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

Lower back pain can be one of the most physically debilitating things that can affect you and limit your mobility. Even if the pain isn t that acute, it could still signal something deteriorating in your lower back. While oral medications, topical creams or sprays can help in reducing pain, there are other effective remedies you can try on your own. These will be handy when you have no medications at hand. One of these is the hot and cold therapy.

Heat therapy for lower back pain

Heat works well with lower back pain as it can dilate blood vessels and improve circulation within the tissue. This will help in circulation and also result in lowering the pain. Heat therapy will also loosen up other muscles in the area and help soothe sore areas which have been taking the burden along with the lower back muscles. Some of the techniques that can be applied are:

1. All day heat wraps: These are specially manufactured belts or wraps which wrap around your abdomen and keep tightness and pressure on your lower back as well as supplying heat.

2. Electric heating pads: These are mechanized heating pads which generate heat with electricity. You can place them under you back and then either sit or sleep with it positioned behind you. However, ensure that you don t keep these for too long as they could burn your skin.

3. Hot Compress with towels or hot water bags: Use a clean towel and heat it over a conductive surface and apply it on your lower back. You can also use hot water bags for the same purpose.

Cold therapy for lower back pain

Cold therapy uses the principle of constriction of blood vessels as well as slowing circulation. This will help numb the area and thus help relieve the pain. Some of the ways these can be administered are mentioned below.

1. Ice towel: In this method, soak a towel in ice cold water, wring it to dry it and then apply on your lower back. This will numb the pain without transferring the sting of the cold or damaging your skin.

2. Ice packs: Put about half a kg of ice in a plastic Ziploc bag and pour water over the ice to just about cover it. Push out the air out of the bag and then lock it. Use this ice pack with a towel to ensure that you back doesn't get wet.

3. Ice gel packs: These are ready made packs, which can be bought from medical stores and kept frozen to be used whenever you need it in order to relieve lower back pain.

Treating Lower Back Pain Using Hot and Cold Therapy

Avascular Necrosis, also termed as Ischemic Bone Necrosis or Osteonecrosis is a medical condition characterized by the bone death on being deprived of blood. The condition is known to occur in the shoulder, ankles, and knees. However, the part of the body most affected by Avascular Necrosis is the hip. In this article, we will describe the conditions that contribute towards Avascular Necrosis of the hip along with the associated symptoms.

Factors that lead to Avascular Necrosis of the hip
The supply of blood to the bones may be interrupted by a myriad of factors some of which include

1. Certain medical conditions and health disorders such as

Gaucher's disease: A genetic disorder resulting from glucocerebrosidase enzyme deficiency. As a result, glucocerebroside gets deposited in the cells of the macrophage-monocyte system.
Sickle cell anemia: A genetic disorder which results in the RBC's appearing like a sickle cell instead of being round shaped.
Both of these conditions bring about a significant reduction in the supply of blood to the bones resulting in Avascular Necrosis.

Certain inflammatory conditions that may damage the arteries and trigger Avascular Necrosis of the hip include autoimmune diseases, pancreatitis or HIV infection.

2. Extensive and prolonged use of corticosteroids: Often used as non-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids can play a contributing role, resulting in Avascular Necrosis (non-traumatic). The fatty substances are usually broken down by the body. However, the use of corticosteroids may affect this breakdown as a result of which the fatty substances start piling up in the blood vessels, constricting their size. The constricted blood vessels, in turn, reduces the supply of blood to the bones to a great extent.

3. An injury or a fracture affecting the femur: A hip fracture or a dislocation that affects the upper half of the thigh bone or the femur acts as a potential threat, triggering a traumatic Avascular Necrosis (AVN) of the hip.

In some case, radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancer can go a long way in interfering with the ability of the bone (weakens the bone) to receive blood, causing bone death.

People who are into heavy drinking stand a greater risk of suffering from AVN. An increased consumption of alcohol causing constriction and narrowing of the blood vessels interfering with the flow of blood to the bones.

Symptoms characteristic of AVN of the hip

Unfortunately, the initial stages of AVN are asymptomatic. However, as the condition progresses into later stages, a person may experience pain and discomfort, particularly while exerting pressure on the bone affected by the condition.
As the bone and the adjacent joints deteriorate and collapse further, a person may experience great difficulty in using the joint altogether.
In some cases, the condition may progress and affect both the hips (Avascular Necrosis Bilateral).

Causes and Symptoms of Avascular Necrosis of the Hip

Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant and distressing physical sensation caused by disease or injury, which induces hurt and anxiety in those suffering from it.
There are many different manifestations of pain, ranging from short term (acute pain) to long term (chronic pain). Other classifications include pain in the internal organs (visceral pain), injured tissue (inflammatory pain), nerves (neuropathic pain), etc.

The reason for the occurrence of pain depends on the cause and kind of pain being experienced. In most cases, pain acts as a warning sign that the body has been afflicted by a disorder of some sort, which may have arisen due to internal sickness or external wounding. Acute pains are generally cured on their own through rest or simple medication. Chronic pains, on the other hand, are more complicated in nature and the treatment requires more elaborate diagnosis.

The mechanism of pain

Pain is an extremely personal and subjective experience and affects each individual to varying degrees. The pain signals, which can arise in any part of the body, travel through the spinal cord to the brain along thousands of specialized nerves and nerve fibres. In the brain, it is processed in the centres associated with anxiety, emotions, memory, appetite, etc. Signals and pain inputs are then returned from the brain to the spinal cord, which may heighten or diminish pain.

In some cases, pain may also be induced by damage to the brain and spinal cord, which happens after a stroke.
A constant barrage of pain signals may cause the cells at the end of nerve fibres to become over-sensitized. This is known as 'wind-up' and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain that occurs even though the root of the problem has been identified and treated.

The causes and effects of pain differ from case to case depending on the signals received by the brain and its interpretation. It affects the individual's day to day activities and if persistent, can also have a harmful impact on mental health and psychosis. Pain is always handled, diagnosed and treated differently in all patients by drawing out the best possible solution to the problem.





Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Vulvodynia is a condition which causes severe pain in the opening (vulva) of the vagina without any apparent reason. The pain might be chronic in nature and can go on for years. Vulvodynia might affect your emotional health in the long-term and cause anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep patterns, if not treated immediately.

Doctors are still unsure regarding the exact causes of Vulvodynia. But there are few factors, which can increase your risks of suffering from this disorder:

    If you have a sensitive skin or have any past history of previous vaginal infections, you might be susceptible to vulvodynia.
    Vulvodynia might also be caused due to past injuries around the vulva.
    Sometimes, hormonal changes might also cause Vulvodynia.
    This disorder can also occur in women who have previously suffered from recurrent instances of sexual abuse.

The symptoms of Vulvodynia can be acute or chronic in nature with the pain being confined to one particular area or around the entire region.
The treatments for Vulvodynia aim at regulation of the symptoms. The most common treatments for Vulvodynia are:

    Your doctor might prescribe a specific dosage of steroids or antidepressants to get rid of the pain. Prescribed dosage of antihistamines might help to cure the itching sensation.
    You can apply a regulated amount of  Lidocaine  ointment around the vulvar regions thirty minutes before sexual intercourse.
    You can also opt for pelvic floor therapies as they might provide relief from significant pain in the pelvic floor muscles resulting from vulvodynia.
    If the pain is centralized around a particular area, you might opt for vestibulectomy to remove the affected tissues and get rid of the pain.

Can Sensitive Skin Be the Reason Behind Pain in the Opening of Vagina

In recent times, there has been an upsurge in the instances of leg pain. People from all age groups, irrespective of their gender, are being affected. Needless to say, this painful and uncomfortable condition throws life in jeopardy and adversely affects and interfers with a person's daily activities. While the pain can be in both the legs, many people also suffer from severe radiating pain in one leg.

What causes radiating pain in one leg?
More than often, this kind of pain is triggered by nerve problem or disorder. If you experience a shooting pain that originates in the lower back and gradually radiates down to one of the legs (from the buttocks to the back of the leg), chances are you are experiencing sciatica.

In sciatica, the nerve affected is the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerves originate from the spinal nerves L4 to S3. From the lower back, the nerves (two sciatic nerves) extend downwards to the back of each leg. The sciatic nerves further divide into a tibial and peroneal nerve. These nerves are mostly responsible for the sensation and motor functions of the legs and the feet.

Sciatica can be an outcome of
The discs present between the vertebrae provides them with a much-needed cushion, preventing injury or damage. In case, of a degenerative disorder of the disc, the protective cushion gets affected resulting in the pain and associated symptoms.

Lumbar spinal stenosis: A medical condition where the spinal canal in the lumbar area narrows down, exerting pressure on the sciatic nerve.
Spondylolisthesis or a slip disc: The condition mostly affects the lumbar area (base of the spine) whereby there is slippage of one of the bones over the adjacent bone (the bone located just below it).
A muscle pull in the buttocks can also trigger sciatica and many times, a pregnant woman may also experience sciatica. The sciatic pain can be:

Chronic sciatic pain: As the name suggests, chronic sciatic pain is intense and more severe, with the symptoms persisting for a longer time (more than three months). Arthritis, severe nerve damage or scarring (tissues) are often responsible for chronic sciatic pain.
Acute sciatic pain: An injury to the nerves, muscles, spinal joints or discs can cause the pain. However, as instantly as the pain starts, the condition improves within days (at times weeks).
In addition to the radiating pain, there may be other symptoms associated with sciatica such as

Difficulting in leg or foot movement.
Weakness
Sciatica can also trigger a pain in the back of the leg which aggravates when a person is in a sitting position
Hip pain
Numbness, and often a tingling or burning sensation radiating down the leg
In some people, sciatica can cause a shooting pain (which worsens when a person tries to stand up)
The pain (in some cases) can extend to the foot and toes
There can be many underlying factors responsible for the pain radiating to one leg. Neglecting the condition will only worsen the situation further. 

Radiating Pain In One Leg - What Can Be The Reason Behind It?

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