Knee pain is referred to as a condition when the knee joints (which are responsible for walking, running, sitting and standing along with bearing the maximum body weight for most forms of physical activities) are significantly inflamed, giving rise to a severe pain in particular areas or the entire knee joint. There might also be severe stiffness around the knee joint which might make it very difficult to function.

Knee pain might occur due to obesity, old age, different forms of arthritis, severe injury in the knee or the associated ligament or bones, knee cap dislocation, overuse of the knee joint and infections of the knee joint.

Homeopathic Treatment For Knee Pain:

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homoeopathy is not only to remove the symptom of knee pain but to cure its underlying cause. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for knee pain that can be selected on the basis of cause, location, sensation, modalities and extension of the knee pain. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. The effective homeopathic remedies for knee pain are as follows :

Bryonia Alba   This homeopathic preparation is effective in curing knee pain with the symptoms of severe pain in the knee joints during walking. Pain stops when you stop walking or moving and you may also have an abnormal growth in the knee joints. If the knee pain is caused due to osteoarthritis, Bryonia Alba can prove to be a useful remedy as well.

RhusTox   If the knee pain comes with the symptoms of severe pain in damp weather, intense pain after initial movement which tends to gets better in continuous motion, a prescribed dosage of RhusTox might help in the elimination of the pain.

Colchium   The medicine is useful in treating knee pain which worsens due to movement and subsequently improves in warm weather or after getting appropriate rest.

Silicea   This preparation is useful in curing knee pain which retains the sensation of being tightly bound during all times.

Lachesis   If the knee pain is caused due to rheumatoid arthritis, Lachesis can be an effective treatment. Lachesis can also be prescribed if the pain is accompanied with an abnormal growth around the affected area.

These are just a few of the commonly used Homeopathic remedies and are mentioned only to create awareness about the effectiveness of Homeopathic medicines for Knee Pain. It is not advisable to resort to self-medication for any disease.

Treating Knee Pain With Homeopathy Treatment

You must have had an ankle sprain or at least heard of it   it is an injury to the ligaments surrounding and connecting the bones of the leg to the foot. The injury occurs when you accidentally turn or twist the ankle in an awkward way. This can tear or stretch the ligaments that hold together the joint and bones of your ankle.

What Could Possible Lead to a Sprained Ankle? 
A sprain occurs when the ankle joint is forced out of its normal position as a result of the following  

  Awkwardly placing the foot while stepping up and down, jumping or running
  Stepping on an irregular surface
  During a sport or any sort of rigorous physical activity
  An injury while exercising
  Wearing inappropriate footwear

Symptoms of a Sprained Ankle-
A sprained ankle causes pain, swelling, and limited range of motion. You are likely to experience the following symptoms you sprain your ankle  

  Tenderness
  Bruising
  Stiffness
  Discolouration of skin
  Instability in the ankle
  Limping
  A popping sound or sensation at the time of the injury
  Inability to put pressure on the injured ankle

The symptoms of an ankle sprain are usually self-diagnosable and treatable at home. Nevertheless, you never know how severe the sprain could be. Therefore, consider seeing a doctor when you are having problems with your foot or ankle. A specialist can determine whether the injury is just a sprain or something more serious, with the help of X-ray and MRI.

What is the Treatment for Ankle Sprain?
The line of treatment depends on the type of sprain your ankle sustains. Treatment options include  

  RICE   Many people resort to simple home remedies such as RICE and cold compress to treat a sprained ankle. RICE refers to Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. It is a first-aid cure for strains and sprains.
  Cold Compress    Helps reduce inflammation and dulls pain sensation
  Medications   If you visit an orthopaedic, he/she will prescribe the NSAIDs to ease pain and reduce inflammation and fever
  Braces and Splints   These are applied to aid in stabilizing and protecting the injured joint and its movement
  Elastic Bandage   Stretchy bandages are used to wrap strains and sprains. These provide compression and support during recovery.

Apart from medications and devices, the doctor may also recommend stretching, physiotherapy, and massage. Mild physical movement and exercise will help relax your muscles and restore flexibility and muscle strength.

An ankle sprain cannot be prevented; it can happen anytime. What you can do is consult a specialist and seek treatment to get back to your daily activities.

Know More About Ankle Sprain!

Hip replacement surgery is a method wherein a defective hip joint is removed and replaced with an artificial hip joint. This procedure is only opted for after all the other treatments have failed to yield the desired effects. Hip replacement surgery removes damaged or diseased parts of a hip joint and replaces them with new, man-made parts. The goals of this surgery are to:
Relieve pain
Help the hip joint work better
Improve walking and other movements.
Who Should Have Hip Replacement Surgery?
The most common reason for hip replacement is osteoarthritis in the hip joint. Your doctor might also suggest this surgery if you have:
Rheumatoid arthritis (a disease that causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling)
Osteonecrosis (a disease that causes the bone in joints to die)
Injury of the hip joint
Bone tumors that break down the hip joint.
Your doctor will likely suggest other treatments first, including:
Walking aids, such as a cane
An exercise program
Physical therapy
Medications.
These treatments may decrease hip pain and improve function. Sometimes the pain remains and makes daily activities hard to do. In this case, your doctor may order an x ray to look at the damage to the joint. If the x ray shows damage and your hip joint hurts, you may need a hip replacement.
The Procedure-
Hip replacement surgery is a procedure that can either be performed by traditional means or a minimally invasive procedure. The primary difference between the two procedures is the size of the incision. The procedure begins with the doctor administering local anesthesia, though in certain cases, general anesthesia is also administered.
An incision is then made along the hip and the muscles that are connected to the thigh bone are shifted, so that the hip joint is exposed.
An equipment is then used to remove the ball socket of the joint by cutting the thighbone.
The artificial joint is then fixed to the thighbone and it is allowed to adhere properly.
Once the joint is fixed, the ball of the thighbone is then put in the hip socket.
The fluids from the incision area are then allowed to drain.
The hip muscles are then put in place and the incision is closed.
Post -surgery-
After the surgery, the recovery stage begins. The period of hospital stay post-surgery usually lasts for 4-6 days. A drainage tube is attached to the bladder to get rid of waste products from the body. Physical therapy begins immediately after the surgery and you will be able to walk after a few days with walking aids. The physical therapy continues for a few months after the surgery.
After care-
It is advised to avoid activities that involve twisting your leg for at least half a year. You should also avoid crossing the leg along the mid portion of your body. Your physiotherapist will provide you with exercises that aid to help you recover. Avoid climbing stairs and sit on chairs that have strong back support. 

All About Hip Replacement

The pain in the lower extremity of the body caused by the irritation of the sciatic nerve (the large nerve running down from the lower back of the body to each one of the legs) is referred to as Sciatica. Sciatica is caused by injury, inflammation or compression of the sciatic nerve and causes pain or numbness spreading to leg, buttocks, and hips. In Ayurveda, Sciatica is known by the name of Gradhrasi. It is believed to be aggravated by the imbalance of Vata Dosha.


Causes -

Sciatica can be caused by strenuous physical activity such as heavy weight lifting, or to exposure to extreme cold. Pressure on buttocks due to sitting or lying continuously for long hours, injury due to a fractured pelvis or trauma to thighs also damages the sciatic nerve.


Symptoms -

Pain in the back and the lower extremity of the body is the primary symptom of Sciatica. Also, there is a burning or tingling sensation in the affected area. It can also become numb. One may even find it difficult to walk. In severe cases, it becomes impossible to bend the knee or move the foot.


Treatment Through Ayurveda -

Through Ayurveda, Sciatica can be treated internally and externally by balancing the energies involved in the doshas:

Internal methods of treatment: Yogaraja Guggulu is the herbal pill consisting of Guggulu resin, twenty-five types of herbs and ghee effectively treats all types of pain associated with the nervous system. Dashamula Arishta, an elixir having sixty-three herbs, jaggery, plums, honey, and water has anti-inflammatory properties which help in toning up the affected nerve.

External methods of treatment: Application of Sarshapadi medicinal oil (made up of camphor, mustard oil, and vegetable turpentine as a base) on the affected area helps in relieving pain.

Panchakarma therapies are very effective in the treatment of this condition. They aim to relieve inflammation and release nerve compressions and spasms for strengthening the entire spine and the surrounding tissue. Generally, treatment through the Panchkarma therapies takes four to five weeks depending upon the severity of the condition. Following are some of the processes involved in treatment through Panchakarma:

Kativasti and Elakizi, Naranga Kizhi, Navarakizhi are very important in the treatment of sciatica.

Sarwang Abhyang is the full body massage with medicated warm oils for lubricating and nurturing the body for the pacification of Vayu.

Swedana refers to steaming the body for detoxification.

Vasti refers to the administration of medicated oils and decoction through anal route for treating the vatic disorder that is Sciatica as per Ayurveda. It pacifies dryness and strengthens intestines and is one of the permanent cures for most of the vatic disorders.

Siravedha is the venous puncture or venesection.

Agnikarma is the Cauterisation or burning the affected part.

Raktamokshan is the process for Blood purification.

Take Away-

Sciatica refers to the pain in the lower body due to an irritated sciatic nerve, caused due to nerve compression or trauma or injury. Through Ayurveda, Sciatica can be treated through internal or external methods as well as through Panchakarma therapies.

Sciatica - Panchakarma Therapy To Heal It!

Taking into account the hectic lifestyle we lead, most of us end up suffering from aches and pains. But that does not mean we have to continue to suffer from them. There are plenty of easy exercises that one can follow in order to keep themselves healthy and problem free!

In order to avoid aches and pains, the first thing that a person needs to do is 

Practice hamstring stretches regularly: What this entails is that he or she needs to lie on the back, raise a leg and hold the back of it with both hands. While it may be called the hamstring stretch and one would probably normally think that the beneficial impact of doing it would be limited to the hamstring, it works quite a bit of special magic which has an ability to ease the pain in the lower back. Now, for an exercise which is so simple, is it not worth it?
Side Stretch: Talking about stretches, another form of a stretch happens to be the side stretch. Even this is rather simple and all that needs to be done is to lie on one s side and pull the ankle of the leg which is not in contact with the ground towards the back. While this is being done, the ankle of the lower leg should apply pressure on the thigh.
Straight leg raise: It may seem that most of the exercises which reduce pain are stretches! However, this is not really the case as there is a place for exercises such as the straight leg raise and the like. What exactly is the straight leg raise? Well, it can be done when a person is either in a sitting position or is lying on his or her back. The toes are to be kept pointed upwards and the leg is to be raised. It is to be kept in mind that the challenge of the straight leg raise is that the knee should not be bent, at all.
The cat and camel exercise: The terms cat and camel generally refer to members of the animal kingdom. However, jointly, in terms of exercises, the cat and camel is an exercise well worth remembering as it can save the individual quite a lot of pain. All that needs to be done is to alternatively arch one s back towards the floor and the ceiling while resting on one s hands and knees.
While our way of living may come with certain side-effects ,but it would not be right to say that we are helpless. We need to take charge and make little changes to enjoy a healthy and happy lifestyle.

4 Easy Exercises for Aches And Pains

Non-inflammatory pain and tenderness in joints, muscles and ligaments can lead to a chronic condition called Fibromyalgia. It is estimated that it affects 5 % of the population annually. Though there are many conventional medications available to address this situation, none of them focuses on healing the disease from the root. This is precisely where Ayurvedic techniques differ. Let us look at a time tested way to address Fibromyalgia through ancient Ayurveda.

Ayurveda for Fibromyalgia
There are some common symptoms of Fibromyalgia. These include aches and stiffness of the body, generalized fatigue, chronic headaches and migraines, swelling and numbing sensations in the joints. Ayurveda treats a particular disease on the basis of the  vata  imbalance. The condition also affects the central nervous system thus leading to pain and tenderness. Accumulation of Ama or toxins is also the other major factor for Fibromyalgia.

Ayurveda focuses mainly on these two factors and creates a balance in suppressing them. The famed panchakarma therapy and the herbal oil massage can help in reducing the toxin levels. They also work additionally as a detox thus helping in eradicating the harmful by-products. Along with it, a diet plan should also be followed for stimulating the growth naturally. These include vegetables, fibers, and juices of carrot, cucumber, beetroot, spices like cumin, coriander, ginger asafetida and coconut milk.

Also, some limitations are needed, and a person should avoid spicy foods and reduce the intake of caffeine products. Alcohol should be curbed when a person is under the treatment plan. Few herbs like "Dashamula quath" and 'Triphala choorna' are recommended for cleansing the colon. Mental stress is also one of the major factors, and hence a relaxed attitude should be followed along with certain lifestyle changes. Ayurveda wants the body to get the necessary sleep and rest in its treatment plan. In the treatment of Fibromyalgia too, it is no different. The Ayurvedic physician would lay out the entire cycle of the treatment procedure, and they have to be followed religiously. A person can see the reduction in the pain within a few weeks of following the treatment.

Ayurveda is safe
The biggest advantage of an Ayurvedic treatment is that it is extremely safe and that there are no side effects. They effectively act as a detox thus getting rid of the harmful substances from the body along with curing of the symptoms. Ayurveda not only takes care of the pain but identifies the problem from the root. Hence it effectively curbs the chances of Fibromyalgia from reoccurring.

Fibromyalgia - How Ayurveda Is Safe For It?

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