by admin | Oct 14, 2019 | Foot Pain, General, Knee Pain
Gone is the days when joint pain was an issue to be dealt with in the older age. Majorly due to sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, people belonging to the age group of 30+ experience joint pain, these days. However, it is important to note that severe diseases like Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis rarely occur to people below the age of 30 and the exact causes of such diseases are yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, here are some common reasons of joint pain amongst middle-aged people.
- Poor posture
The working class of people usually attends long shifts and do not pay much attention to the posture. This can damage one or more than one muscle. Sitting for long can put excessive pressure on the neck, discs in the back and on the shoulders as well. To cater this issue, one must maintain right sitting postures and should avoid sitting for long or in a stretch. Taking a break of a minute or two once in an hour can help.
- Overuse of a muscle
Our muscles and tendons have a certain limit to bear exertion. Beyond that point, if they do not receive the much deserved rest, they would start hurting. Say for example, an athlete is at a risk of developing runner’s knee. RSI- repetitive strain injury is another example of this situation. RSI includes muscle, tendon and nerve pain. Wrists, elbows, arms and knees are at the risk here. To eliminate the fear of pain up to some extent, a good and a healthy diet clubbed with regular exercise is advisable. If you still experience pain, go for electrotherapy instead of gulping pain-killers as they too have a negative effect on our body. Electrotherapy works as the natural cure and can also be used as per one’s convenience.
- Unattended injuries
At times, we ignore an injury either intentionally or unintentionally. The same can be or can’t be safe depending upon the nature of the damage. However, in certain cases, injuries damage the muscle or the tendon or the ligament and cause chronic or acute pain in the later years of life, i.e. when the affected muscle or tendon or ligament starts losing its strength. So it is advisable to not take any injury lightly.
- Overweight
If a person is overweight, he or she might experience severe knee pain once they enter the age bracket of 30+. The heavy weight puts more pressure on the joint and the cartilage supporting the knee starts losing its shock absorbing capacity which in turn leads to acute or chronic pain. Hence, maintaining an ideal body weight is highly important.
Lifestyle changes you should make
- Adopt a healthy diet having more of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Exercise regularly, but do not fall for overexertion
- Practice right postures
- Avoid lifting heavy weights
- Develop a standard sleeping pattern
- In case of pain, go for electrotherapy as it is free from any drug invasion.
by admin | Oct 14, 2019 | Foot Pain
A human body comprises different types of tissues and organs. Any type of discomfort is very much possible due to tear of a ligament (tissue) which eventually causes pain. Your feet and the ankle is a very important part of your body. They help you move to places and you pay attention to them only when they hurt you.
An ankle joint is where the foot and bones of the leg meet and thus it is responsible for the movement of the foot. There can be many reasons contributing towards the pain in the ankle. It can be an injury, age, weight, and even sex because females are 40% more likely to report foot pain than males says the survey of foot pain.
Symptoms of Foot/Ankle Pain
● Local extremities and systemic conditions may result in the swelling of the feet.
● Ankle stiffness normally occurs during the nighttime or when resting for a prolonged period of time. The stiffness of the joints is very common when one suffers from any medical condition like arthritis, gout, lupus or bursitis. Toe joints are at greater risk of being affected than any other joints of feet.
● The joints affected by arthritis may be warmer and a little redder than the surrounding area. If it persists over a longer period of time than it definitely is the symptom and cause of worry.
Causes of Foot/Ankle Pain
Any injury causes deformity around the joint. Ankle pain refers to injury in ligaments of the ankle. Any acute traumatic injury like sprain or fracture can also be the cause of ankle pain. The thickness of connective tissues around a joint can weaken the muscles causing uneasiness.
Inability leads to uneasiness on the affected part of the foot. When the ligament doesn’t heal completely and properly, it further leads to reduced stability in the entire joint. Inflammation of joints is another reason for ankle instability.
Any medical condition such as arthritis/gout/tendinitis could be the reason for pain and discomfort in the ankle as well. Both ankles are likely to hurt when diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Pain and stiffness are also caused when the cartilage wears off.
Swelling may put pressure leading to nerve compression. The nerve endings when pressurized, lead to pain.
Treatments of Foot/Ankle Pain
URICE
Ultra care, Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. Ultrasound therapy is the best natural treatment now a days to provide permanent relief from the pain. Providing rest to your ankle is the best initial treatment. Rest at regular intervals help relieve the pain and inflammation and provide comfort to ankle. Next, apply ice and heating pads depending upon the type of pain. You may consider applying ice to the affected area for about 20 minutes at a time. However, it is important to know when the ice application is needed and when to use the heating pads. Wrap a compression and keep your ankle in an elevated position above your heart to soothe the pain.
Immobilization
Regular strengthening exercises and a healthy diet can help lessen the pain and the condition to a great extent. Supportive shoes, splints, and arch support also help. The key is to ensure you don’t put pressure on your heels and give them time to heal.
Electrotherapy
The best healing is to heal naturally. The Ultrasound-TENS treatment modalities of electrotherapy have proven to be effective, free of side effects, easy-to-operate and cost-effective which is suitable and capable to treat any kind of foot as well as other discomforts remarkably.
by admin | Oct 14, 2019 | Foot Pain, General
Sports and injuries go hand-in-hand. From minor annoying aches and pains to serious, traumatic injuries, there is not a single game where the player doesn’t get injured and Football is no different. With players focusing only the ball and the goal post, clashes happen and poor neck, shoulder, back, knees, head and others suffer the aftermath.
Football is such an energetic game that injuries happen real bad and may take days or months to heal. Often football injuries are taken lightly and later, it turns into something untreatable. So, today in this article, we have curated the 5 most common football injuries and their treatments for you to understand it deeply and make you aware of its severities.
1. ACL/MCL Injury
ACL – one of the four main ligaments of the knee and MCL – a ligament on the inner knee, both are the commonest victims in the game of football. A direct blow to the knee from the front or rear followed by a popping sound, pain, swelling and instability can be so severe that typically it requires surgery to heal.
2. Neck and Shoulder
Falling while trying to pass the ball can give sharp blows to the neck and shoulder causing structural damage to the muscles in it. Compressed nerves and throbbing pain in such areas must be treated ASAP to know the exact depth of the injury.
3. Leg Injuries
Knee, foot, ankle, in fact, every part of the leg is prone to numerous injuries in the game of football. Torn meniscus – the cartilage present in our knee, is at the greater risk in this. On the other hand, ankle sprain and ligament strain can worsen the condition of the leg and one may develop arthritis in no time.
4. Back Strain
Even a slight jerk can cause serious damage to the back, yes, even a slip disc. Football players have a lot of swift back movements which can put tremendous pressure on their lower back area. Numbness, tingling or weakness in the hips, legs or feet can also start developing due to the back strain.
5. Other injuries
The blow of a football is no joke and it is the muscles who face them real bad. Spasms, bruises, cramps need rest and time to heal back. Apart from these, wrists, chest and head are the other major parts of the body that are vulnerable to get hurt.
Treatment Options For Football Injuries
1. The first and the foremost treatment one must give to any injury is the RICE treatment i.e. Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate.
2. For further support, wear functional braces made for specific body parts, only after consulting a doctor.
3. For back injury, go for heat therapy and get complete bed rest with zero activity.
4. Medications or rehab exercises can help but must be carried out only as per the doctor’s advice.
5. Last but not the least, before jumping to any surgical procedure, perform physical therapy at home using Physiotherapy Machine which are among the best treatments for football injuries as they stimulate the blood flow to the injured area and help relieve pain and reduce swelling and inflammation naturally without any kind of harmful side effects.
by admin | Oct 14, 2019 | Foot Pain
Our feet undergo a lot of pressure and stress every day, so it’s quite natural that they hurt by the end of the day. But if there’s a constant pain in the bottom of the heel, you got to get it checked as it might be not some regular heel pain, it can be Plantar Fasciitis. Approx. 15% of foot complaints ultimately lead to plantar fasciitis and around 59% of Indians are reported to have such kind of heel pain as per the study of Dr. Nitin Ajitkumar Menon, Department of Pain Medicine, Maharashtra.
What is the difference?
Known as the largest ligament in the human body, Plantar Fasciitis is a thick, web like ligament called (”fascia”) that connects the heel to the toes. These are the tissues that support the muscles and arch of the foot, thus helping us to walk. When there is too much pressure on the feet or when the ligaments get overly stretched, tiny tears start to appear on their surface, causing pain and inflammation, which was mistaken to be some bony growths called heel spurs, but was later discovered that heel spurs are the result and not the cause of pain from plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis Causes :
Those who are overweight or obese, pregnant ladies, long-distance runners, are most likely to develop it due to the increased pressure on the plantar fascia ligaments. Apart from that, if your job involves being on your feet often, there is a higher risk too. According to the statistics, active men and women between the ages of 40 and 70 are at the highest risk for developing plantar fasciitis which is slightly more common in women than men. Other plantar fasciitis causes are structural foot problems, tight Achilles tendons, wearing shoes with soft soles, poor arch support, strain injury due to excessive running or walking or jumping, due to certain diseases, including reactive arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
Plantar fasciitis Symptoms :
A sharp stabbing pain in the bottom of the foot near the heel.
Difficulty taking the first step in the morning
Burning sensation
Worsening pain after a prolonged activity like sitting or standing
Stiffness
Plantar fasciitis Treatments:
Following are the plantar fasciitis treatment options that can ease the pain and reduce the inflammation of your feet.
Massages and Therapies:
Ice massage application is the first and the foremost remedy to treat plantar fasciitis. If there is no relief, you can head to a doctor who will prescribe you Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) etc.
Injections:
If pain continues and does not respond to prescribed NSAIDs, injecting a steroid injection may help. But, it might be a temporary relief.
Braces and supports:
Generally physiotherapists recommend wearing a splint to treat plantar fasciitis as it stretches the calf and the arch of your foot while you sleep, holding them in a flexed position overnight. This can prevent morning pain and stiffness. While orthos may advise you to wear arch supports, for your shoes to reduce the pressure on your heel.
Physical therapy:
To strengthen and stretch your plantar fascia, it is advisable to go to a physical therapist. A series of exercises under the physio doctor’s guidance can even make the pain go away forever. You can also learn various exercises and the right method to apply athletic taping to support the bottom of your foot.
Electrotherapy:
If you are coming to terms that surgery is the only option or if you don’t want to suffer from the side effects of the above, then you must go for electrotherapy. Its safe, 100% natural and gives permanent relief from the discomfort of pain, inflammation and stiffness of plantar fasciitis without any harmful effects. Moreover, electrotherapy devices are easy to carry and hence you can stimulate the blood flow in the painful area anytime, anywhere.
by admin | Oct 12, 2019 | Foot Pain
Although it may sound weird, our joints do have an odd connection with the weather. You might have heard your grandparents predicting the onset of monsoon when their joints start aching. You may laugh it out, but surprisingly they are right.
Arthritis and weather do have a lot to do with each other. As soon as the weather starts changing after the scorching heat of summer, even our joints start feeling different. And for someone having arthritis or any joint-related condition, cloudy weather is no less than a nightmare.
How does weather affect joints? How can joint aches indicate the arrival of monsoon? What is the science behind it? Let’s understand all.
Weather and Joint Pain
During the rainy season, the old joint pains, injury pains, stiffness, and swelling, all flare up more than usual due to barometric pressure changes. Barometric pressure or the pressure of the air is the weight of the atmosphere that surrounds us.
When the pressure is higher, it prevents the tissues in our body from expanding, and when the weather becomes cold and humid, the pressure lowers causing the tissues to expand, forming a higher pressure on the joints. As the cartilage that cushions the joint wears out with time in people living with osteoarthritis, the sensory nerves called baroreceptors in their exposed bones pick up the changes in pressure and trigger joint pain.
Humidity and Arthritis
Another reason why joint pain aggravates during the rainy season is because of high humidity. High levels of humidity cause sweating and dehydration, which in turn make blood thicker, increasing blood pressure in the blood vessels. Thus, our body has to make extra effort to pump blood throughout. They also decrease the concentration of fluid around the joints making it stiffer even to move around.
How to Overcome Weather-related Joint Pain?
Resting is good for joint pain but not too much. Move around indoors and practice strengthening and stretching exercises to make the muscles reliable and flexible and also to have the blood circulation keep going.
Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated as humidity can cause extreme dehydration.
Swimming is an excellent exercise for people living with arthritis. Loosen up your joint muscles by taking laps in an indoor pool.
Keep yourself warm. Take warm showers or baths, dress in layers during the day as cold weather conditions during the monsoon season can worsen joint conditions.
Give your joints a good warm oil massage. Combine olive oil with few crushed garlic and cloves, warm it up and massage on the affected area.
Have a nutritious diet and get enough sleep.
Give your joints physical therapy at home. Use the electrotherapy machines like SONICTENS or US111 to ease the pain and stiffness of your joints.
by admin | Oct 12, 2019 | Foot Pain
Not everyone opens up about chronic pain. It takes enough courage to share the pain one feels. Lady Gaga, an American songwriter, singer, actress, philanthropist, dancer, and fashion designer, is among the few who recently shared her painful story in one of an interview with Arthritis Magazine.
Lady Gaga was in news for canceling a lot of shows complaining about agonizing and severe physical pain. Being a celebrity when people began to question about her condition considering it as publicity, the 33-year-old pop star revealed in the October issue of Vogue about her ongoing battle with fibromyalgia syndrome, a condition that affects the nervous system and causes pain throughout the body.
Although the causes of fibromyalgia remain unknown, Gaga links it to her traumatic event five years ago during the Born This Way Ball world tour in 2012 which abruptly ended in 2013 when she broke her hip while performing Atop so severely it was almost beyond repair.
When her MRI were done, it was revealed that there was a hole of about quarter a size in her hip and her cartilage was hanging out lose the other side of my hip. She also had a tear on the inside of her hip joint and a massive breakage. If she had continued with her show, she might have needed a full hip replacement surgery.
But, Gaga did not let hip pain stop her from continuing what she loves to do the most. In spite of suffering from Fibromyalgia, a chronic centralized pain sensitivity syndrome that causes long-lasting, head to toe pain in the muscles and joints, she did not let herself sulk into depression. She fought back with her confidence and her passion for music.
Inspired by her spirit, a behind-the-scenes Netflix documentary was released titled “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” where she shares everything about her five-year-long hip injury. She discusses how people with fibromyalgia are often taken lightly, thinking that the pain is all in their head. “People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke. And it’s every day waking up not knowing how you’re going to feel.” she said.
Even after 5 years she still experiences severe pain from fibromyalgia and often deals with tension in the abdomen, shoulder, neck, muscles, and intestines, as it shoots through her entire body, from her toes to her face.
Hip Pain and FIbromyalgia
Hip pain is one of the many symptoms of fibromyalgia. But, there can be various hip pain causes responsible for the discomfort in the hip joint like sciatica, osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, muscle strain or tear and just like Gaga’s, trauma or injury in it.
Hip Pain Remedies
Be it Fibromyalgia or any other hip pain causes; treatment is required timely to avert any further consequences. Medicines and steroids are helpful to some extent because as soon as their effect wears off, the pain resides. For which, practicing hip pain exercises is one of the recommended treatment methods for getting relief from hip pain.
But, nothing can match up to the physical therapy. As a part of it, electrotherapy has designed some best machines that can work wonders on any kind of pain. SONICTENS is one such pain management device that anyone can get started with it without any professional guidance. It is a combination of two most proven electrotherapies for pain relief – Ultrasound with TENS – into one compact and sleek device. The electrical impulses and its deep heating ability, together, increase the endorphin -the body’s natural painkiller in the body, thus accelerating the recovery process easily without any side-effects or pain.
While the other hip pain treatment methods such as hip pain stretches and exercises, one must continue doing along with electrotherapy for best results.
