Muscle cramps often occur in the calf muscle of the back of the lower leg. It is often characterized by a momentary sharp pain along with a muscle lump beneath the skin. Just like its sudden appearance, muscle cramp disappears the same way without any botheration. However, a doctor should be consulted if you see any of the following symptoms:

    The pain keeps coming back
    The cramps result in weakening of the muscles
    It causes frequent discomfort
    It results in changed skin color, redness or swelling of the skin
    The condition doesn t improve with normal care
    Cramps are not associated with obvious causes such as playing, exercising and jogging

What causes muscle cramps?
Any strain on muscle, dehydration, muscle overuse or simply standing for a prolonged time can lead to muscle cramps. The exact cause of muscle cramps is not known in a lot of cases. There could be the following medical conditions that could lead to such muscle cramps:

    Blood supply: At times when the arteries narrow down resulting in an inadequate blood supply in the leg, a sharp pain can be felt followed by muscle cramps. This can happen while exercising or playing. It disappears as soon as one rests their legs.
    Mineral depletion: Shortage of magnesium, potassium and calcium in the body can lead to muscle cramps. Even medication for high blood pressure can lead to cramps in the legs.
    Nerve compression: Nerve compression of the spine can produce sharp pain on the leg muscles. The pain worsens with longer durations of walk. The symptoms, however, can be delayed a bit if the walking posture is changed, like the way one walks while carrying a shopping cart.

What are the risk factors associated to muscle cramps?

    Dehydration: Muscle cramps often happen among athletes when they get dehydrated and fatigued while performing in hot temperature.
    Age: People over the age of 60 often lose mass in the muscle. The remaining mass gets stressed out soon, resulting in muscle cramps.
    Pregnancy: Pregnant women face frequent muscle cramps due to the sudden increase of body weight and restricted movements in the pregnancy period.
    Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions such as nerve disorder, thyroid problems, liver failure, diabetes etc. greatly increase the chance of muscle cramps.

Some common ways to treat muscle cramps:

    A brisk walk followed by stretching relaxes the muscles and greatly helps in staying away from cramps.
    A diet consisting of magnesium on a regular basis gives relief from muscle cramps.
    A wet cloth soaked in hot water often shows magical results and gives instant relief from muscle cramps.
    Being hydrated throughout the day helps with muscle cramps. It is necessary to consume enough amount of electrolytes so that muscle contraction does not happen.

Why You Get Muscle Cramps?

Hip replacement is a surgery in which a specialist doctor surgically removes an agonizing hip joint afflicted with arthritis and replaces it with a man-made joint usually produced using metal and plastic elements. It is usually done when all other treatment choices have been tried and have proven unsuccessful in providing satisfactory pain alleviation. The technique is to mitigate the pain in ahip joint, in order to make walking and other physical exercises easier.

The surgical procedure is as follows:

Hip replacement surgery can be performed generally or by utilizing what is called a non-obtrusive method. The primary difference between the two methodologies is the number of entry points needed for the surgery.
During standard hip replacement surgery, you are given general anesthesia to relax your muscles; this will keep you from feeling any pain during the surgery or being awake during the surgery. A spinal sedative might be given to counteract pain as an add-on option.
The specialist will then make a cut at the edge of the hip and move the muscles connected to the highest point of the thighbone to uncover the hip joint.
Next, the ball part of the joint is taken out by cutting the thighbone with a saw. At this point a fake joint is attached to the thighbone using a material that allows them to stay intact.
The specialist then readies the surface of the hipbone - evacuating any harmed ligament - and joins the substituting attachment to the hipbone.
The new ball part of the thighbone is then embedded into the new joint part of the hip. The specialist then reattaches the muscles and shuts the entry point.
There are some things you need to keep in mind and be attentive about, post the surgery. These are as follows:

You will probably remain in the healing facility for four to six days and may need to remain in bed with a pad between your legs to keep the new hip joint set up.
A seepage tube will be set in your bladder to help you urinate without having to walk to the bathroom.
Non-intrusive treatment usually starts the day after surgery and within the days you can go around with a walker or a walking stick.
You will continue with the non-intrusive treatment for quite a long time which could be a number of months post the surgery.
For anywhere in the range of six to twelve months after hip replacement surgery, rotating or putting pressure on the operated leg needs to be limited to a great extent. You need to likewise not cross the operated leg past the midline of the body nor turn it inwards.
You cannot twist the hip past ninety degrees. This includes both twisting forward at the abdomen and crouching.
Your physical advisor will tell you the methods and equipment that will help you comply with the above rules and precautionary measures while performing every day exercises.

Hip Replacement - Things You Must Keep In Mind!

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

Frozen shoulder is a condition where the patient encounters continuous shoulder stiffness and pain. It could last for several weeks. Inflammation around the shoulder increases the inability to move or stretch properly. This happens when somebody is recovering from an injury. Frozen shoulder can also occur when somebody is wearing a sling or a cast. It also occurs if someone is recovering from surgery or experiencing joint pain. It may also be experienced as a symptom of thyroid, joint disorders or diabetes.

Some of the causes and risk factors for creating a frozen shoulder are as follows:

    If you are 40 years or older, your chances of a frozen shoulder are higher than others
    Recovering from a damage or surgery
    Hormonal imbalance
    Ladies are more prone to a frozen shoulder
    Cervical disc infection that influences the nerves around the shoulder
    Not moving your arm because of other pain or wounds
    Having a previous medical condition like diabetes or other heart diseases
    Open-heart surgery or spinal surgeries
    Poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle

The most widely recognized symptoms of a frozen shoulder include:

    Stiffness around the shoulder usually happens in one shoulder at a time (not both) and will probably return in the same shoulder. Muscle, joint and bone agony in and around the shoulders or arms may be experienced.
    Restricted scope of movement
    Having difficulty moving and using the shoulders or arms ordinarily, (for example, experiencing difficulty in getting dressed, driving, holding objects before you, and gestures.)

Treatment:

    Stretch the Shoulder: Before beginning shoulder exercises for a frozen shoulder, try to warm up your shoulder by doing a few warm up exercises. This will improve the blood supply in the affected area and avoid future injuries by making your body more comfortable with the motion. The best approach is to extend and warm up the shoulder by applying heat for 10 to 15 minutes, scrubbing down or showering with Epsom salt.
    Non-intrusive treatment: While these activities mentioned above can be easily performed at home, if pain continues and makes it difficult to move around or work ordinarily, see a physiotherapist who can appoint particular activities and can enhance your scope of movement, flexibility and strength.
    Acupuncture: Acupuncture is considered one of the best treatment choices for any joint and nerve related problem. The treatment is based on focusing on the trigger points of the pain and putting pressure on them via needles. The treatment is not painful and is known to produce good results in the long run.
    Dietary Supplements: Various supplements can be taken with the recommendation of a doctor, in order to improve recovery. Alfalfa (horse feed) and turmeric are two of the most regularly recommended elements that relieve swelling and repair the tissue in the shoulder.

Best Remedies for a Frozen Shoulder

The temporary inability to move one s own limbs or speak is known as paralysis. Paralysis is triggered by problems with the body s nervous system and affects the functioning of muscles all over the body. This condition can affect a single limb, the right or left side of the body, or the complete body. A paralytic attack is often caused by a stroke or damage in the nervous system. It can also be caused by exposure to radiation or toxins, autoimmune diseases, tumours and spinal cord trauma. Recovery from a paralytic attack depends on the causes and the extent of the injury that triggered it. With some types of paralysis, partial or even complete, recovery is possible.

Ayurveda is an alternative system of medicine that can be quite effective when it comes to treating paralysis. Ayurveda has negligible side effects and hence can be used to treat adults and children alike. This system of medication does not look only at the physical symptoms but also the mental and spiritual well-being of the patient as well. Some ways to treat paralysis with Ayurveda are as follows:

Vata-pacifying diet: Eat light meals that are easily digestible and pick warm foods over cold food. Avoid barley, rye and millet and include plenty of vegetables like asparagus, beets, okra and carrots in your diet. Also avoid bitter and pungent flavours, but pick food that is sweet, sour or salty to balance the body s vata.
Ayurvedic massage: Warm herbal oils are sued for Ayurvedic massages. These oils and the action of massaging them into the skin have a number of health benefits associated with it, including the treatment of paralytic attacks. Some Ayurvedic massages that could be beneficial to paralysed patients are abhyanga Ayurvedic massages, padabhyanga and pizhichil.
Medication: Along with lifestyle changes, Ayurvedic medication also plays a role in the treatment of paralysis. Some popular Ayurvedic remedies for paralysis are rasnadi quath, medicated castor oil, pippali mula, vatavidhwamsana rasa, chopcheeni churna, ashwagandha churna, brihat vatachintamani rasa, ashwagandha churna and rasaraja. While some of these medicines are to be taken orally, others may need to be administered through the nostrils as part of nasyam Ayurvedic treatments and others via an enema as part of sneha vasti. Drinking 20 40 ml of radish oil twice a day and a mixture of black pepper powder, sunti and honey is also said to be beneficial in treating paralysis. However, one must keep in mind that recovery from paralysis is very slow and hence patience is a must.

Paralysis - How Ayurveda Remedies Helps In Treating It!

A bone fracture is often abbreviated as FX or # and is a painful medical condition that causes damage in the continuity of the bone. A dictionary meaning of fracture is a separation of an object or a material into two or more pieces under the action of stress.


A bone fracture could be due to a high force impact or stress, an injury from trauma or sports or even certain medical conditions that weaken the bones, such as osteoporosis, bone cancer or osteogenesis imperfecta.


However, a significant number of fractures occur due to high force impact or stress. A fracture could be simple where the skin is not exposed or compound where skin gets exposed. A fracture could be complete where the bone breaks up in two pieces or could be incomplete with a crack in the bone.


Treatment of bone fracture depends on the type of fracture. In a large number of cases, the bone is aligned through a cast or splint. However, a very crucial part in the recovery of the treatment is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is a comprehensive care plan designed for the patient for optimal and complete recovery. Yet most patients do not understand its effectiveness. In layman's terms physiotherapy is understood as few exercises or messages designed to aid the patient's treatment. However, Physiotherapy not only aids the recovery, it effectively promotes healing, reduces pain and stiffness and gradually helps the patient to return back to his/her normal daily activities of life.


Physiotherapy is a complete preventive and rehabilitative approach to treatment and must begin as early as possible and continue post fracture. Physiotherapy has been proven to be effective in preventing post fracture stiffness and weakness that occurs in adjacent joints and muscles generally during the first six weeks of the healing process. If the X-ray shows poor healing, physiotherapy is a medium used to help the patient regain muscle strength and speed up recovery.


Irregular movements can lead the bones to further damage the surrounding tissues and muscles. Damage may also lead to infection, especially in compound fractures where the skin is exposed. Thus, physiotherapy regulates the movements, supports healing and prevents further damage. Physiotherapy not only involves messages or exercises. It includes a range of interventions designed for prevention and rehabilitation of patients. These interventions include pain management, education and awareness on safety and prevention of injury, strength building and flexibility exercises and in some cases taping, bracing and electrotherapy.


To add to its benefits, physiotherapy procedures are also completely safe and are supported by medical science. These procedures also do not have any side effects. Always remember to consult your orthopedic doctor as he can guide you towards the best physiotherapy treatment.


Stay fit and healthy!"

Physiotherapy - Why it is Critical for Recovery from Fracture?

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