Hot and Cold therapy is one of the most popular home remedies for any kind of joint pain or muscle sprain. In some cases applying heat therapy and cold therapy alternatively, can help relieve the pain while for others only one form of therapy is necessary. To understand what to use when, one should first understand the effect of heat and cooling on the body.

Applying a heat pack or immersing the affected limb in hot water improves blood circulation and makes the muscles more flexible. Thus, it can help relax a muscle and fasten the healing of damaged tissues. On the other hand, cold therapy or cryotherapy reduces blood flow to the affected site. This helps relieve inflammation and pain caused by it. It can also make the area feel numb by reducing nerve activity temporarily.

Types of Heat Therapy
Heat therapy can be categorized as dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat involves using saunas or dry heating packs to relieve pain. This is also known as conducted heat therapy. As the name suggests, moist heat involves the use of steamed towels, hot baths and moist heating packs. This is also known as convection heat therapy. Moist heat is usually considered more effective than dry heat.

Types of Cold Therapy
Cold therapy may be applied to a part of the body or to the entire body. This includes ice packs, coolant sprays, ice baths, ice massages and whole body, cold therapy chambers.

How to use heat and cold therapy?
The sooner heat and cold therapy is given to a person, the faster they will recover from their pains. Heat therapy can be given to a person for extended periods of time but when giving cold therapy, a person should not be exposed to a cold pack or ice bath for more than 10-15 minutes. Care should also be taken no to apply ice or a frozen pack directly on the skin as it can damage the skin and nerves.

When not to use Heat Therapy?
If the injury site is swollen or bruised, cold therapy is better than heat therapy. Heat therapy should also not be applied to an open wound. People suffering from conditions such as diabetes, dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, vascular diseases and multiple sclerosis should also avoid heat therapy as these conditions can increase the risk of burns and other such complications. Pregnant women should also consult a doctor before using a hot tub or sauna.

When not to use Cold Therapy?
Cold therapy is avoidable for treating stiff joints and muscles. People suffering from poor circulation and sensory disorders should also avoid using cold therapy without a doctor s supervision. 

Hot & Cold Therapy - How It Can Treat 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 

Hemorrhoids or piles are diagnosed by swelling of veins in the lower part of anus and rectum. Due to swelling, the walls of rectum and anus are stretched and thus become irritated. Hemorrhoids are of two types: Internal and External hemorrhoids.

Internal Haemorrhoids: As the name suggests, the piles are not visible from outside. These are present deep inside the rectum, located above the pectinate line and these are covered with the cells that are present through the rest of intestines. Internal hemorrhoids are normally painless. The first sign of internal hemorrhoids is rectal bleeding. However, straining can push internalhemorrhoid and it protrudes through the anus and this can be painful.

Causes of Haemorrhoids
The swelling of hemorrhoid occurs only when the pressure in the small vessels of rectum and anus is increased and is engorged with blood. The size of the hemorrhoids is also increased. The increased pressure may be due to various factors:

Consuming low fiber diet and pushing or straining while passing stools, thus blood vessel pressure is increased.
Pregnancy also is a cause of swelling as there is the increased pressure of the uterus on rectum and anus.
Sitting for long on toilet also increases pressure.
Obesity is also a cause of hemorrhoids.
People suffering from diarrhea, both acute and chronic.
A person having colon cancer might have hemorrhoids.
Signs and Symptoms of Haemorrhoids:

The most common symptoms of hemorrhoids are painless bleeding, itching in anal, swelling and feeling of the presence of lump at the anus.
All these symptoms are associated with inflamed hemorrhoid.
Inflamed internal hemorrhoid can cause swelling, but is painless as there are no fibers attached to veins above the pectinate line that cause pain. However, passing hard stools can scrape off the thin lining of hemorrhoid, which can cause the painless bleeding.
Spasms of the rectum and anal muscles caused by these swollen hemorrhoidscause pain, especially when they are protruded through the anus.
Internal hemorrhoids can form a clot or thrombose resulting in severe pain.
The presence of has inflammation, stool,and constant moisture and these can lead to itching and burning sensation in the anus among patient of internal hemorrhoid.
Treatment of Haemorrhoids

Diet: Haemorrhoids can be treated when individuals consume a fiber-rich diet in order to soften the stools and ease their bowel movements. Fiber-rich foods include fresh fruits, dry fruits, grains, vegetables, and cereals. About 20 to 30 grams per day of fibrous foods is recommended. Dietary fiber will help create bulk in the intestines which will help in softening of stools and ease bowel movement. Supplemental fiber available in the marketincludes psyllium husk, methylcellulose, and calcium polycarbophil. Other recommendations include increased intake of liquids and having stool softeners. Drinking enough water and liquids will prevent stool from hardening.
Over-the-counter topical treatment: There are various products available to treat hemorrhoids, such as gels, hydrocortisone creams, ointments, foams, pads, and suppositories.
Home remedies: Soaking anus in a warm sitz bath might also help in hemorrhoids for about 10 to 15 minutes per day. One should practice good hygiene and clean anus with warm water while showering. Avoid using soap and dry toilet paper. One can also use a cold compress on the anus.
Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hemorrhoids (MIPH)

Out of the various types of medical and surgical interventions available to treat Piles, Minimally Invasive Procedure for Hemorrhoids (MIPH) 0r painless stapler surgery is known to be very popular since it acts an alternative approach to surgical interventions made for piles.

MIPH is defined as a minimally invasive surgical technique in which a band of loose or prolapsed mucosa and sub mucosa in the rectum is excised, proximal to the piles and disrupted mucosa is fixed by  stapled end to end mucosal anastomosis.

This will ultimately occlude the blood supply to the superior hemorrhoidal artery above the hemorrhoidal tissue, resulting in the retraction of prolapsed mucosa back to its original anatomical position. A special circular stapler known as PPHO3 is used in the anastomosis and the whole maneuver will take around 30 45 minutes.

Internal Haemorrhoids - Best Ways They Can Be Treated!

Are you prone to slipped disc problem? + the ideal way to treat it

A slipped disc, also known as a prolapsed disc or herniated disc, is the term given to the phenomenon that occurs when a cartilaginous disc found between the vertebrae in the spine becomes slightly displaced or protrudes, thereby pressing on the nerves in the adjacent areas and causing back pain.
This happens when the soft inner part of the disc, known as nucleus pulposus, bulges out through a weakness in the exterior part of the disc. A prolapsed disc usually occurs in the lower region of the spine and can be of varying sizes. There might even be the development of inflammation around the disc in some cases.

Who is likely to get affected?
Most cases of herniated disc occur in patients between the ages of 30 and 50. The number of men affected is twice as many as the number of women.
Although the root cause of this problem is not yet known, there are a number of factors that may trigger it. These factors include working at a job that requires a lot of lifting, an occupation that involves remaining in a seated position for a long time, weight-bearing sports, obesity, smoking habits and increasing age.

Effective ways of treating the problem
The different methods that are commonly used to treat the problem are:
Medications
There are many different kinds of medicines that are effective in providing relief. These include painkillers, muscles relaxants, anti-inflammatory pills, etc.

Spinal injections
A number of spinal injections are used to treat slipped discs. The injection is done at the opening where the inflamed nerve roots are found and reduces pain, swelling and irritation in the area.

Radiofrequency ablation
This procedure makes use of an electrical current produced by radio waves to reduced pain and sensitivity in the affected area.

Ozone discectomy
As opposed to the surgical removal of the prolapsed disc, this new process makes use of an ozone-oxygen mixture that is injected into the spine to treat the problem. Many international studies have proved its superiority to traditional methods and surgeries.

Those affected by this problem are advised to keep exercising and continuing with their everyday activities as best as possible.



Why You Can Get a Slipped Disc Problem?

Conventional medicine treats pain with the help of medications; by either blocking the transmission of pain signals in the body or by correcting the underlying problems caused by the pain in the first place. However, traditional and alternative forms of medicine such as acupuncture manage pain issues within the body through the means of redirecting disrupted energy flows. One of the very few forms of alternative treatments used in conjunction with conventional treatments, acupuncture is seen as a mercurial rise in popularity in the past few decades.


What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture dates back to ancient China, about 2500 years ago. It has been widely practiced there for a number of millennia, not only pain relief, but also for treating many ailments. Acupuncture isn t just considered a form of therapy, but a holistic form of medicine. Acupuncture works on the principle of the flow of energy within the body, also known as  Qi , in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture strives to correct the disruptions in  Qi  that may cause pain by manipulating over 2000 of the specific pressure points within the body with the help of specially created needles.


Where is acupuncture effective?
Acupuncture is very effective in treating a host of ailments, especially in relieving the associated pain. Some of the areas where acupuncture has proven its effectiveness are:
1. Treating nausea and vomiting caused due to chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients
2.  Very useful in treating post-operative pain caused due to dental procedures
3.  Rehabilitating patients who have suffered strokes
4.  Fibromyalgia (musculo-skeletal pain with fatigue accompanied by sleep and memory issues) 
5.  Effective in combating withdrawal symptoms caused due to addiction
6.  Pain from menstrual cramps
7.  Tennis elbow
8.  Osteoarthritis (a type of arthritis caused due to the erosion of tissues present at the ends of one s bones)
9.  Pain of the lower vertebrae within the spinal column
10. Asthma


How does acupuncture work within the body?
According to modern medicine, the specific pressure points utilized by acupuncture within the body help in releasing chemicals that can block or at least reduce pain. It encourages the flow of chemicals from the brain, which act as nerve and pain blockers. It also helps stimulate the muscles and nerve endings, which can lessen inflammation and thus help in reducing pain.

Acupuncture - Why Should You Use it to Combat Pain?

Pain in the joints continues to bug mankind till this very day. There are different types of joint pains, which might occur all of a sudden, with no signs of receding. The most common of them all are arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, back pain and repetitive muscular strain. These joint pains are sometimes impossible to diagnose properly by the regular modes of diagnosis. In those cases, resorting to the homeopathic mode of medication might be a good idea as it is a medication based on treating the actual cause of the disease and sustained use might result in complete remission of the pain.

Some commonly used homeopathic medications for pain in the joints are as follows:
1. Rhus Tox: This is the most commonly used in homeopathic preparation for severe joint pains, the symptoms of which include severe pain after relaxation, pain triggered by slightly wet weather and pain after walking or running for a long time.

2. Arnica Montana: When the symptoms are pain in every joint of the body resulting in body aches and pertaining injuries due to accidents, Arnica Montana serves as the perfect medication.

3. Actea Spicata: This medicine is primarily used as a remedy for pains in the small joints of the hands. The symptoms for which the medication can be implemented are rheumatoid arthritis in the joints of the finger and swollen wrists after usage of the hand.

4. Colchium: This medicine can be used in case of Rheumatoid Arthritis (inflammatory and chronic form of arthritis).

5. Bryonia Alba: This medication can work wonders if the symptoms include severe pain in the knee joints while walking, severe swollen joints and osteoarthritis (affects the flexible tissues present at the bone ends).

However, it is always advisable to take medication as prescribed by your doctor, as the potency and frequency can only be decided by your doctor.

Homeopathic Treatment for Pain in the Joints

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