When the median nerve that runs through the palm and forearm is twisted or squeezed, a condition called the Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs. This carpal tunnel is a passage that is narrow and is present in the ligaments and tendons. This nerve is responsible for offering a feeling sensation to the palm, index finger, thumb, and the middle finger. A part of the ring finger too shares the same. The median nerve is compressed when the tendons are irritated. This leads to pain in the forearm and arm, palm, and wrist. Additionally, this condition can cause numbness and weakness.

How it begins? 

This condition does not occur suddenly but gradually. In the initial stage, the sufferer experiences burning, itching, and numbness in the palm. The thumb, index and the middle finger feel these symptoms. The affected individuals may notice that the hands are swollen and rendered useless. You may feel pain and numbness in one or both the hands during sleep. Slowly, the numbness and pain keeps increasing and can be felt during the day. This is why you may want to shake off hands multiple times.

Factors responsible for this condition: 

Various factors can trigger Carpal tunnel syndrome. If you have had any injury to the wrist in the past that caused swelling, you may suffer from this syndrome. For instance, a sprain or fracture can trigger a Carpal tunnel syndrome. A thyroid gland that is overactive or underactive, arthritis, and overactive pituitary gland, too, can cause this condition. If your occupation involves an excessive movement of the wrists or if your lifestyle involves excessive work stress and the use of vibrating tools, then also this syndrome may affect you. Compression of the median nerve or narrowing of the space for the median nerve are the two other reasons. Fluid retention during menopause or pregnancy can also result in Carpal tunnel syndrome.

Will you be at risk?

Women are more likely to suffer from this condition as compared to men because the carpal tunnel is smaller in the former group. The symptoms are first seen in the dominant hand. The high-risk group includes diabetics and people who suffer from other metabolic disorders. People who are working with industries that deal with manufacturing, cleaning, assembly, sewing, or poultry or fish packing mostly face this disorder.

What can you do?

Surgical and non-surgical treatment methods are available for Carpal tunnel syndrome. When you are diagnosed with Carpal tunnel syndrome, undergo the treatment as advised by the doctor. Wear a splint at nights. During days, when you see swelling or redness of the palm, apply cooling packs. Take breaks from work, if it involves pressurizing the median nerve or if there is any narrowing of the space. Chiropractic therapies, acupuncture, and yoga are known to offer relief as well.

Prevention techniques: 

To prevent Carpal tunnel syndrome, always ensure you stay in the right posture. Use a fingerless glove as this keeps the wrist and palm warm. Take frequent breaks from the task that you are performing, especially the ones that require too much of the wrist movement. Job demands should be considered, however, rotating tasks with colleagues can provide an excellent relief. If your doctor feels that surgery is the only option left to provide relief, then you need to go for the same. With the two options of open release surgery or endoscopic surgery, you can expect symptoms to be relieved as soon as the procedure is conducted. 

Things You Need To Know About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! 

Concentrated pain in the neck can be especially tormenting. Before you look for a cure for this pain and start treating it, it is important that you try and find out the underlying cause behind it as well. Contacting a physiotherapist in time will allow you not only to avoid any and every side effect posed by neck pain, but also assist you to get good riddance from it.

Causes of Neck Pain:
There can be multiple causes of neck pain. The treatment of the same depends wholly on the factor that is causing the pain. Some of these causes of neck pain include

Misaligned hips,
Misaligned Spine,
Misaligned shoulders,
A constantly forward-tilted head,
Lack of movement of the head from one specific position,
Tensing up of the muscles in the upper back,
Tensing up of the muscles in the neck region, etc.
It is all these factors and a few more that end up resulting in stiffening of muscles in and around the neck and causing you intermediate to unbearable pain.
Side effects of neck pain:
Neck pain also has some side effects, which includes temporary loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, blackouts, temporarily blurred vision, headache, spondylitis, etc.

Exercises for neck pain:
Neck exercises are a predominant part of the treatment extended by every physiotherapist, to cure neck pain. Some of the most vital and effective exercises for neck pain are listed below.

Frog: Funny as it way sounds, the frog is one of the best exercises when it comes to treating neck pain. All you have to do is lie down on the floor with your knees apart, your feet joined, your hands laid upward on the floor at a 45-degree angle to your body and just stay there in that position for two minutes. This will force your back to arch naturally, slowly giving some relief to your neck.
Sitting floor: Try sitting floor for neck pain. All you have to do is sit straight with your back rested on a wall, with your legs laid straight forward. Bring together your shoulder blades and bend to help them meet your knees while curling the toes outward to optimal. Stay in this position for a good 3 minutes, without bending the legs.
Static wall: Lie down on the floor with your bottom against a wall and your legs up it. You can always scoot back a bit if there is the slightest of discomfort. The aim here is to help the tail bone lie comfortably on the floor. Tighten your thigh muscles but curling your toes outward and pointing your feet straight out from its previous position. Maintain this position for 3 minutes for maximum effect.
Static back: The static back is the most common and most helpful exercise for neck pain. All you got to do is lie down on the floor, while placing your legs on an elevated surface, such as an ottoman or a chair at a 45-degree angle to your body. Now put your arms at an angle of 45 degrees to your body as well, only sideways on your shoulder. Follow this position by lifting your palms and staying in that position for five to ten minutes.
All these exercises are aimed to positively influence one muscle or the other in and around the neck region and to help you get rid of that pain. Consult a physiotherapist first, and he/she will advise you on the best neck pain exercises.

Neck Pain - 4 Exercises to Control Pain

Our bones and joints make us functional on a day to day basis. It is, therefore, imperative that we should take good care of them at all times. There are many conditions that can affect our skeletal system and one of them is, Gout. While the link between the two may not be that obvious, gout happens to be a condition, which is sometimes related to arthritis. Therefore, it is sometimes known by the name 'gouty arthritis'.

While the issue may be severely painful, it does not mean that it cannot be reduced. And of course, when a person has the option and cutting the pain caused by gout drastically, his or her natural response is likely to be 'why not?'

Why Does It Happen?

The main reason for the occurrence of gout is too much uric acid being present in the body. The limbs of the body swell up, especially the extremities and this is known to be very painful. In many cases of gout, the swelling is especially evident in the big toe. Flare ups can last hours on end and may even get longer.

The people who wish to get the gout that is putting him or her through so much pain treated, there are quite a few options at their disposal. There are pain relievers that can be consumed under the advice of a medically qualified professional. While these pain relievers do not treat gout, but can reduces the intensity of the symptoms. Daily doses can be recommended as per the requirement and severity of the situation.

How to Get Rid of Gout?

While some anti-inflammatory drugs may have their effect, but no matter how bad the pain, aspirin is a drug that needs to be avoided. Intake of aspirin can make the problem even worse, which is the last thing a person would want!

The severe problems of gout can be dealt with the chemicals known as corticosteroids. Now, while these can provide some very effective pain relief, using them can be tricky due to certain side effects. One of these side effects is that since these chemicals are injected into the joints, they can significantly weaken them. The other side effect is that they slow the healing process of the wound. Both of these side effects are highly undesirable for any patients. These chemicals are usually prescribed by the doctors after a thorough analysis of patient's condition and history.

A person who drinks alcohol and suffers from severe condition of gout should look to scale back the amount which is consumed by him or her. This is because alcohol increases the amount of uric acid which is present in the blood.

Gout and Its Treatments

Rotator Cuff Tear is one of the most common disabilities observed amongst adults above 40 years of age. Rotator Cuff is a group of four muscles that keep the Humerus (arm bone) attached to the socket of the Shoulder. The Rotator Cuff keeps the Shoulder Blade attached to the arm, and when there s a damage (tear) in one of these muscles, excruciating pain is felt by the patient.

Kinds of Rotator Cuff Tear-

  Partial Tear: This happens when one of the Tendons amongst the four Tendons is damaged or torn.
  Full Tear: This occurs when all the Tendons are torn; this is also called Complete Tear. Severe pain is experienced in this type of tear and surgery might be required.

Symptoms-

  A person may experience excruciating pain while performing daily tasks like Combing hair, Picking up Laundry, etc.
  Muscle weakness and stiffness on Shoulder.

Diagnosis of Rotator Cuff Tear-

  Ultrasound is used to check the internal structure of the shoulder and the damaged muscle pattern. The waves directed into the shoulder create images of the Tendons and ligaments of the shoulder. This allows the doctor to access the severity of the damage on the shoulder.
  MRI: When the doctor needs a better look at the Tendon damage, radio waves provide a better imagery than Ultrasound.

Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tear-

  RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation): In Case of partial rotator cuff injuries with very little damage, RICE is a good treatment option to treat temporary partial damage in the shoulder. Applying cold water and moving the hands slowly helps the muscles to get into shape.

  Injections: Non-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to the patient suffering from Full Rotator Cuff injury to deal with the pain. A Tendon tear can cause extreme pain, which might give the patient some sleepless nights. Non-inflammatory painkillers temporarily numb the shoulder, allowing the patient to sleep.

  Physical Therapies: Physical therapy is one of the most sought out treatment option. Physical therapy allows a person to recover from a rotator cuff injury through exercises and mild movements of the arms and shoulders.

  Surgery: When the injury is too severe for conventional treatment and medication, a patient might have to go through some complex surgeries.

A) Arthroscopic Tendon Repair: In this surgery, the doctor makes a small incision on the shoulders and then inserts a Laparoscope type instrument (Arthroscope) into the muscles, with a camera attached on the top. This instrument allows the surgeon to see the muscle structure and also helps in re-joining the tendons.

B) Open Tendon Repair: Arthroscopic Tendon Repair can be a bit complex, that s why an open tendon repair is preferred by most doctors. In this surgery, the surgeon makes a bigger incision and attaches the Tendons surgically. 

Conclusion-
Rotator Cuff Tears is a severe problem for the locomotion of body, but it is treatable, as long as one doesn t delay going to an experienced doctor.

Rotator Cuff Tear - Know The Treatment Options!

What is paralysis?
Paralysis is a loss of muscle power and function of any part of the body. It is seen in the form of weakness of body parts, loss of sensation, and loss of movement of that part.

What is physiotherapy and why it is used?
Physiotherapy includes massage, therapeutic physical activities, scientific procedures, and education. Physiotherapy should be started as soon as possible, and it needs to be regularly followed, on a daily basis to see its best results. If it is not done under the proper guidance, it may worsen the condition of the patients. It is helpful in the following ways:

Helps to improve blood circulation and relax muscles
Slows down the progress of paralysis
Improves muscle tone
Maintains the respiratory function
Prevents pressure sores and contracture in the bedridden patients
Helps to build up strength in the affected muscles which helps to prevent the limbs from becoming deformed
Helps in building up the motivation and morale of the patient
Helps improve balance and coordination of the muscles
What therapies are included in it?
It includes the following therapies:

Aerobic exercises: It encourages a rapid exchange of oxygen to muscle tissues which increases sensory and motor function.
Method of physical conditioning: It is conducted via active or passive ranges of motion which help improve the muscle strength and also help the patient to adapt or learn how to use the paralyzed limb.
Exercises: Exercises, such as hip rotation exercise and its variation, ankle rotation exercises, and toe rotation exercises are advised in lower limb paralysis.
Electric stimulation therapy: It helps restore the motor function in paralyzed patients where electrical stimulation is done via a low-frequency device.
Mobility aids: Mobility aids, such as a wheelchair, help to move from one place to another place.
Hydrotherapy pool: It helps assist patients to overcome conditions where movement is limited because of paralysis and where muscles are weakened.
Massage therapy: Massage therapy helps regain control of muscles and boost the range of motion by improving blood circulation to the affected part.
Hand muscle exercises: It includes exercise with the balls or any other toy to improve hand grip and muscle power.
Speech therapy: In patients with aphasia, speech therapy is given to improve the speech.
Parallel bars: It helps practice walking and balancing when there is impairment.
Physical training: In physical training, various exercises are taught to improve the muscle strength of the affected part.
Use of teaching transformers (wheelchairs, bed, car, or toilet): It helps improve safety and also promotes independence.

Role Of Physiotherapy In Patients With Paralysis!

Paralysis can be concluded as the state when the muscles lose functioning in any part of the body. Any kind of disruption in our nerve system can be responsible enough to cause paralysis. Our central nervous system and peripheral nervous system communicate and control our senses of movement. But interruption in nerve impulses can cause weakness in muscles which leads to muscle paralysis.

Symptoms
A paralysed patient will encounter symptoms like:

Decreasing the motor power
Decreasing vasomotor control
Loss of sensation
Decreasing bowel and bladder control
When it comes to treating a paralysis patient, physiotherapy is proven to be the best remedy. Physiotherapy has thoroughly helped patients with paralysis in getting to feel confident and independent. Physiotherapy includes various exercises and techniques which are developed with time in order to provide a complete rehabilitation to the patients.

Types of paralysis:
There are mainly four types of paralysis

Monoplegia: when one limb gets paralysed
Hemiplegia: when arm and leg of a single side get paralysed
Paraplegia: when legs get paralysed
Quadriplegia: when both sides get paralysed
Treating paralysis with physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is advised to patients with any type of paralysis. It should be started soon in order to improve blood circulation in the muscles. It also helps in relaxing the stiff muscles. This treatment improves the overall health condition of the patient.
Physiotherapy is also responsible for reducing any kind of swelling which takes place due to external brain injury.
Physiotherapy is helpful in making the patient stable and independent.
It also helps in maintaining the blood pressure.
It helps to improve the respiratory system.
Physiotherapy maintains the affected muscles and nerves. It provides strength to the affected muscles and works to prevent the limbs from getting deformed.
One major symptom of paralysis is a loss of bladder and bowel function. Physiotherapy helps in managing the paralysed bowel and bladder.
Physiotherapy involves different techniques which can be learnt from a physiotherapist in order to transfer a paralysed patient.
Othorsis, canes, braces, splints are the equipment that is advised to the patient by a professional physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy helps in resolving problems such as anxiety, anger, depression, a denial which takes place after post-paralysis mental trauma.
A physiotherapist provides safeguarding tips to the patient and his or her family in order to avoid accidents.
Physiotherapy has a big role in creating motivation in the patient's mind.
These are the benefits of physiotherapy which help the paralyzed limbs getting stronger and better. But it is always advised to be done under a professional physiotherapist.
 In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!

Paralysis - Can Physiotherapy Help You?

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