Muscle strain or muscle pull is a condition, which is characterized by damage to the muscles or its adjoining tendons. Undue pressure can be exerted on the muscle when you are carrying out routine activities such as sudden lifting of heavy things or playing contact sports. The damage to the muscle is usually in the form of partial or complete tearing of the tendons and fibres attached to the muscles. The small blood vessels in the muscles can also be damaged by the tearing of the muscles, leading to local bleeding and bruising.

The symptoms of muscle pain are:
1. You will experience pain even while resting
2. There will be bruising, swelling and redness around the affected area
3. You will experience weakness of the muscles and tendons
4. The movement and mobility of the muscle will be impaired
5. You will experience pain when you use the affected muscles

The causes of a muscle strain are:
1. Playing contact sports can lead to injuries
2. Lifting heavy things
3. Exercising without a proper warm up routine
4. Lifting extremely heavy weights during exercise without proper acclimatization
5. Sleeping on one side only for a long period of time
6. Not stretching properly
7. Falling from a height

The treatments for muscle strains are:
1. Pain medications: You can opt for pain relieving medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications to help combat the associated pain of a muscle strain.
2. Rice: Rice stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. This treatment is usually the first step after suffering a strain, before opting for medications. This treatment prevents further aggravation of the problem.
3. Compress: You can alternate between hot and cold compress to reduce the swelling and pain.
4. Stretches: Once the affected area has healed, it is important for you stretch the muscles to improve their mobility and strength.

Not Stretching Properly? It May Cause You Muscle Strain

Tennis Elbow is involved with the muscles and tendons of one s forearm. It leads to inflammation of the tendons which join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow.

Physiotherapy treatment can be of great help. The primary goal of this treatment is to improve the strength as well as the flexibility of one&#39;s forearm muscles. Now, before we take a look at the tips regarding physiotherapy treatment, let us briefly discuss its symptoms and causes.

Symptoms

If a person suffers from the problem of tennis elbow, then it s sure to cause pain and tenderness on the outside of one s elbow. The pain is at its peak when the elbow is kept still, while there might be variations in the pain when it is in use.

There are other symptoms, which include:

Trying to lift the arm can cause discomfort as it results in pain.
One can also feel the pain while writing or even when anyone tries to grip small objects.
People can even encounter stiffness accompanied by pain when they try to extend his or her arm at full length.

Causes

There are a number of causes behind the occurrence of Tennis Elbow. They include:

Incorrect movements of the arm on a repeated basis, which can result in the tendons getting torn.
Those who play sports like badminton, tennis and squash that require excessive movement of racquets.
Any manual work that requires regular lifting of the wrist.
Sports activities that involve an extensive amount of throwing.

Tips Regarding Physiotherapy Treatment For Tennis Elbow


Consult a physiotherapist to undergo physiotherapy treatment for tennis elbow, the therapist would help to provide strength and flexibility of forearm muscles. The following are some of the tips regarding Physiotherapy treatment to treat tennis elbow:

A physiotherapist can offer the modern technique of dry needling the wrist extensions in order to improve the range of motion among patients.
Modern physiotherapy treatment for tennis elbow also includes the use of Kinesiology Tape, which can relieve pressure, relax associated muscles and also increase blood circulation.
Cupping is another mode of physiotherapy treatment, which can help increase blood flow to the affected tissue and improve the length to rest muscles
Physiotherapy can include a patient wearing an elbow strap, which wraps around his or her upper forearm in such a way that the pressure gets relieved on the tendon attachment.
A physical therapist might even apply ice and electrical stimulation to ease out the pain and improve the healing process of the tendon.
Physical Therapy sessions can also include iontophoresis, which makes use of mild electric current to insert anti-inflammatory medicine.
Once the pain subsides, a physical therapist provides inputs on different exercises like Wrist Extensor Flex, Elbow Bend, Wrist Turn, Wrist Lift and Palm Up, Towel Twist etc.

Physiotherapy Treatment In Tennis Elbow!

The pectoral muscle is the large muscle in the chest; that appears just below the collar bone and runs down through the sixth rib. This muscle is used when you flex and raise your arms over your head.
A strain on this muscle is self-treatable in most cases. The most common cause of pectoral strain is its overuse. Bodybuilders who perform extensive strength training are more prone to pectoral strain due to heavyweights they lift on a regular basis.

Lack of adequate warm-up before exercising can be another cause of this condition.

Symptoms
Pain in the chest is one of the most significant signs of pectoral strain. At times, shoulders and front of the arm may also be hurt if one has ruptured the pectoral muscle. Injuring the pectorals makes it difficult in moving the arms. According to diagnosis, although first degree strain on the pectoral muscles does not lead to a loss of muscle power, a more serious second or third degree tear in the pectoral muscles can cause significant weakness in the muscle strength.

Treatment and cure
A natural treatment for treating pectoral muscle strain at home is to put a temporary hold on all the workout regimes and allow the muscle to heal on its own. During this time, icing the inflamed zone can also help to control the pain. Icing the inflamed pectoral muscle for two to three days along with an application of a compression bandage helps in reducing the swelling.
In worst cases, surgical intervention may also be required for third degree muscle tear in the pectoral zone, especially when other tendons are also involved in the injury.

Prevention
One should always remember to stretch the muscles properly before any extensive workouts, to prevent this particular condition. Doing a chest stretch exercise helps in loosening the pectoral muscles in a faster and effective way.

Pectoral Strain - Signs You Are Suffering From It!

Pain in the joint is an eventuality that only few can escape. It is an ailment that comes with age and promises to stay despite continued attempts at eradicating it. Being a problem that many are battling, it has provoked attempts at treating it. Various disciplines of medicines have tried in their own ways in dealing with this problem, but ayurveda with its strict reliance on natural products and aversion to chemicals has been most preferred. The various ways by which ayurveda treats joint pains are:
1. Massage: ayurveda focuses on massages as a remedial measure. Using few herbal oils and using them to massage regularly on the affected joints has been an accepted remedy for joint pains. A massage promotes blood circulation and creates a calming effect.

2. Hot and cold compresses: the effectiveness of this form of treatment has remained prevalent through generations. Extremely convenient and easy to use, you can use hot and cold compresses alternatively to ease the pain.

3. Fenugreek: fenugreek seeds have a long standing reputation of relieving you of pain. Boasting of antioxidant properties and the ability to reduce swelling, they must be finely grounded and swallowed with lukewarm water to enjoy best results.

4. Turmeric: in the hierarchy of ayurvedic medications, turmeric probably ranks the highest. It is packed with multiple benefits. Not only does it take care of the skin, it also helps in reducing joint pains. The most common way of having it is by mixing turmeric in a glass of warm milk and honey.

5. Apple cider vinegar: apple cider vinegar reduces joint pains by effectively eliminating the accumulated toxins. It is rich in magnesium and phosphorus and owing to its alkalizing effect, it has the ability to cure rheumatism.

Ayurveda and Joint Pain Remedies

Knee replacement can be extremely painful. Previously, opioids or narcotics were administered for pain relief. But excessive addition of opioids is not exactly effective for controlling pain. 

Multimodal pain management has become an important part of the perioperative care of patients undergoing total joint replacement. The principle of multimodal therapy is to use interventions that target several different steps of the pain pathway, allowing more effective pain control with fewer side effects. Many different protocols have shown clinical benefit. The goal of this review is to provide a concise overview of the principles and results of multimodal pain management regimens as a practical guide for the management of joint arthroplasty patients.

Multimodal denotes administering two or more than two types of medications that work with different mechanisms. The following are the techniques used:

Pre-operative Femoral Nerve Block: Prior to the surgery, a catheter is placed beside the femoral nerve for blocking it. This nerve is located in the upper thigh. Medication is delivered through the catheter for the nerve to be numbed for 24 hours. Thus, pain signals to the brain are blocked. This method reduces the use of narcotics and the consequent side effects.

Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA): This method is also known as  Pain Pump . An intravenous pump is used to administer pain relief medications, such as oxymorphone or morphine, after the surgery. The control button of the machine could be pressed, by the patient for 6 to 10 times per hour. The machine is used for two post-operative days.

Oral Medications: The oral medications include Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs or NSAID; such as Celebrex which is similar to aspirin, structurally. Alternatively, acetaminophen, such as Tylenol or its equivalent composition, can also be used.

Acetaminophen: It acts on the Central Prostaglandin Synthesis and relieves the patient of pain through multiple mechanisms.

Epidural Analgesia: It produces lower pain scores and involves less time for achieving physical therapy goals. However, this is subject to side effects such as dizziness, urinary retention and itchiness.

Gabapentinoids: These medications include membrane stabilizers such as Gabapentin and Pregabalin.

The objective of multimodal treatments is to provide quick relief to the patient and immediately so. Earlier the rehabilitation, more successful will be the knee replacement surgery.

Multimodal Pain Relief After Total Knee Replacement

Gridhrasi is what Sciatica is known as in Ayurveda. It is the disorder that causes mild to agonizing pain in the sciatic nerve or neuralgia. These nerves, emerging from the pelvis, run along the hamstring and may cause intense pain in one or both the legs when a person suffers from Sciatica. Sciatic pains fill your life with misery as the simplest of daily activities cause sudden and excruciating pain. There are two types of sciatica i.e. true sciatica and pseudo sciatica. Sciatica may be caused due to bulging disc or herniated disc, degenerative disc disease, piriformis syndrome, pregnancy or trauma etc. 

According to Ayurveda, Sciatica is caused due to impairment in Vata i.e. the dosha responsible for the functional ability and movement of the body and also in some cases due to impairment in the Kapha i.e. the dosha that is responsible for body fluids and lubrication. Ayurvedic herbs that improve the symptoms of Sciatica are:

1. Babunah is also known as Bitter Chamomile. Not only is it used to relieve and reduce the pain faced by a sciatica patient, but it is also used for treating problems such as rheumatism due to the advancement of age. Compressed bitter chamomile flowers are prescribed for sciatica.
2. Guggul is also known as Indian Bdellium. Since guggulu is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties, it relaxes the sciatic nerves.
3. Rasna is also known as Vanda Orchid. Intense or agonizing pain due to the sciatic nerve issues can be reduced by this ayurvedic herb due to its anti-inflammatory properties. 
4. Juniper oil is extremely helpful when massaged onto the thigh muscles with firm strokes or pressure. It is used extensively in massage therapy for treating sciatica since the extent of reduction in sciatic nerve pain is tremendous. 
5. Jaiphal is also known as Nutmeg. After being mixed with sesame seeds oil, nutmeg is coarsely powdered and then fried till it turns brown. This is then applied to those areas where the sciatic pain is intense for instant relief.
6. Kumari is also known as Indian Aloe. Properties of Indian Aloe are extremely helpful in treating lower back ailments such as sciatica and lumbago.
7. Shallaki is also known as Boswellia or Frankincense. Containing anti-inflammatory properties, shallaki is applied externally to get relief from sciatic nerve pain. 

Ayurvedic preparations such as yogaraja guggulu, Vataganjakusha, Saindhavadi taila are also very useful in treating Sciatica.

Ayurvedic Treatment of Sciatica

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