Top Health Tips on Managing arm pain

Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments among adults all across the world. You may wake up in the morning with an energising drink before going out to work. After you arrive at work, you may have to sit there till lunch, which involves further sitting and you are required to sit for more hours for completing the remaining work. Then you come back home by sitting in the car and have the night s meal while again sitting. Did you know sitting through the day is the major culprit behind your back pain? Thankfully, yoga has effective ways of treating back pain to a considerable degree.

You can choose to do the following yoga poses for alleviating your back ache:

Supine hamstring stretch: You will have to lie back on your back and bend the right knee to the chest. Then you will have to place a rolled-up towel around the football and straighten the leg towards the ceiling and press both the heels. In case your lower back feels strained, you can bend your left knee and place the foot right on the ground. Hold the position for about 3 to 5 minutes and practice regularly for soothing back pain.
Two knee twist: You will have to bend your knees to the chest while lying on the back and try to bring out the arms forming a T-shape. Then try to exhale and lower down the knees on the ground towards your right side. Keep both the shoulders pressed down firmly and hold this position for about 2 minutes for best results.
Sphinx: You will have to prop yourself on the forearms while lying on the stomach. You will then have to align the elbows right under the shoulders and press through the tops and palms of the feet. You are likely to feel terrific sensations down your lower back, but it is advised to bear through it as it allows the flow of blood to that region which is required for healing. Practice the position regularly and hold it for at least one minute.
Thread the needle: This is quite an easier pose where you will have to lie flat on your back by bending both the knees with your feet flat on the ground. You will now have to bend the right knee by placing the outer left ankle through the right thigh. You will have to thread the right hand between the leg and interlace the hands behind the left thigh.
These positions would help in soothing your lower back pain, but it is recommended to consult a doctor if the pain still persists. Ayurvedic Tiktaksheer basti, massage therapy and certain oral medicines can help a lot in speedy recovery from spine/back related problems.

Ayurved has a very unique way of drug administration called Basti in which various medicines are given through the anus ( Rectal route)...For Lumbosacral / spine disorders a very specialised form of enema Tiktaksheer Basti (Medicated Bitter Milk enema) is given which shows amazing results. Kindly consult a specialized Ayurvedic practitioner for additional details.

Kati Basti (Vasti) is a traditional Ayurvedic treatment used for lower backache and disorders of lumbosacral region, including slip disc, lumbar spondylosis, sciatica, spinal problems etc. Kati Vasti is a part of external oleation (Snehana) therapy in Ayurveda. It is very safe, non-invasive and green category procedure.

In this procedure, you will get instant relief from backache. After completing a course of 7 to 21 days, you may not need any kind of oral medicines. It is a complete therapy for back pain and lumbosacral disorders.

However, the results vary person to person, but in most of cases, people get quick relief after the procedure.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is also known as Ulnar Neuropathy, a nerve compression syndrome where the Ulnar nerve, also known as the funny bone nerve, gets compressed due to heightened pressure or stretching. It can lead to numbness or a tingling sensation in little and ring fingers, sometimes pain in forearm and an overall weakness in the hand. Ulnar nerve is one of the three main nerves in the arm. It runs in a groove on the inner side of the elbow. Since it travels through a narrow space and has very little protective tissue, the nerve is quite vulnerable to compression.

Symptoms
The symptoms of this condition may range from mild to severe. Some of the mild symptoms include:

Numbness in little and ring finger as the fingers fall asleep
A tingling sensation, usually like the pinch of pins and needles in ring and little finger
Pain in forearm
Weakness in the hand
Some of the severe symptoms include:
Reduction in overall hand grip
A claw like deformity in hand
Wasting of muscles of the hand
Bending elbow over a long period of time like while using cell phone or during sleep can cause ulnar nerve compression. Resting the elbow for a long period over a hard surface can also cause an irritation of the nerve, leading to such symptoms. In some cases, the nerve snaps back and forth over a bony bump, resulting in an irritated nerve. People who undertake intense physical activity, especially using their arms, are more likely to develop this problem. Eg. baseball pitchers. Apart from this, people who have suffered from a dislocated elbow or have arthritis are also at risk.

Generally, doctors diagnose this condition through the symptoms. However, nerve tests are also conducted to check the level of nerve compression. Electromyography is a procedure in which electrodes are placed on the skin and muscles to measure muscle health. Determining muscle health and level of compression helps decide the mode of treatment. Generally, the symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome are managed through a conservative treatment. However, in cases of severe compression, surgery can be considered as an option to relieve pressure, moving nerve to the front of the elbow or removing a part of the bone.

For mild cases, a towel or a protective cover for elbow is recommended. The towel should be wrapped around the elbow loosely. An elbow splint can be worn at night to protect the elbow from being bent for long time.

How can a physical therapist help?
A physiotherapist has an essential role to play in treatment of this syndrome. A therapist can help the patient to learn ways of avoiding pressure to the nerve. After surgery, with restrictions of movement, a therapist can help achieve smooth recovery and movement of the elbow. Your physical therapist will determine the activities that bring on your symptoms. The recommendations at this point will be to avoid those activities for a time. Remember, the nerve is irritated and at times swollen. If the irritation and swelling are reduced, the symptoms should resolve.

Gout is a form of arthritis and occurs because of excessive uric acid in the body. There are proteins in the diet known as purines, and when they are metabolised, uric acid is released. When there is an excessive amount of purines in the diet, the body is unable to metabolise all of the produced uric acid. This excessive production or repaired metabolism can lead to gout. These get deposited in the joints as crystals in various joints, especially of the big toe.

Symptoms:

The joints, most frequently the big toe, are painful, swollen, red, and very warm to the touch
The big toe is known as podagra
The pain is a strong, shooting pain, very severe in nature
The patient s description is very diagnostic of gout
Other joints could be affected including ankles, knees, and hands
Treatment:
Gout, as seen from above, is not just excessive uric acid in the body. There could be various reasons leading to this problem. Therefore, homoeopathy believes that the underlying problem needs to be evaluated and treated for the symptoms to disappear. The following are some commonly used remedies:

Colchium:

Useful in both acute and chronic cases of gout
Intense pain in the big toe, where the patient would not allow touching it
The toe is stiff, swollen, red, and hot
The pain is worse at night and during warm weathers
The patient also may feel feverish and cold internally
Benzoic acid:

These patients usually have offensive urine, which is evident from a distance
The urine may be brown in colour.
The pain in the great toe is tearing, and the knees may also be affected, which also are painful and swollen.
Any movement causes a cracking sound which increases with movement.
The patient likes to keep the affected area covered, and opening it to air may worsen the symptoms.
Sabina:

Useful in females, who may also have other feminine disorders (for instance, uterine issues) in addition to gout
The toes and heels will have shooting pain which is worse in warm surroundings
The affected joints also appear red and shining.
Berberis vulgaris:
These people present with warm, bright yellow or blood red urine with sediments that could be red/reddish yellow.

Ledum pal:

The pain travels from down below, for instance, starts with the feet and moves up to the knees and the limbs
Small joints like the ball of the great toe and ankles are more affected by lack of warmth and inability to tolerate warmth
Applying a cold towel or cloth may help relieve the pain.

Hand pain is not just annoying, it is a lingering discomfort which can disrupt normal functioning. The swelling and stiffness that are invariably involved can reduce the strength of the hand along with the ability to carry out routine tasks which could be as simple as buttoning the shirt or writing or buckling up the shoe.

The treatment of hand pain is solely based on the causes and therefore, it is important to know what s causing the trouble.

Causes of Hand Pain
Many conditions are responsible for contributing to swelling and pain in hand and, some of the most common causes include:

Arthritis: The leading cause of hand pain is definitely inflammation of the joints known as arthritis. Though it may occur anywhere in the body, it mostly affects the hand.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: This disorder takes place when the median nerve gets squeezed by a carpal tunnel that has been narrowed. It may be caused by inflammation, irritated tendons or swelling.
Gout: Being a complex form of arthritis, gout is an extremely painful condition that can affect any part of the body including the hand.
Managing Hand Pain
The following suggestions can help in easing the pain and offering relief without having to undergo surgery.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Such drugs can help in reducing the pain and inflammation by checking the enzymes responsible for causing an undesired sensation. But according to experts, if your hand pain is caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, then such medications may not be helpful. Make sure that you consult an expert before taking such medications since the unwanted use of such drugs is linked to stomach bleeding, liver problems, ulcers, and heart attacks.
Injections: A suitable corticosteroid injection right into the affected joint can help in reducing inflammation.
Splinting: A splint helps in stabilizing the position of the thumb, fingers or wrists. Often, wearing a splint for few weeks together can help the inflammation to settle down.
Heat and cold therapy: Heat can help in loosening stiffness and therefore taking hot showers every day can fetch effective results. On the other hand, cold is effective when the hand pain has stemmed out of any activity such as playing tennis or golf. It can be applied in the form of flexible pads made of frozen gels which can aid in relieving the three-dimensional structure of the hand.
Exercise: A physical therapist can work on your hand s muscles and tendons and guide you through different movements and exercises that can strengthen the muscles. This will help in absorbing the stress on the joints and restore normal function of the hand.
It is, however, important to speak to an orthopaedic expert who can select the most suitable combination of treatment for you.

A hand fracture is a condition characterized by broken bones of the hand. The bones in the hand include the bones that are present in the fingers and the wrists. A fracture of the hand tends to occur when you bend or twist your hand in the wrong manner. It may also be caused by injuries related to sports and falls.

Symptoms
Symptoms of swelling and pain are the most common of them all. The range of motion for the affected hand will be reduced as well. The knuckle bone may appear to have been sunken in. Most obviously, it will be difficult in carrying out regular tasks which need the hands.

Therapies
The initial treatment for a hand fracture will be focused on reducing the pain. Pain relieving medications such as ibuprofen will be administered which provides relief from the pain. The next step will be to keep the affected hand immobilized so as not to hamper the recovery process. Once stability is restored, therapeutically relevant exercises are prescribed to help normalize the regular hand movements.

The following exercises are relevant in case of a hand fracture:

Wringing a towel: This is an exercise wherein you wring a towel to improve flexibility and strength in the hand. Simply grab a towel and twist it in both directions; imagine wringing water from the towel.
Rolls of the wrist: Wrist rolls aim to increase the ROM (range of motion) in your wrists and the hands. Hold the hand steady and rotate your wrists both clockwise and anticlockwise. You can also hold a light weight in your hand to make it more challenging.
Prayer stretch: A prayer stretch is another exercise that can help boost your wrist flexibility. You start by positioning the palms together like in a prayer, then hold up the elbows while pushing the hands against each other. You should feel a stretch in your wrists and hands.
Grasping: This is a technique wherein you grasp objects to improve your grip strength. Try gripping objects such as tennis ball or stress balls to get your gripping ability up to normal levels.

A very common complaint, a number of factors can cause wrist pain but arriving at the exact cause can be a tad bit difficult. Depending on the cause, wrist pain can vary in intensity.

What causes pain in your wrist?

Injury to any part of the wrist can lead to wrist pain and impinge on your ability to use the affected hand and wrist. The causes can be injuries like sudden impacts and repetitive stress; arthritis like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; or diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome that affect this part of the body.

1. Sudden impacts - Falling forward onto your extended hand can give rise to instances of wrist pain. Injury occurring from this sudden impact can cause not only sprains and strains but also fractures.

2. Repetitive stress - An activity that involves the movement of your wrist in repeating motions can cause the joint tissues to be inflamed or give rise to stress fractures, especially if the movement is performed without any break for a long period of time.

3. Rheumatoid arthritis - In this disorder, both the wrists can get affected. In general, the disorder sees your body's immune system attacking tissues of your body.

4. Osteoarthritis - Although the condition is very uncommon in the wrist, it occurs in individuals who have suffered a wrist injury in the past. Osteoarthritis typically happens when the cartilage that acts as the cushion at the end of your bones undergoes deterioration with time.

5. Carpal tunnel syndrome - An increase in pressure on the median nerve (a nerve that affects the sensation or movement of your hand) that passes a passageway called the carpal tunnel can cause you to suffer from wrist pain.

In addition to these causes, instances of Kienbock's disease and ganglion cysts can also lead to this problem.

How to identify the signs of the problem?

The pain can vary depending on the cause. So, wrist pain arising out of osteoarthritis will exhibit a dull pain while that from carpal tunnel syndrome will give a pins and needles sensation. Many times, the location of the pain can help the doctor to determine the cause behind the symptoms you may experience.

Hand pain is a problem that may stem from injury or disease which may affect any structure of the hand such as the bones, muscles, joints, tendons and blood vessels. It is one of the manifestations of joint inflammation and may be caused by repetitive motion injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome and can cause pain in the hand and wrist.

What are the symptoms of hand pain?
As mentioned earlier, hand pain may affect any part of the hand including wrist, middle knuckles of the fingers, fingertips and basilar joints connecting the thumb and wrist. If you have osteoarthritis, the cartilage in between the joints starts wearing down and leads to the collision of bones.

The symptoms of hand pain may include an ache which worsens when the affected hand is used. It may also lead to stiffness of the joints, difficulty in moving the fingers, swelling along with tenderness in the knuckles and wrist.

Heberden nodes may also be affected in some people suffering from hand pain. It is important to note here that a bone spur is a hardened area of the bone which attaches the bone to the joint. The spurs present in the hands are called Heberden nodes. It consists of hard, round and swollen areas which develop in the joint near the fingertips. This condition is permanent which makes the fingers appear misshapen. People who have arthritis of joints can also suffer from bony nodes known as Bouchard s nodes.

Who are at a higher risk of having hand pain?
People with a family history of joint disorders are likely to have hand pain. It may also affect those who perform a job which demands an excessive use of hands such as manufacturing any product. The more one uses his or her hands, the more wear and tear take place on the joints and cartilage of the hands. Females are at a higher risk of developing hand pain stemming from arthritis.

How to treat hand pain?
There are many medicinal choices to treat hand arthritis. One may tackle hand arthritis with the help of pain relieving medicines, steroid injections and exercises. In case these treatments fail to offer some relief, surgery can be the most suitable way of treating this problem. Your doctor will be able to advise in this regard.

Some home treatments can help in reducing the pain as well as the disability of the hand. An easy and non-invasive method of treatment is to keep the hands as flexible as you can while improving the range of motion gradually. Your doctor may also recommend some muscle strengthening exercise that can support the structure of the hand. With regular practice, you will be able to perform your daily tasks with lesser discomfort.

You feel your heart begin to beat wildly in your chest as you break into a cold sweat and have trouble catching your breath; is this a heart attack or panic attack? Your first thought is that it's a heart attack since you have an impending feeling of doom which you may even have felt before your attack began. This makes your heart beat even faster and you become so overwhelmed that the feeling gets even worse until you begin to feel light-headed or maybe even pass out. This is a panic attack.

When you suffer from anxiety, the slightest thing can trigger a panic attack and some can be so intense that you can't imagine it being anything other than looming death. It's very common for those having an anxiety attack to mistake it for a heart attack and this fear is enough to just take over and really wreak havoc on your heart rate, but no matter how fast your heart beats or how panicked you feel; you are not having a heart attack and this episode will not kill you.

One thing that will prove helpful in dealing with this is learning the differences between the two:

Signs of a Heart Attack:

Pressure in the Chest (described as feeling like there is an elephant sitting on your chest).

Chest pain - note that this is not always present.

Sweating.

Shortness of breath.

Pain in the right arm.

Pain in the back or shoulder blades for women.

Nausea or vomiting.

Panic attack symptoms include:

Increased heart rate.

Sharp or stabbing chest pain that lasts only 5 to 10 seconds.

Pain that is localized to one small area.

Pain that usually occurs at rest.

Pain that accompanies anxiety.

Pain that is relieved or worsened when you change positions.

Pain that can be reproduced or worsened by pressing over the area of pain.

The bottom line: Be vigilant and get checked out promptly.

Tennis elbow is a condition, which is characterized by the inflammation of the tendons occurring in the elbow region due to excess use of the muscle groups present in the overarm. Tennis elbow can cause a lot of distress once it occurs so it is best to perform certain exercises to strengthen the muscle groups in your overarm so that muscle strain does not occur during your physical activities.

Read on more to find about all the different ways to strengthen your muscle groups to prevent tennis elbow:

Staying in good physical shape overall tones your body and strengthens your muscle groups, thus reducing the likelihood of tennis elbow.
It is also important that the physical activities, which are performed by you are done using proper technique as otherwise undue strain might cause unnecessary discomfort and pain.
You should try strengthening the muscles in your shoulder, arm and upper back to reduce the stress your elbow undergoes during physical activity.
Using a counterforce brace for activities, which include twisting or grasping of the arm can also help. The use of a counterforce brace is to distribute the pressure throughout the arm, which reduces the stress on the elbow. The brace is highly recommended for people who are likely to develop tennis elbow. One should consult a doctor before opting for a counter brace.
However, it is not a substitute for rehab exercises. If repeated arm movements or certain physical activities are causing discomfort or pain in the elbow region, check for alternative ways of performing the task. If you have taken up tennis, cricket or golf as a sport, it is highly recommended that you take proper lessons in technique as these sports involve twisting and grasping your arm, which can cause injuries if you do not follow proper techniques. Also keep in mind to choose sports equipments which are at par with your physical fitness, flexibility and strength.

For daily activities, take a note of the activities, which involve putting stress on your elbows. In such instances follow techniques or different ways to perform the tasks, which will put minimum stress or pressure on your elbows. Also, apart from using the technique one has to stay fit, for which getting regular body health checkup is very important.

Are you experiencing pain and tenderness in your hand bones? Hand pain can occur due to several causes that may include diseases and injuries. Most of the causes of pain in the hand bones are treatable, and the symptoms can be eased. The most common conditions that cause pain and tenderness in your hand bones include the following:

De Quervain s tendinitis

This condition causes pain on your wrist on the side of your thumb. The pain develops gradually or suddenly and may travel the length of your thumb and forearm.
Movements such as making a fist, turning the wrist, and holding objects may be painful.
The pain occurs because of swelling of your wrist tendons that are present at the base of your thumb. This happens on the account of inflammation and irritation.
Overuse and repetitive activities lead to this condition.
New mothers are at a higher risk of getting this condition because of the position in which they have to hold their babies, and due to fluctuating hormone levels.
Wrist fracture increases the chances of D e Quervain s tendinitis.
Arthritis

Arthritis is a very common condition that is associated with hand pain or pain in the hand bones.
It causes your joints to lose the cartilage, slowing them to move against each other slowly.
The deterioration of the cartilage causes pain and swellings.
The areas in your hand that get affected by this condition include the base of your thumb, end joint located near your fingertip, and the middle joint of your fingers.
The most common form of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis, which leads to the progressive degeneration of the cartilage. It occurs because of ageing, and because of injuries such as dislocation and fractures. It causes swelling, stiffness, and swelling in your hands.
Another form of arthritis that affects your hand bones is called rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease in which the cells lining your joints get attacked by mistake by your own immune system. It leads to stiff, swollen, and painful joints. Hand pain associated with this condition is aching and throbbing in nature. The pain worsens in the morning and after a period of being immobile.
A Ganglion

This is a fluid-filled swelling which develops around a tendon or joint. A ganglion resembles a soft and smooth lump.
It is made of synovial fluid which surrounds your tendons and joints for lubrication during movement.
These are most likely to occur in your wrists, fingers, and hands.
It is recommended for you to consult a doctor on experiencing hand pain of any form, and at any location on the hands. This will allow proper diagnosis so that you can follow specific treatment measures.