Joint Replacement Surgery is a procedure where the damaged surface of the advanced arthritic joints are removed and replaced with artificial joints, such as metallic, plastic and ceramic joints.
These surfaces closely replicate the original anatomy.

When do you need a knee replacement?
When you suffer from severe pain or deformity in the joint (knee in this case), the pain or stiffness and deformity makes it difficult to perform simple tasks. Severe grade IV osteoarthritic knees of  people over 50 years when have pain, swelling and deformity fail to respond to medicines, physiotherapy, injections and rest.

Aim of the surgery

    Correct the deformity: Relieve the pain and give near full movements almost immediately after the procedure. Details including techniques and safety, it is a safe, rewarding surgery with a success rate of as high as 99.5% when done by an able and experienced professional.
    Anaesthesia: Usually it is the spinal cord epidural where one is rendered numb for 3 to 4 hours waist down. Sometimes a general anaesthesia is given. A 4 to 5 inches cut is made in front of the knee and all the damaged cartilages, bones, loose bodies are removed from the lower end of the thigh, upper end of the tibia (usually of few millimetres) and the surface re-crafted to match the size and shape of the artificial joint (it is usually imported). They are fixed with bone cement. The ligaments and muscles are reattached and the parts closed.
    Recovery: Stand up and walk a few steps with a walker the day after the procedure i.e. in 24 hours. Physiotherapy in hospital for 5 to 7 days and/or walking, progressively longer walks and exercises over the following 15 days. Stitches are removed in 15 days. The patient can return back to normal activity in 4 to 8 weeks the surgery.
    Activities: Normal walks of 3 to 5 km per day Climbing stairs, cycling, swimming, and driving can be performed with the new implant(s) now.
    Avoid: Squatting/kneeling Prohibited: contact sports like football, cricket, tennis; jumping; adventure sports Longevity of joints: 15-35 years depending on the materials used.

Joint Replacement Surgery - When Should You Go for  it

In Ayuveda, muscle cramp is known as  khalli vaata . Vyaana vaata it is a biological force that is responsible for regulating the functioning of your voluntary muscles. In case of a muscle cramp, the vyaana vaata gets impaired. Metabolic wastes are harmful toxins that tend to get accumulated in your system if not flushed out of your body and deposited between your muscle tissues and nerve-endings. This toxic waste is known as 'aama' in Ayurveda and it is known be a prominent cause of cramps. Besides aama, vata dosha is also responsible for muscles cramps.

Ayurveda provides a number of remedies to treat the problem of muscle cramps. The following are some of the most effective remedies to relief the discomfort of muscle cramps:
1. Drink warm milk to get instant relief from abdominal cramps. The alkaline properties of milk help to pacify the acidic condition in stomach that results in cramps. It is also a rich source of calcium which is known to aid in the relaxation of troubled muscles.
2. Physical activity including stretching exercise is effective in reducing the acute pain of leg cramps.
3. Garlic compound which is also called as 'Lagsunadivati' is helpful in relaxing muscles and it is also known to calm the  vata dosha  that aids in relieving muscle cramps.
4. Do warm up exercises and stretching exercises to lessen the risk of developing a muscle cramp during your workout session
5. Increase the intake of foods that are rich in minerals, calcium, potassium and magnesium as it is known to reduce the chances of muscle cramps.
6. Massage the painful region with 'prasarini taila' or 'mahanarayana taila' to relax the strained muscle.
7. Apply ice pack on the strained muscle to reduce the swelling and pain of the muscle.
8. Sinhanaada guggulu is well known to provide instant relief from muscle cramp. It has medicinal properties which have a mild laxative effect. It eases the problem of abdominal cramps and lessens the discomfort associated with it.
9. In case of extreme pain, 'Lakshmivilaas rasa',  Prataapa lankeswara rasa , are among the most effective Ayurvedic medications which are known to provide relief in case of chronic muscle cramps.

Muscle Cramps - How to Treat them Effectively through Ayurveda

Bone issues are very common. From infection to inflammation to injuries to mere old age, bone issues are very common. Arthritis can happen with any of these conditions. The healing of this has two aspects one is to heal and reduce the pain and the second is to address the underlying condition. The range of motion needs to be improved, and further damage to the bones should be arrested.

Ayurveda identifies two types of joint problems, one is due to poorly nourished bones, which are prone to damage and the second is the over accumulation of toxins, leading to joint pain and stiffness. This joint pain would be further aggravated by damp weather.

Ayurveda also believes that the overdose of vaata leads to bone issues. So food items aimed at reducing vaata should be included so that balance is restored. There is more than one component to this healing. Food, lifestyle changes, herbs, and exercise manage bone issues, arthritis and the pain. Let s see how.

Food: Eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a calcium rich diet is very essential for healing bones. Eat freshly cooked food items and include a lot of dairy products.
Lifestyle: A regular sleep schedule, which is in sync with the biological clock, is very essential. Also eat at regular intervals with the meals getting lighter as the day goes by. Exercise, even in the form of brisk walk, helps soothe joints and keeps them agile.
Massages: Oil massages like Abhyanga are very essential to prevent joint problems. They also help in reducing toxins, which are quite high in chronic conditions like arthritis. These oils can be applied directly on the joints too to improve lubrication, movement and reduce pain.
Go anti ama: There is another component known as ama, which is an equivalent of toxins. The diet and lifestyle should be aimed at reducing ama, which gets accumulated with age in the form of digestive toxins. Eat food products that are easy to digest, consume ama reducing spices like turmeric and pepper, avoid daytime napping and exercise regularly.
In addition, the following herbs are known to be beneficial for bone health.

Ashwagandha: It has rich anti-inflammatory properties, produces effects equivalent to steroids and helps in controlling joint pain and inflammation. Swelling and movement are also improved with its regular use.
Boswellia: Combined with Ashwagandha, this is another wonder drug that helps reduce bone inflammation. It suppresses release of chemicals responsible for inflammation and helps control pain and swelling.
Turmeric: One of the most acclaimed anti-inflammatory agents, it releases multiple enzymes and thereby controls inflammation.
So, for bone pain and arthritis, an NSAID is not the only remedy.

Arthritis and Bone Disorders - How Ayurvedic Remedies Can Help?

Sciatica refers to the pain one experiences due to the irritation or compression of nerve roots contributing to formation of Sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest nerve in the body, running from the lower back, down to the back of each leg. The pain can occur in the lower back and spread to the hips, buttocks and leg. Sciatica generally affects one side of the body. There are numerous causes of irritation of the sciatic nerve and sciatica.
 
Some of them are:
 
1. Spinal Stenosis
The narrowing of the spinal canal caused by natural wear and tear of the vertebrae (individual bones in the spine protecting underlying nerves) of the spine is known as spinal stenosis. The narrowing may put pressure on the roots of the sciatic nerve, causing pain.
 
2. Herniated Disc
A disc is made up of cartilage and acts as a cushion between vertebrae, allowing flexibility of the spine. A herniated or slipped disc occurs when a disc is temporarily pushed out of place, putting pressure on the sciatic nerve.
 
3. Spondylolisthesis
It is a condition where one of the lower vertebrae slips forward over another. This also causes a collapse of the disc space between both, causing the nerve to get pinched. This may cause sciatica.
 
4. Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis is a muscle found deep inside the buttocks, which connects the lower spine to the upper thighbone, running directly over the sciatic nerve. Spasming of this muscle can pressurize the sciatic nerve, triggering symptoms of sciatica.

5. Sacroilitis
Sacroillac joints are the place where the lower spine meets the pelvis and inflammation of one or both of these joints causes sacroilitis. This can give rise to symptoms of sciatica as it causes pain in the lower back, buttocks and legs.
 
6. Spinal tumors
Very rarely, tumors growing inside or along the spine may put pressure on the sciatic nerve.
 
7. Infection or injury
Muscle inflammation, infections, fractures or any other spinal injury may lead to irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve.
 
8. Pregnancy
Pregnant women may suffer from sciatica due to weight gain, expansion of the uterus or increased fluid retention or other changes occurring in the body, which put pressure on the sciatic nerve.
 
9. Other causes
Osteoarthritis and fractures caused by osteoporosis may also affect the sciatic nerve, producing symptoms of sciatica.

Top 9 Causes Of Sciatica Nerve Pain - You Need To Know About

The spine plays a very crucial role, both from a person s movement and sensation point of view. It carries the nervous supply for a lot of internal organs and the lower body. By virtue of its structure, it also helps in movement through the disks. Due to various reasons, spinal injury is common, causing pain along the back, lower extremities, neck etc.

Medicines and exercise are the first line of treatment for most spinal injuries. The issue, however, is that these only provide relief from the pain and the medicines, but do not actually  rectify  the underlying problem. Whether it is a herniated disk or a pinched nerve, the medicines and exercise can relieve the symptoms, but the disk continues to be herniated and the nerve continues to be pinched. Definite treatment is in the form of surgery, and with recent advancements in the field of spinal surgery, there are minimally invasive surgical options, which provide complete cure with minimal recovery time. Some of the benefits of this are listed below-

Smaller incision compared to traditional surgical procedures, where only the injured area is accessed

The surrounding tissues are untouched, unless they are injured and require repair

Lesser bleeding compared to earlier techniques

Lesser painful procedure

Reduced hospitalization period

Quicker recovery and return to normal activities

The question, however, is whether this is indicated in everybody. A detailed discussion with your surgeon keeping the below points in mind will help identify the answer for this. The main driver should be the answer to the question   will the surgery be able to effectively relieve you of the pain and symptoms? Additionally, the following factors help in getting better results out of a minimally invasive spinal surgery.

Presence of symptoms relating to nerve compression, including pain from the spine down the leg.

Recent onset of symptoms, with pain starting days to months before seeing the doctor. This indicates the condition is relatively new and so damage is minimal, indicating favorable outcome. Chronic pain conditions take slightly longer time compared to recent injuries.

People with active lifestyle who engage in regular physical exercise are likely to have better benefits from the minimally invasive procedure.

Smoking reduces blood flow to the spine, leading to disk degeneration and weakening of bones. Healing is highly slowed down and recovery is overall delayed.

Excessive weight puts strain on the back, and so healing can be delayed or badly affected with more complications. It is not a contraindication, but be prepared for a longer recovery period.

Talk to your doctor keeping these points in mind, and you can bid farewell to your back pain forever.

Is Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Right For You?

Stress is sometimes good for you. When you stretch yourself beyond your capacity, your body accepts challenge and increase the capacity to cope up with challenge. To a certain extent, it is good for body. But when the stress crosses the limits, it starts hurting you. That's the bad stress for you. Moderate stress for too long a time also is bad for you. Most of the hormonal diseases like diabetes, thyroid etc. Occur because of long standing underlying moderate stress. 

Stress can be physical or mental. Physical stress is due to long and continuous physical activities like walking, jogging, travelling, cycling. Mental stress is mainly because of financial tension or relationship distress. Both types of stress cause similar damages to body. Stress is the main underlying cause behind diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid, diabetes, kidney disease, peptic ulcer, bleeding disorders, cancer, recurrent infections etc. 

Finding out the reason of stress and removal of cause of stress should be the main line of treatment of such diseases.

Stress - Good and Bad

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