People have a common perception that most injuries, medical conditions only affect those who spend several hours working outdoors. But what if we tell you that people who stay indoors- such as homemakers - are also susceptible to numerous health problems?

There s a saying:  Home is where the heart is.  But for countless homemakers, home is the place where  hurt  is! Scores of Indian homemakers encounter various injuries every year while engaging in household chores like cleaning and washing. The most common ones are-

Sprain- if you re a neat freak, you wouldn t mind spending half of your day cleaning the entire house. Here s a small tip- go slow if your cleaning duties include shifting heavy appliances and furniture from one place to another. There s a high chance that you may end up with a sprain injury. Sprains occur when you accidentally twist your ligaments. Another major cause of sprain injuries is a sudden fall. If you re mopping the floor or cleaning the bathroom, there s a fair chance that you may slip or lose balance. One must be cautious when working with water.
Back injuries- These are the most common types of injuries at home. Bending, lifting a heavy bucket or an abrupt movement, can strain your back muscles or ligaments leading to back injury. Many times the injury can result in a persistent, sharp stabbing pain, and hinder your usual routine.
Joint compression- Homemakers spend a considerable amount of time standing in the kitchen. As tiring as it is, standing for prolonged periods puts pressure on your joints- knee joint, hip joint as well as those in the feet and the ankle. This leads to wear and tear of the synovial joints, eventually causing them to tear. In due course of time, you will find it difficult to move around and walk even a meagre distance.
Prevention-
Starting to get worked up? Don t be. These problems can easily be prevented if you follow these steps-

Avoid overstretching, bending and twisting
Avoid lifting heavy weights. If possible, use a waist belt to keep away from traumatic injuries.
Keep your body weight in check. Mild exercises can help you with that.
Maintain a healthy diet- calcium intake can help your bones get stronger.
Use muscle braces to keep your joints protected.
Treatment-
The most preferred and effective choice of treatment for curing muscle injuries and joint inflammation is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy uses manual therapy, mechanical force and exercise therapy to promote mobility.

The most common method of treating such injuries is the RICE technique.  RICE  stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Keep the injured part at rest. Put an ice bag on the injured portion. Compress the injured area. Elevate the wound/injury for faster relief.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and Aspirin are prescribed to reduce inflammation and swelling. Painkillers can offer you instant relief from pain.
Physiotherapy treatment can effectively cure you of such injuries, that too in a short span of time. If you follow the treatment guidelines, recovery will take about 2-4 weeks. 

Common Problems Faced By Homemakers Who Stay Indoors - How Physiotherapy Can Be Of Help?

Back pain is a common source of pain and can be acute, sub-acute or chronic in nature. Back pain is classified along the segments of the spine and can be divided into neck pain, middle back pain, lower back pain and coccydynia or tail bone pain. Back pain can be quite troublesome as it disables a person to move about freely due to constant ache.

Here are some procedures for the treatment of back pain.

    Give your back some rest: Most people who get back pain become obsessed with it and end up getting MRI scans and x-rays done. Some even take injections and other such measures without recognizing the intensity of the pain. It is advised not to rush into the matter immediately and the simplest way to cure the pain is by resting. 90% of pains in the back resolve by themselves in 6 weeks and so you must give your back a break instead of taking medical actions and let time do the healing.
    Pills: While you let time treat your back pain, sometimes the pain increases and gives you a bad time. In this case, you can take anti-inflammatory medicinal pills such as ibuprofen or naproxen. These pills will help you ease the pain. However, using such pills for a continued period of time causes side effects such as gastrointestinal disorders. Hence, you should not take them for more than ten days at a stretch.
    Hot and cold compress: Apply a bag of frozen peas or an ice pack to the affected area for 48 hours after the pain appears. Every session should be about 20 minutes, and you should take more than two sessions each day. After two days, repeat the same procedure using a heat pad instead of ice. The cooling procedure shuts down your blood capillaries and reduces the flow of blood to that area. The swelling is eased as a result. The heating, on the other hand, loosens tight muscles and increases the blood circulation, providing extra oxygen.
    Change your mattress: People who sleep on firm mattresses and cushions on their beds are at a higher risk of having a back pain. According to studies, it has been observed that people sleeping on medium-firm mattresses have healthier backs. In case your mattress in sagging or is over 8 years old, you should replace it.
    Acupuncture: When your back pain is very severe, you can resort to acupuncture, which provides efficient pain relief. The procedure changes the way your nerves react and reduces inflammation.

Back pain arises from various reasons and should always be taken care of. Unattended back pain worsens and makes the affected person suffer.

Suffering From Lower Back Pain - 5 Ways You Can Treat it

Pain causes a lot of discomfort in the body no matter whether the pain is in the back, legs or in the head. Almost all people experience lower-back pain at some point in their lives, which can be extremely painful and can cause considerable annoyance. The first medical specialty that comes to mind for relief of lower-back pain is Orthopedics. The other two specialists that play a vital role in treating lower-back pain are the neurosurgeons and the physiatrists.

Pain in the Back
It is very difficult for the body to source the pain when it is deep and this pain could be due to infection, disease or injuries in the back, stomach and heart. It is even possible that the pain radiates to different places in the body. Often back pain is accompanied by body changes like redness, fever, neurological problems, heat, and changes in body functions and for that diagnosis of the back pain may be very severe. Patients suffering from lower-back pain and with symptoms that comprise of weakness in the foot or other symptoms of a neurologic insufficiency must definitely see a neurosurgeon.

Back pain that occurs due to reversible problems is known to vanish in a few hours or in a day. However, if it continues longer and is accompanied by body changes, then there are chances that the condition can become worse. Visiting a doctor becomes a must for back pain if any of such characteristics are witnessed. It is always better to get evaluated by a physician.

When to Consult a Doctor Immediately

    Back pain that is followed by a shock like a car accident.
    The pain in the back worsens and is constant
    Back pain continues for more than 4-6 weeks
    The pain does not improve even after taking typical remedies such as taking pain relievers or after resting.
    Severe pain in the back in the night and that is alleviated by rest
    The back pain is accompanied by abdominal pain
    Numbness in the upper thighs, buttocks, groin or in the genital area
    Weakness or tingling sensation in the arm or legs

Role of a Neurosurgeon
The neurosurgeon provides non-surgical as well surgical care depending upon the nature of the illness or the injury, and he does not just operate. The neurosurgeons are experts and offer treatment to patients suffering from any injury or disease in the spine, brain or peripheral nerves that deal with arms, hands, feet and legs. But there are many other neurosurgeons that confine their practice to treating back pain.

Lower Back Pain - 8 Signs When You Must Visit Your Doctor

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

Sciatica pain arises from the sciatic nerve which is the single largest nerve in our body. It consists of individual nerve roots, which branching out from the lower back of the spine to the back of each leg and combining together forms the sciatic nerve. The origination of the sciatic pain lies in the lower back of the body and radiates down the buttock to the sciatic nerve.

Causes of the sciatica pain

Arthritis: If an individual is diagnosed with arthritis, then he or she can expect a throbbing pain or numbness down till the leg.
Herniated disc: Another cause could be a herniated disc in the lower back of the body.
Spondylosis: Spondylosis in the lower back would also be a reason for the development of the sciatica pain.
PIVD/DISC bulge
Other causes are a spinal injury, diseased degenerative disc, infection on and around the lower back. The pain would worsen, if an individual is in an occupation where he or she has to stand or sit for hours at length. The lifting of heavy things would strain the sciatic nerves as well.

How to identify sciatica pain?
Sciatica pain varies from infrequent to a constant throbbing down the lower back. So initially it is difficult to detect whether it is sciatic pain or not. But when the constant pain in the lower back leads right down till the toes and foot, it is really time for an individual to get in touch with a doctor. The pain can give a burning sensation almost searing making it difficult for the person to stand up or walk properly. Along with the pain, one can feel fatigued. An involvement of the spinal cord is rare in the sciatic pain but is possible.

Treatment for sciatica pain
Sciatica can be treated in both surgical and non-surgical way. Surgical treatment is rare as sciatica tends to respond well with non-surgical treatments. If the pain continues for over a month despite treatment, surgical treatment will be considered. The non-surgical pain treatment would include physical exercises and oral medications along with natural treatment.

Medications: Painkiller medications prescribed by the doctor can be used to reduce sciatica. Medicines like aspirin, non-steroidal or oral steroids can help reduce the pain.
Steroid injection: Epidural steroid injection acts faster as it is injected in the affected area, thus providing relief from the pain quickly.
Exercise: Early morning exercises can be quite helpful.
Percutaneous Endoscopic Discectomy: The surgical treatment of Percutaneous endoscopic disc dissectomy constitutes a large part of interventional pain physicians and it has evolved considerably in terms of surgical technique and instrumentation. Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy is a relatively new technique for removing lumbar disc herniation. It involves using an endoscope to visualize the disc removal. The discectomy is performed through a posterolateral approach using specially developed instruments. The advantage of percutaneous endoscopic discectomy is that the disc is approached posterolaterally through the triangle of Kambin without the need for bone or facet resection thus preserving spinal stability. The procedure is day care and is done under local anaesthesia.

Sciatica Pain - 5 Ways You Can Treat It!

Acupressure can prove to be extremely effective if you are looking for non-medicinal solutions to treat musculoskeletal problems, such as back pain, sports injuries, arthritis, etc. Acupressure is the application of putting firm pressure on the areas on the body which are swollen, agitated or tense by massaging the acupoints (specific points in the body). Acupressure believes that relieving these areas of pressure reduces the pain.

Here are some musculoskeletal problems that can be healed by acupressure:

    Arthritis: Those who seek acupressure as an alternative treatment for pain are mostly suffering from arthritis (a disease characterised by chronic joint inflammation and cartilage degeneration). Acupressure applies pressure on the inflamed joints.
    Back pain: Back pain is a common problem that can affect anyone irrespective of his or her age. Acupressure acts to relieve the points where the muscles are too tense and helps to tone or support the muscles which have become weak with disuse.
    Chronic pain: Unrelenting pain can stem from many causes. Acupressure focuses on the pain and the pain signals when treating chronic pain. The acupoint of the pain and the nerves are gently massaged to relieve the pain.
    Fibromyalgia: Traumatic injury to the soft tissue, emotional trauma or severe illness can cause fibromyalgia. It is non-inflammatory in nature and often leads to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a troublesome disorder with symptoms of deep fatigue, sleeping problems, pain, etc.). Acupressure can greatly improve the fatigue and sleeplessness that fibromyalgia causes.
    Tendonitis: The tendon connects the tissue to the bone, and tendonitis is the condition when the tendon is inflamed. Acupressure helps in reducing the inflammation and easing mobility restrictions.
    Sciatica: The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body, stretching from the lower spine to the back of the foot. So when this nerve is agitated, pain radiates from the lower back to the foot. This condition is called sciatica. The acupoints in sciatica are the lower back and the hip. Acupressure effectively loosens the muscles in these regions and reduces inflammation.
    Sports injuries: Strains and sprains are common sports injuries, which mostly affect athletes. Acupressure has anti-inflammatory benefits that can help heal severely injured tendons, ligaments or muscle. Acupressure also plays a huge role in restoring and retraining the body, especially if you are an athlete and play high-demand sports.
    Carpel Tunnel Syndrome: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which the pressure increases on the median nerve as it goes through the carpal tunnel, and this causes wrist pain. Acupressure involves the use of directed pressure to specific acupuncture points on the surface of the body.
    Insomnia: Insomnia is a sleep disorder. The Acupressure Points between your heel and anklebones (on both sides) have traditionally been used to relieve and prevent insomnia.
    Migraines: Acupuncture is used to effectively treat primary headaches, namely tension and migraine, which are the most common.

Acupressure: The Non Medicinal Solution to Musculoskeletal Problems

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