Dr. Sunil V Nukapur

Arthritis is a very painful disease. It restricts you from doing a lot of the activities you would love to engage in. However, there are steps you could take to reduce the chances of it happening to you.

Here are some of them:

1. Take Omega-3 fatty acids
Research proves that the regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish, result in decreased risks of rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in foods such as olive oil and walnuts.

2. Take Vitamins and olive oil
Vitamins are crucial, especially A, C and D. Vitamin A can be found in carrots. Vitamin D can yet again be found in fish while Vitamin C can be found in strawberries, mangoes, pineapples and oranges. Olive oil is also useful because it contains polyphenols which reduce the chances of developing arthritis.

3. Eat ginger and broccoli
Ginger and broccoli are two of the most therapeutic foods for various reasons and the chances of getting arthritis are also proven to reduce due to these foods.

4. Avoid injury
Although this is very hard to do sometimes, avoiding injuries do reduce your chances of getting arthritis.

5. Control your weight
This is very important, especially for your knees. It has been proven by researchers at Johns Hopkins University that if you are 10 kg overweight, then 30 to 60 extra kilograms of weight fall on your knees.

6. Exercise
Strengthening your muscles around your joint decrease the pressure on the joint. If there is less pressure on the joint, then the chances of arthritis are reduced. The best way to decrease pressure on the joint and strengthen your muscles is to exercise.

 In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Pain in two or more joints in the body is known as multiple joint pain. Pain may occur either when a joint moves or when it is at rest. Sometimes, the pain might stem from the muscles, ligaments, or tendons. Examples of such conditions include tendinitis and bursitis.

Arthritis may be associated with the pelvis or spine joints. Different disorders affect different joints and the causes and treatment options vary accordingly. There are some disorders which affect the same joint on both the sides of the body, such as both hands and the knees. In certain disorders, the pain resulting from arthritis keeps on moving from one joint to another (migratory arthritis).

Causes:

1. Most of the time, the root cause is arthritis. However, the reasons which cause arthritis are different from each other, in the way:

   • The types of joints involved.

   • The number of joints involved.

   • Whether the central area of the skeleton is involved or not.

   • Whether it is chronic arthritis (longstanding) or acute arthritis (sudden).

2. Acute arthritis which affects multiple joints can be due to:

   • Viral infections

   • A chronic disorder which was already present or any joint-related condition (such as psoriatic arthritis; occurring in combination with skin psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis).

3. Chronic arthritis causing pain in multiple joints is most commonly due to:

   • Inflammatory disorders including psoriatic arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus (combination of several auto-immune disorders).

   • Osteoarthritis or non-inflammatory disorder (adult joint disorder).

   • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (children joint disorder).

The most common joint disorders are:

1. Fibromyalgia (widespread tenderness and pain in the muscles)

2. Bursitis (inflammation of the joint cushions) or tendinitis (inflammation of the tissues which connect the bone to the muscle)

3. Polymyalgia rheumatica (stiffness and muscle pain, primarily in the shoulders)

Warning Signs Include:

1. Swelling and redness of the joints.

2. Fever, chills or sweat.

3. Chest pain or severe cough.

4. Abdominal pain.

Treatment Methods:

1. Drugs and medications are needed to treat autoimmune disorders. The autoimmune response of the immune system is suppressed with the help of these drugs. These medications include immunosuppressive medications, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines.

2. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help in reducing inflammation.

3. A sling or splint bag immobilizes the joint, which relieves the pain.

4. The application of heat with a heating pad will lessen the pain to a great extent.

5. Cold application with ice cubes wrapped in a cloth will provide relief.

Consult an orthopaedic doctor to know you type of multiple joint pain and an accurate treatment for it.

It is not that very easy to get complete recovery after spinal surgery and for that you have to rely on different caring tips. Your surgeon can help you in this regard and can provide you a checklist containing different essential caring tips. You should follow those tips sincerely so that unwanted side-effects can be easily avoided. 

Few caring tips after a spine surgery:

1. Consumption of adequate amount of proteins: If the protein content is increased in your diet, then quickest recovery can be definitely expected. Muscle collagen can be strengthened and healed with the regular intake of the necessary amounts of protein. In fact, infectious conditions can be effectively dealt with by protein intake. 
2. Getting adequate rest: proper rest is needed and you should have enough sleep for getting complete recovery. If your body needs some more sleep than the standard one, then you should go for the same. Your mood, memory and body will get refreshed and rejuvenated by taking proper sleep at night. In fact, you can also get rid of pains and other side-effects after surgery by taking rest. 
3. Taking nutritional supplements: There are a few essential nutrients that are needed after the surgical procedure, and they are vitamin D, vitamin C, Omega-3 fatty-acids, magnesium and others. These nutritional elements are now available in the form of supplements and are readily available in the stores. Though these supplements are completely organic, but still you should start taking the same when doctors permit you. These supplements help in collagen healing and thus speedy recovery can be gained by taking them in a consistent manner. Muscle heath can be effectively protected by consuming these supplements. 
4. Acute hydration: Hydration is highly needed especially after spinal surgery so that toxin accumulation can be prevented. If you want to get proper hydration, then nothing can be a better option than drinking lots of water. In fact, spinal surgeons also recommend the same for avoiding surgical complications. Tea, coffee and sodas need to be completely replaced with water. Your system can be thoroughly cleaned by draining out toxins. 
5. Eliminating refined sugars from diet: Refined flour and sugary products are to be completely curtailed from regular diet; otherwise you might face severe complications. Your blood-sugar level needs to be regulated. If your immunity system gets suppressed, then you will be in great trouble and hence sugar should not be included in your diet at all.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

What is a strain?
A strain is a muscular injury caused due to poor posture or any physical activity that exerts a lot of pressure on the muscle. It is nothing, but a torn muscle or tissue connected to a bone. A strain can occur in any muscle of the body, but it most commonly occurs in the lower back, neck, shoulder, and hamstring, which is the muscle behind your thi gh.

What is pain?
A pain is an extreme sensation of discomfort or distress that might be caused due to external stimulus. In a nutshell, it’s an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience.

One can differentiate between a pain and a strain through the following ways

1. Symptoms: One of the major symptoms of a strain is acute pain. Simultaneously, the torn muscle will be sore; it will be discoloured and swollen. Movement will be limited in that part of the body and the patient will get a ‘knotted-up’ feeling because muscular injury weakens or stiffens the muscle. Another major symptom of strain includes muscular spasm. Pain on the other hand is a state of physical and sensory discomfort caused due to an external stimulus. The affected area will not have the aforementioned symptoms and is not limited to muscular injury.
2. Length of time: One of the key ways to differentiate between a muscle strain and pain is the amount of time the symptoms persist. Normal pain lingers for about three days and is reduced with medication. In case of muscular strain, the pain lasts longer because the injury is internal. The muscles are sore and stiff and remain weak until treated.
3. Type of distress: The feeling of pain usually persists irrespective of the fact that the patient is at rest or is not moving; while in a muscular strain, the patient is not distressed at rest but experiences major discomfort when trying to use or move the affected part of the body.

The sensation of pain usually worsens with activity. On the other hand a muscular strain is treated with muscular exercises such as stretching. If the patient doesn’t use the affected muscle for a long period of time, it tends to worsen. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!