Stitches or sutures act as a closure for either surface wounds or deep wounds. Procedure to close a deep wound comprises of sewing the two edges and applying stitches under the skin surface.

Catagories of sutures

    Non-absorbable stitches: Such stitches are applied in case of skin wounds or internal wounds. Such stitches get healed quickly and are easy to remove. Non-absorbable stitches are made of natural fibers or synthetic threads like nylon polypropylene. As the name suggests, these stitches are either permanent or persist for a long time.
    Absorbable stitches: Such stitches are applied on layers, which have the property of healing quickly. They are very firm during the initial days. Then they start getting dissolved in the body.

Precautions taken by medical team before applying stitches to prevent infection

    Careful checking of nose for occurrence of germs before the start of operation.
    Skin must be cleansed prior to surgery.
    Sanitizing hands prior conducting the surgery.
    Usage of germ free gloves and sterile clothes while applying sutures.
    Prescribing antibiotics to the patients who may fear high risk of infection.

Precautions to be taken by patient to prevent infection

    Take a bath prior to surgery.
    Avoid using razor at the surgical site. The same can be carried out by using clippers by the surgery team itself.
    Keep all your jewellery aside before the operation starts. Do not apply nail polish.
    It is advised to cover up the wound. Try to keep the adjacent areas germ free. This is a crucial step in avoiding infection.
    Visit your doctor at once on finding redness around the wound.

When to see the doctor
Pain up to a certain threshold is normal. In case pain gets unbearable, the scene can be alarming. It may be an indication of infection. Taking immediate remedial steps is necessary to avoid infection or any other side effects post the surgery. On meeting with any of the following signs, it is better to consult doctor at once.

    If the skin around the wound gets swollen.
    If you detect redness around the wound.
    If the pain becomes unbearable.
    If the wound starts developing pus.
    If your body temperature increases abnormally or if you have fever.
    If you observe red streaks around the wound.
    If in case a stitch gets opened up and the edges of the suture start widening. This is the most alarming sign. In case a suture gets opened, you must immediately seek a remedy.

Ask your doctor for the precautions you can take to avoid experiencing any of the above signs. If you come across such alarming symptoms, rush to the nearest hospital and get the appropriate treatment.

Pain in Stiches - When You Should See Your Doctor?

Acupuncture is a kind of therapy that combines needles with pressure and pain points in order to delicately apply pressure for pain relief. This form of physical therapy is being increasingly recognised as an efficient method of treating pain in joints, muscles, bones and even for migraine pain. So let us find out more about Acupuncture and pain management.

    Chronic or Long Term Pain: There are many ailments that cause chronic or long term pain. These include back pain, neck pain, stiffness in the joints, osteoarthritis, headache and migraine, and pain in the shoulders. All this can be treated over a long period of time with the help of simulated acupuncture which uses pointed apparatus for activating better blood circulation for overall improvement in the pain that is being experienced in the area. The use of this apparatus helps in avoiding the harmful medication that can have adverse side effects.
    Menstrual Cramps: A fine needle method at the right points can help in bringing down the symptoms of the painful condition called dysmenorrhoea during menstrual cycles. With acupuncture, the acupuncturist can administer acupoint therapy to relieve menstrual cramps. This will help in moving the qi, or life force, in a better way so that the pain will stop. 
    Acute Pain: Over use of muscles, joints and repetitive, work related movements and strain can lead to acute pain. This includes wrist pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, back pain, lower back pain, neck pain and even leg pain. With acupuncture, the patient gets rid of the pain in close to twelve sittings.
    Pain due to Cancer Treatment: Cancer and its treatment can take a heavy toll on the body and lead to a series of complications which also includes pain. A clean needle procedure can be followed along with the chemotherapy and radiation or after it, so as to relieve the patient of the pain experienced. Also, it can be used to replace traditional chemotherapy and radiation. 
    Better Rest: When the needles or apparatus touch the pressure points and circulate the blood and life force, it actually creates a soothing effect and helps the patient sleep and get better rest. This is also a requirement for pain relief. It can bring better blood flow to the area and help in removing anxiety and stress related to pain so that there is better chance of getting rest. 

With the use of acupuncture, pain can be taken care of with the needles and various tools that come in various shapes. These tools and equipment can also use laser treatment along with the point focused treatment.

Acupuncture and Pain Management

Pain management is an issue that stares back at mankind, irrespective of the underlying health condition. Whether it is a headache or a back pain, burn or fracture, heart attack or cancer, pain is always a symptom. In some cases like migraines, cancer, etc., the pain is chronic and the patient needs to be constantly on the vigil to know when an attack will ensue. This has also put high pressure on the medical fraternity to identify ways that can provide relief to these people. Various methods have been identified, and one of them is the electrotherapy.

What is done?
A few electrical impulses are directed at the area of the pain using a hand-held device. This is similar to providing electric shocks of mild intensity to the affected area (forehead, low back, neck, etc.). What this does is stimulate the nerve endings, improves circulation and muscle strength and promotes bone growth and tissue repair. The end result of all this is overall improved functioning and pain relief. Depending on the actual condition, the sessions will have to be repeated. In some patients, the electrotherapy is used in conjunction with other therapy so that they can go about their routine exercise and pain relief.
The sessions may also have to be repeated as most often these are used in individuals with chronic pain. They are also helpful in providing relief during the acute attacks.

How does it work?
The most common form of electrotherapy is known as TENS, which stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The area to be treated is cleansed with spirit and then small sticky pads are applied through which the electricity is passed. A hand-held device is used, through which electrical impulses are passed to the skin, which stimulates the nerve cells to provide relief from pain. It causes a vibrating and tingling sensation in the treated area. It is believed that it blocks the nerve impulses and therefore provides pain relief. Another theory states that they promote the release of endorphins which are natural painkillers; it is also very effective in case of migraine and sciatica and neck pain where the chronic pain is coupled with acute spurts.

With narcotic painkillers having various side effects, techniques like electrotherapy are gaining popularity. A small catch also is that it does not work for everybody and in most people with back pain, fibromyalgia, and migraines, requires repeat sessions for relief. The cost of each session also needs to be considered against the extent of relief achieved. However, for those whom it works, it is a very good technique for chronic pain control.

Electrotherapy - How It Can Help In Managing Pain?

Vaginismus is a condition characterized by significant pain in the vagina generally during sexual intercourse. This pain occurs on penetration due to the contraction of the vaginal muscles.

Causes

The exact cause of Vaginismus is not exactly known to the doctors. But some researchers suggests that the pain might result from severe anxiety or illogical fears before sex.

Vaginismus can be primary or secondary depending on the concerned woman s previous sexual experiences. Vaginismus can be linked to an earlier sexually painful experience, sexual trauma or psychological factors. In some cases, the pain tends to exist without any direct physical cause. The causes of the pain might vary from women to women and might occur in some cases with only one specific partner and not with others.

Sometimes the pain might stem from underlying infections or any other underlying complications.

The symptoms of Vaginismus are as follows:

Severe pain during intercourse.

Severe pain during insertion of tampons or during any medical check-ups.

The following treatments can be useful to treat Vaginismus:

If the pain arises due to anxiety or fear, counselling sessions can help you to a remedy.

If the pain arises whenever something penetrates the vaginal walls, progressive desensitization can be useful to treat the pain. The process aims to loosen the vaginal muscles so that you don t experience any pain during sexual intercourse.

Kegel exercises (at least 20 of them) can help in the initial stage to relax the vaginal muscles. After you exercise for a few days, you should try inserting one finger inside your vagina while doing the exercises. Try doing it gently and if it still hurts, try doing it with a lubricating jelly. This continuous procedure will help in the contraction of the vaginal muscles which eventually relax.

Vaginismus - Things You Should Be Aware of 

In preparation for the possibility of conception, a woman's body undergoes the menstrual cycle every month which culminates into the periods. This is a normal process which all women of reproductive age go through every month. However, in certain cases, the periods can be really painful where you may suffer from menstrual cramps or could be generally in much pain. This condition is known as Dysmenorrhea.

What exactly is Dysmenorrhea
As mentioned above, Dysmenorrhea is a disorder that many women got through while having their periods where they may suffer from painful cramps. The pain usually occurs in the pelvis area along with the lower abdomen and it may also be accompanied by other symptoms.

Some symptoms of Dysmenorrhea
Some of the symptoms of Dysmenorrhea could be any combination of the following factors
I. Very painful menstrual cramps accompanied by lower back pain
II. Diarrhea and nausea along with the cramps
III. Pain in the inner thighs, lower back and hips
IV. Being hypersensitive to light, loud sounds, specific smells and touch
V. Being fatigued all the time, even causing you to faint

Causes of Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is usually caused by the contraction of the Uterus. While the uterus does contract a little even in normal periods, during Dysmenorrhea the contractions tend to be a little too much. Due to this the uterus presses against the blood vessels and organs within the vicinity causing oxygen loss to them. This causes elevated levels of pain and discomfort.

Some of the underlying causes which may result in Dysmenorrhea are:
1. Narrowing of the cervix - Also known as stenosis, the lower part of the uterus which is the cervix may become narrow due to scarring and cause Dysmenorrhea.
2. Endometriosis - This is where the uterine lining is found outside the uterus, especially in the pelvic cavity and thus may cause painful cramps.
3. Inflammatory pelvic diseases - This is when a bacterial infection in the pelvic area can spread to multiple organs, including the uterus and thus may cause painful menstrual cramps.
4. Tumors - Tumors or fibroids which are unwanted growths on the inside of the uterus may also trigger Dysmenorrhea.

What to do if you are suffering from Dysmenorrhea
Below are some of the basic steps which you can take to ease pain from Dysmenorrhea
1. Avoid smoking and abstain from alcohol
2. Ample rest during periods
3. Keep the body dehydrated
4. Don't consume foods high in salt
5. Don't drink coffee or any caffeine rich foods
6. Lower back massages and hot water bag treatments to relieve pain
If severe pain still persists for long or if dysmenorrhea occurs repeatedly, then you should consult a doctor first rather than trying to resolve the problem yourself.


All about Dysmenorrhea

Foot pain contributes around 3-5 % of patients visiting Orthopedic OPD, with heel pain being predominant complaint. Heel pain commonly involves the underside or back of your heel. Although not a symptom of a serious condition, it s disabling as it can interfere with your routine activities.

Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, Heel spur, Retrocalcaneal bursitis are few common conditions causing heel pain.

The below few conditions which are prone to developing heel pain like:

Abnormal walking style (gait)/altered alignment of the foot
Obesity
Ill-fitting shoes/ badly-worn shoes
Standing, running or jumping on hard surfaces
Injury to the heel, such as stress fractures
diabetes and arthritis
The most common causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis (bottom of the heel) and Achilles tendinitis (back of the heel).

Presenting complaints:

Pain which is usually intense in the mornings or after a long period of res,
Discomfort or swelling in the back of your heel
Skin on your heel overly warm to the touch
Burning sensation over heel
Numbness or tingling in your heel
Swelling around ankle etc
Remedies you can try:

Avoid activities that aggravate your heels, such as running, standing for long periods or walking on hard surfaces.
Ice application on your heel for 10-15 minutes at least three times a day.
Well fitting shoes.
Non-steroidal antinflammatory drugs can reduce inflammation and pain
A splint is worn at night
Flexibility exercises
Prevention of heel pain:

Wear a well-fitting & comfortable shoe
Always warm up and cool down when exercising or playing
Silicone insoles
Consult your doctor immediately if, Heel pain persists in spite of home remedies. Try these tips to put Heel pain at rest!

Heel Pain - Effective Ways To Put It At Rest!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Arm Pain online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Arm Pain - Online and Easy!

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