Jai Microlab Pathology Laboratory

Heel pain is a common problem in the body where the affected person experiences pain radiating from the heel bone. Heel pain usually progresses slowly over time, it is recommended to consult a medical professional, if heel pain turns severe. The pain tends to be most severe after one has been inactive for some time such as after waking up in the morning. 

Causes 

Heel pain is usually caused when tissues present in the bottom of the heel (Plantar fascia) is inflammed. These tissues connect the heel bone with the bones of the feet and acts as a shock absorber. Tears form in these tissues when they are damaged or when they get thicker. These tissues are at an increased risk of wear and tear for those who are over 45 years old. The risks also tend to increase if the person is obese or whose occupation requires standing for lengthy periods of time. 

Among other causes of heel pain are heel bone fractures, fat pad atrophy (a condition where a layer of fat present under the heel bone is reduced) and bursitis (inflammation of the fluid filled sacs present around the joints). Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where damage occurs in the peripheral nerves (that transmits signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body), this can cause pain in the heel. 

Symptoms 

The symptoms of heel pain include: 

1. Experiencing pain while jogging or walking 
2. A feeling of pins pricking the heels after waking up in the morning 
3. Inability to put weight on the heel 
4. Painful swelling 
5. Pain in the heel accompanied by fever 

Heel pain can be prevented by taking certain preventive measures such as restricting usage of high heeled shoes without proper support and stretching the heel regularly. Medications such as painkillers are used to treat symptoms of heel pain. Consult a doctor for accurate medicines !!

There are 27 bones in the human hand. An injury to any one of them or a disease that affects the bones, tendons, muscles or blood vessels in the hand, are the most likely causes for pain in the hand and tenderness.

Some of the most common conditions that cause hand pain are:

1. De Quervain's Tendinitis: Pain on and around the thumb is the characteristic sign of this condition. This pain may develop gradually or come on suddenly and can travel the length of the thumb and forearm. De Quervain's tendinitis is caused by the swelling of wrist tendons at the base of the thumb. Repetitive actions and overuse are the most common triggers for this condition.

2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are felt mainly in the thumb, index finger and middle finger. This pain is often worse at night and is caused by the swelling of inflamed tendons at the base of the hand that puts pressure on the median nerve. This syndrome can make it very difficult for a person to grip objects.

3. Fractures: The fracture can cause extreme pain along with stiffness, swelling and loss of movement. A fracture refers to the breaking of a bone and can be of many types including simple fractures, complex fractures, comminuted fractures and compound fractures. The type of fracture dictates the type of treatment required. Spraining a muscle in the hand is another leading cause of pain in the hands.

4. Arthritis: This is one of the most common causes of pain in the hand that is related to ageing. Arthritis causes loss of cartilage that makes the movement of one bone against the other extremely painful. It may or may not also be accompanied by swelling. When it comes to the hand, arthritis affects the base of the thumb and middle or top joints of the fingers. Osteoarthritis may also cause bony nodules to be formed on the fingers.

5. Trigger Finger: This condition is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis. This condition locks the fingers or thumb in a bent position. This condition is triggered by the flexor tendons getting irritated. These tendons control the movements of the thumb and fingers. As the tendon is inflamed, the sheath that surrounds the tendons may also thicken and nodules may form of the affected tendons. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, gout and diabetes are at a high risk of suffering from this condition. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an orthopedist.

Heels are weight bearing part of feet during standing, walking or running. Improper postures or foot wear can cause degeneration of heel and subsequent pain.

Causes for heel pain: 

1. Sprains: Improper exercise and improper footwear like high heels can put unnecessary stress on heels and cause pain. Avoid such conditions by using excellent quality heels and avoiding them as much as possible. Exercise should be done under expert guidance. 

2. Fractures: Stress or hairline fractures can occur even without trauma and cause pain. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor. 

3. Plantar fasciitis: A common cause for heel pain, the Plantar fascia at heel can cause severe early morning heel pain. It can be managed with exercises, PRP Injections. 

4. Arthritis: Gout, rheumatoid arthritis and other types of arthritis can affect ankle joint and cause heel pain. This can be managed with medications and exercises. In severe cases injections may be needed for treatment. 

Treatments available 

1. Change in shoes: Shoes play a key role in the development of heel pain. Avoid wearing heels for prolonged period and specially when walking long distances. 

2. Foot supports: There are specialized heel supports and wedges, which you can wear with the footwear. These supports help redistribute weight from the problem areas and uniformly distribute it among the other parts of the foot. Heel cups are also another form of supports you could try. 

3. Pain relief medications: Over the counter analgesics like Ibuprofen or Paracetamol can help in reducing acute episodes of pain. Self - medication for prolonged periods should be avoided. 

4. Ice packs: Application of ice packs decrease pain and stiffness of heel. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a pain management specialist.

When a blow or a fall causes an injury, where the top of your arm bone pops out from your shoulder socket, it’s called shoulder dislocation. It is a very painful condition and you need to get this relocated to its position immediately. The tissues and bone related to that particular joint get damaged.

If you ignore this situation or keep the shoulder like this, it will be more harmful and painful for you. There may appear a bump in front or at the back of your shoulder that hurts.

What can lead to a dislocated shoulder injury?

• Sharp or a very fast twist of your arm.
• Falling down on a hard surface.
• A sudden hurt or hit.
• It may also happen when you fall down and try to save yourself using your hand. The force of the hit indirectly gets into the shoulder and your shoulder joint may slip from its place.

In some of the outdoor games, there are high chances to get hurt in the shoulder. Hockey, football, rugby, rock climbing, volleyball etc. bring in high probabilities of injuring the shoulder, thereby resulting in a shoulder dislocation.

What is the treatment or therapy of a dislocated shoulder?

The dislocated shoulder should be very urgently treated. As this injury of the shoulder is very painful, you should consult to a specialized orthopaedist as fast as possible to fix up the shoulder to its proper joint. As it is very painful and swollen, the faster the treatment, the better it is. When your doctor fixes your shoulder in its actual place or the bone of your arm comes back to the socket, most of your pain will go away and you get huge relief from pain. After the shoulder bone is relocated, you can use further conservative treatment to reduce the pain and swelling of that place. Dislocated shoulder may take 3 to 12 weeks to recover. But this is the approximate time and it depends on the seriousness of the injury.

After the treatment, when all the symptoms are gone, the doctor will suggest some exercises for better results and normal shoulder movement and to prevent future shoulder injury. Ones the shoulder is dislocated, the chances of dislocation in future is further increased as the tissue supporting the head of humerus into its socket is torn. Such patients may land up with recurrent dislocation of shoulder wherein shoulder dislocates easily on specific movement and patients are afraid to do over-head activities. The problem is best diagnosed by MRI Scan.

The best treatment for this is Arthroscopic (Key-Hole Surgery) Bankart's Repair. Following operation shoulder is kept at rest for 2 weeks then Physiotherapy is started. Day to day activities are started after 2 weeks and sports activity is started after 3 to 5 months.

Pain is a feeling of distress that is caused by intense damaging stimuli. It is one of the most common reasons that compels the patient to consult a physician and take painkillers. In the long run, painkillers have adverse effects on our body. While most of the times, the cause of the pain is diagnosed, there are cases in which the cause remains undiagnosed. Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is based on symptoms and has no side effects and thus, it is most effective in the treatment of both muscle and joint pains.

Here we give you a list of common homeopathic pain medications that are prescribed to give relief to patients and the circumstances under which they can be used.

1. Bryonia- It is given when there is a hot swollen joint, pain from overuse of body part or injury. The slightest movement aggravates the pain and is relieved of the pressure on the affected part.
2. Causticum - It is recommended for muscle spasm, stiff neck and pain. The character of the pain is sharp and tearing and is caused by cold dry weather. The patient is relieved by the warmth.
3. Arnica Montana - Arnica is suggested when a patient has sore, bruised feeling all over the body. The patient is very sensitive to the pain and everything on which he rests seems very hard. Arnica is a top remedy in case of injury from falling, sprain and bruise.
4. Rhus Toxicodendron- A first choice of remedy in case of rheumatism and back pain. The right side of the body is especially affected. The patient experiences stiffness and aching pain that aggravates during the rainy season, in the morning, on exposure to cold and also by rest. Pain is relieved by moving the affected parts and by warmth.
5. Cuprum Metallicum- It is given in cases of muscle twitching or severe muscle spasm. The patient feels better when the painful area is massaged.
6. Magnesia Phosphorica - This is the best medicine for all types of pain, especially when the pain is in the right side of the body. The pain is aggravated by cold and movement and is relieved by heat and rest in the general. This is suggested to relieved lower abdomen pain during menstruation.
7. Pulsatilla- This is an excellent remedy for rheumatic pains that shifts from one joint to another. Homeopathic medicine is suggested after a thorough understanding of patient symptoms and the medication differs from patient to patient. So it is better to consult a homeopathic physician to select a suitable medicine to get relieved from pain. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a homeopath.

Symptoms and Treatment for Chronic Pain

Whether it is winter temperatures dipping, a lower temperature caused due to rains or chills created by air conditioning, the moment our body experiences lower temperatures than it is comfortable with, various forms of aches crop up, esp. if you already have a condition or have been physically hurt.
Winters are typically associated with several types of body pains. Particularly, we’ve seen higher incidences of nerve – related pain, joint pains and vascular pains during the season.

Manage your pains by following these 6 tips:
1. Keep yourself warm: Needless to say, it’s extremely important to keep yourself warm when its gets uncomfortably cold. Clinical research has shown higher incidence of nerve – related, vascular pain and joint pains if your body is exposed to low temperatures for long periods. This is especially true if you are 60+ in age. So, dress appropriately with body warmers, sweaters and jackets

2. Keep yourself physically active: A colder weather reduces average activity levels. An average person walks up to 1,000 lesser steps when its cold. To avoid pain in knees and other joints, it’s especially important to keep up activity levels. Try and take out time for walking in the afternoons or evenings, even if it is inside your house or office.

3. Take care of your diet: It is important to ensure that your intake of Vitamin D, Calcium and Vitamin B complex is adequate. Make sure that your diet remains rich in dal, green leafy vegetables (Vitamin B complex), milk (Calcium) and cheese and egg yolk (Vitamin D).

4. Get enough exposure to sunlight: Lesser exposure to the sun causes Vitamin D deficiency during winters, which can result in fatigue, lethargy and general body pains. Make sure to get at least 15-20 minutes of sunlight exposure, ideally in the mornings around 9am to 10am.

5. Avoid the wrong foods: Actively manage your diseases like diabetes and hypertension to stay pain free. If you suffer from diabetes, make sure that you do not overeat foods with high glycemic index. If you suffer from hypertension, it is important to keep away from spicy and oily foods.

6. Get expert advice: Visit your pain specialist if your pains continue for more than 2 weeks. Be regular with your prescribed pain medications, but strictly avoid self-medication or overuse of painkillers. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.

Heel pain is a common problem in the body where the affected person experiences pain radiating from the heel bone. Heel pain usually progresses slowly over time, it is recommended to consult a medical professional, if heel pain turns severe. The pain tends to most severe after one has been inactive for some time such as after waking up in the morning.

Causes
Heel pain is usually caused when tissues present in the bottom of the heel (Plantar fascia) is damaged. These tissues connect the heel bone with the bones of the feet and help in absorbing shocks. Tears are formed in these tissues when they are damaged or when they get thicker. These tissues are at an increased risk of wear and tear for those who are over 45 years old. The risks also tend to increase if the person is obese or whose occupation requires standing for lengthy periods of time.
Among other causes of heel pain are heel bone fractures, fat pad atrophy (a condition where a layer of fat present under the heel bone is reduced) and bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs present around the joints). Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where damage occurs in the peripheral nerves (that transmits signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body), this can cause pain in the heel.

Symptoms
The symptoms of heel pain include:

1. Experiencing pain while jogging or walking
2. A feeling of pins pricking the heels after waking up in the morning
3. Inability to bend the heel
4. Painful swelling
5. Pain in the heel accompanied by fever

Prevention and treatment
Heel pain can be prevented by taking certain preventive measures such as restricting usage of high heeled shoes without proper support and stretching the heel regularly. Medications such as painkillers are used to treat symptoms of heel pain. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a physiotherapist.