Shreeji Orthopedic & ENT Hospital

Incorrect posture or a sedentary lifestyle will often land you in pain in your lower back region. To control this pain, here are a few exercises which you might try out for a healthier back:

1. Bottom to heels stretch: This helps to stretch and mobilize the spine. Keep your knees and hands in line with your hips and shoulders. Do not over arch your back as that will just bring you a negative impact. Move your bottom backwards. Hold the stretch while you breathe in and out once. Repeat this exercise 8 to 10 times.
2. Knee Rolls: For this exercise you have to lie down on your back. Support your head with a cushion or a book. Bend your knees and keep them together. Relax your upper body. Then roll your knees, followed by your pelvis, from one side to another. Hold your stretch while you inhale and exhale once.
3. Back extensions: For this exercise you need to lie on your stomach. You will have to prop yourself on your elbows. Arch your back while you put your hands on the ground and hold it for 5 to 10 seconds.
4. Deep abdominal strengthening: You have to lie on your back. Support your head with a cushion or a book. Keep your knees bent and your feet straight, relax your upper body and breathe in and out while stretching your stomach muscles. Hold it for 5 to 10 breaths.
5. Decompression Breathing: Stand with your heels slight apart from each other. Reach out overhead, lift your ribcage away from your hips while inhaling, and tighten your core while exhaling.

For a healthy and strong lower back you may require some other exercises, but to control the pain in your lower back you should absolutely make a point to try these out.

In the recent years, with the building work pressure and the increasing stress in our everyday activities, our regular lives have become choc-a-bloc with all sorts of engagements. This often renders our bodies prone to fatigue and listlessness. This phenomenon can often be observed in an intensified form by way of a disorder called Fibromyalgia or as it is deemed in common parlance, "rheumatism". Fibromyalgia is an ailment which causes pain in the body tissues. The tender and fibrous tissues like muscles, ligaments and tendons are often affected by this disease. As a consequence of Fibromyalgia, one feels incapacitated to work or perform any physical activity. Sometimes Fibromyalgia is accompanied by extreme headaches, sleep disturbances, muscle pain and consistent dizziness. The degree of chronicity of the disease may vary but the underlying cause remains the same. Given the high incidence of the disease, the treatment for the same is also widely available. However, for a more effective and lasting cure, many resort to homeopathy.

Homeopathy offers several remedies to Fibromyalgia, classified on the basis of the discrete symptoms of the disease. 

1. RhusTox

RhusTox is an excellent antidote for rheumatism induced stillness and muscle pain. When paired with suitable exercises, it can afford a lot of relief. 

2. RutaGrav

RutaGrav aids in relieving tendon pains and sustained usage helps in restoring muscle strength in case of Fibromyalgia.

3. Rhododendron
 

Often the Fibromyalgia pain gets aggravated with a marked change in the season. Rhododendron mitigates the intensity of the pain. 

4. Arnica

 For any injury induced body ache, Arnica is an extremely effective cure. It also functions as the foremost option, when the precise causes or the symptoms are unknown. 

5. Causticum

Certain forms of Fibromyalgia are accompanied with soreness, weakness and a feeling of stillness. Causticum soothes such ailments.

6. Bryonia

Bryonia alleviates chronic pain in the soft tissues of the body. Exposure to heat needs to be avoided mandatorily in order to optimize the effect of Bryonia. 

7. Kalmia Latifolia

 When, besides the obverse symptoms of Fibromyalgia, the pain in the muscle is accompanied with a feeling of cold and numbness, one of the best homeopathic cures is Kalmia Latifolia. 

Fibryomalgia is an ailment which not only manifests physical troubles but also affects one's emotional status adversely. Therefore, to mete out the best remedy, homeopathy carefully assess both the physical and the psychosocial bearing of the patient before recommending a particular cure. 

Mobility for a person is very important, and when you look through, the hip is a very important component to this. It connects the upper and lower parts of the body and helps in movement. It is a ball and socket joint, where the hip bone provides a socket, into which the upper part of the thighbone (femur) sits into, allowing for free movement.

Like any other human organ, the hip also is prone to damage. Be it natural ageing, infection, injury, or diseases, hip movement can be affected, leading to limited movement and increased pain and stiffness. For these people, being able to get back a hip which will allow them to be back on their feet is a boon for sure. It helps in relieving pain and improving mobility, almost giving people a second lease of life.

Reasons for hip replacement:

1. With natural ageing, the hip joint can lose its ability to move, due to normal wear and tear of the hip and thigh bones
2. Diseases of the hips (infectious or autoimmune) can also lead to hip replacement
3. Injury or trauma is another major cause that requires hip replacement
4. Joint problems, leading to repeated dislocations
5. Tumours of the relevant bones

Understanding the procedure in detail

1. The affected bones (whether diseases or worn out) are replaced with a prosthesis which is compatible with the normal body tissue.
2. While some materials fuse to the natural bone, others do not and are simply placed as a separate unit
3. This is a surgery which requires hospitalisation and stays for up to 5 days depending on patient’s overall health condition
4. The entire procedure may take a couple of hours and is usually done under general anaesthesia
5. An incision is made through the side of the hip
6. Both the hip and the thigh joints are prepared, diseased tissue removed, re-shaped, etc. to make way for the prosthesis
7. The prosthesis is introduced through the same incision and positioned into place
8. As noted earlier, there are two types. The ones which fuse to the bone have pores in them into which normal bone eventually grows.
9. The other variety is the cemented version, and a glue is used to keep it in place
10. Most doctors now use a combination, that is cement a porous prosthesis, into which bone will grow, and the incisions are closed
11. The patient stays in the hospital for 1 to 4 days depending on overall health
12. Once discharged, infection and pain control are continued
13. Exercise and physiotherapy play a major role in restoring normal function
14. Weight management is also very important

With age, most bones of the body undergo degenerative changes leading to reduced movement. The cartilage that is present in the joints allowing free movement is gradually lost due to wear and tear. This loss of cartilage makes the movement painful. This can also be caused by obesity and trauma, but age is the most common cause. The reduced movement leads to weight gain, which further aggravates the osteoarthritis.

Hips are one of the most commonly affected areas of osteoarthritis. Especially with overweight people, hips are quite often affected. In most people, early diagnosis can help in arresting progress and even reverse changes. This will help avoid chronic use of pain medications and major surgical treatments for managing the osteoarthritis.

Some of the most effective ways of managing osteoarthritis include the following:

1. Weight loss: Reducing weight is one the most important cornerstones of managing osteoarthritis. People who reduce weight will see a drastic improvement in their symptoms.
2. Pain medications: Pain is one of the main reasons that people seek medical help and that is when the diagnosis is made. Therefore, for immediate relief, pain control is essential. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are often used to control pain. In parallel, other measures for long-term control of osteoarthritis should be undertaken.
3. Cold therapy: Using cold packs in the area of pain can provide great relief from pain attacks.
4. Electrotherapy: Use of mild amounts of electricity can stimulate the nerve endings, reduce pain, and help in pain control.
5. Acupuncture: Relieving pressure points which can increase inflammation is also widely used to control pain.
6. Soft tissue massage: The soft tissues around the affected hip joint are regularly massaged, augmented by the use of a topical agent, which can help relieve the pain. The circulation is also improved, which can help in long-term symptom management including improved immune functions.
7. Regular exercise: A well-planned routine exercise regimen will help control pain, improve movement, reduce fatigue, improve endurance, and improve the overall quality of life. All affected tissues should be covered in the exercise bones, muscles and cartilage.

Using a combination of these techniques, the physiotherapy will aim to achieve the following.

1. Pain relief and protection: The first thing to manage is the pain, which brings the patient to the doctor. Once that is controlled, then long-term management needs to be planned.
2. Restoring hip movement and strength: Once the pain settles down, then the muscle strength, tension, endurance, and range of motion need to be worked upon. This restoration will be done in phases, and with each phase, greater range of motion will be achieved with lesser discomfort to the patient.

Physiotherapy uses various techniques to minimise symptoms and in some people, even complete reversal of changes is possible.