually affects tendons and ligaments causing instability and deformation in them making it difficult to perform a certain range of motions. One may face difficulty in bending or straightening certain areas. Regular physical activity and exercise work as an excellent natural cure for arthritis here.

5. Numbness and tingling

This sensation commonly appears on hands but other joints can be affected too. It occurs due to increased inflammation of joints which cause nerve compression, resulting in loss of sensation. In some cases, the joints of hands or feet may even produce a squeak or crackling noise as damaged cartilage grinds against joints while moving.

Pay Attention
Arthritis doesn’t develop all of a sudden to an extreme level. It is our ignorance that makes it flare up at times. If you pay attention to your lifestyle and the signs like above and others such as mild fever, joint swelling and redness, sleeping difficulty, etc., and take necessary measures on time or give arthritis cure properly, there is nothing to worry about.

After years of knee suffering, when you are advised to undergo knee replacement surgery, the excitement of bidding goodbye to knee pain forever may be at high levels but, it is a decision you must think not twice, not thrice, but multiple times, whether to really go with it or not. Why?

A study to find the after-effects of knee replacement surgery showed that a significant proportion of 10% to 34% of people have painful joints or experience an unfavourable pain outcome after knee replacement. Apart from this blood clots, infection, and swelling are other complications that may follow. The success rate of knee replacement surgery is though good, unfortunately, the joy may not last forever.

The knee joint, one of the largest, complex, and most important joint of the leg that allows us to perform various functions like walking, sitting, jumping or squatting. Deciding to undergo knee replacement surgery in the event of acute pain is not at all advisable as chances are it may turn chronic later.

There are many risks and complications associated with Total Knee Replacement Surgery and is performed when the knee joint is completely worn out. But then, this type of invasive technique of removing the damaged cartilage and shaping the bones with an artificial implant made of metal, plastic, and other synthetic materials can develop persistent pain around the newly replaced joint after a few weeks.

Sadly, many patients never experience the return to full mobility as expected after replacement surgery. One of the reasons for it is Patellofemoral (kneecap) problem which is a common cause of knee replacement pain. After an implant, significant forces are required to be applied to the kneecap, even with normal activities, such as getting up from a chair or walking down the stairs which elevates the pain to a great extent.

Improper alignment is also said to be yet another reason for developing chronic pain after knee replacement. What happens is a lot of patients focus on the implant brand or type and even spend quite a load of amount behind it. But, no matter what or how costly brand and hospital you choose, a poorly aligned implant may not function well and the pain will arise without a doubt. And to align it right, another surgery may be required.

It is not that for chronic knee pain or a worn out knee, replacement surgery is the only solution. There are a number of affordable and easy natural knee pain remedies available that one can seek the help of and which have proven their success as well as the physiotherapy exercises for knee pain, using knee supports and electrotherapy. The ultrasound & TENS devices of which is considered as the best and effective knee pain treatment options at home that can bring down the chronic knee pain to acute to almost zero without any harmful effects.

In some cases, the chronic pain that one feels after the knee replacement surgery, may not be due to the knee. Multiple things in the spine, hip and around the knee can also cause knee pain. If they are the origins, then you must treat them immediately instead of focusing your knee joint only.

Final Thoughts
Knee replacement surgery is indeed successful and has helped a lot of patients in getting back on their knees but, it is not a solution to opt for as soon as you feel chronic pain in your knees when there are other safe and effective knee pain treatment options available.