Staying healthy involves a wholesome state of being where the mind and body are in perfect sync. A less than properly functioning body can leave you in a state of potential depression after a certain point of time, while a depressive mind can leave you feeling less than stellar where you end up imagining and experiencing pain. The health of your bones and joints is one such area that requires even more care as you start growing older. Wear and tear is just one of the reasons for degeneration while fractures and injuries can lead to a sudden halt of normal functioning of the bones and joints too. So how can you ensure bone and joint health in the long run? follow our tips!

Eating right: pick calcium rich food like dairy products that have a low fat content, including milk and yogurt. Also, have a daily dose of green, leafy vegetables and plenty of citrus fruit and juices for your fill of calcium. Further, food like eggs and soybeans which have lots of vitamin d can also help in retaining good bone and joint health. Vitamin c rich fruit like watermelon, oranges, squash and tomatoes also help in natural tissue and cartilage repair. And finally, get plenty of vitamin k to retain good bone density for a prolonged period with ingredients like leafy green vegetables, eggs and cheese.

Exercise: this is the key to good bone and joint health. Much like machinery and tools, the bones and joints of your body can also wither with disuse and prolonged inactivity. Make sure that you indulge in exercises like long walks and muscle strengthening exercises which will give your joints and bones good amount of strength as well. Remember to speak with your doctor before you start a new exercise regime so that you avoid anything that may be harmful in case you have any other ailment. Low impact exercises will strengthen the spine, while fat burning and weight loss exercises will ensure that there is less pressure on the knees and lumbar area. Swimming and resistance building exercises can also be practised for these purposes.

Abstinence: a major factor in promoting better bone and joint health is abstinence from all those things that can create problems in the long run, like smoking, drinking excessively and even too much consumption of caffeine and fatty food. All these things can create depletion of the natural bone mass. Also, switching to a lower heel for everyday wear footwear and changing your position during your time at your workstation are a few things that will go a long way.

Take care of your bones and joints the right way today, for a healthier tomorrow.

Bone and Joint Health

The hand is one of the most commonly used parts of our body and is susceptible to damage, wear and tear as well as injury. Pain in the hand can be attributed to numerous causes, including damage and other conditions that can affect the joints, cartilage, nerves and other parts of the hand.

Causes

De Quervain's tendinitis: This is also known as de Quervain's tendinosis. It causes pain on the thumb side of the wrist. The pain may grow slowly or suddenly. It can also spread to every part of the thumb and up the lower arm. On the off chance that you have de Quervain's tendinitis, you may experience pain while performing the following actions:

- Clenching The fist

- Handling on or holding objects

- Turning the wrist

Treatment for this includes the following:

- Wearing a prop to rest the thumb and wrist

- Calming drugs

- Cortisone infusions

Carpal tunnel disorder: This is common amongst the well-known nerve issues. It can cause pain in the following parts of the hand:

- Palm and a few fingers

- Wrist

- Lower arm


The treatment methods includes the following:

- Resting the hand and wrist

- Painkillers

- Wrist support

- Steroid infusions

- Active recuperation

- Breaks

Fracture: It's a crack or break in a bone that can cause immense pain in the hand. Other than this, the hand may also experience the following:

- Stiffness

- Swelling

- Loss of proper motion and movement

The kind of treatment depends on the kind of fracture. Braces are usually used for small fractures. Sticks, wires, or plates might be used to treat severe fractures. Likewise, surgery may also be recommended to set the broken bone properly.

Arthritis: This is a disease causing joint inflammation and stiffness of the joints. It causes the joints to lose the ligament that permits them to move easily against each other. This tears the ligament, giving rise to crippling pain and swelling.

In the hand, the regions where this regularly happens are as follows:

- Base of the thumb

- Center joint of one or more fingers

- End joint, which is nearest to the fingertip

The treatment depends on the seriousness of the injury and the following may be used:

- Painkillers

- Props for the fingers or wrist

- Heat

- Non-intrusive treatment

Trigger finger: Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, this defect causes the fingers or the thumb to bend. It can be difficult, particularly when bowing or fixing the influenced finger or thumb.

Knobs may form on the influenced ligaments. Also, the sheath itself may thicken. In the long run, the ligament may get to be adhered when you attempt to fix a twisted finger or thumb.

Resting now and again while wearing a support may help resolve the issue. Over-the-counter torment pharmaceuticals can facilitate the agony. Corticosteroid infusions can mitigate side effects. Surgery might be recommended for extreme cases.

Causes of Common Hand Pain and How to Find Relief

Care for shoulder pain and related problems

Shoulder problems usually happen because of internal problems or external trauma. People who are into any form of manual labour, pick up a lot of heavy things regularly or play sports experience shoulder pain at some point of time or other. Shoulder pain can be detected by physical examination, mri, x-ray, ultrasound and medical history.

The most common types of shoulder problems are arthritis, fracture, dislocation, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tear, and rotator cuff disease. Cures for the different shoulder pains are different. Follow these simple ways to help you manage the pain.

1. Rest the hurtful shoulder: you need to take ample rest. Using the arm which is affected is not a good idea and needs to be avoided. If your job involves manual labour, it is advised that you stay at home to rest.

2. Ice pack healing: applying ice pack on the wound is also advised around 3-4 times in a day. This varies as per the kind of shoulder pain, so doctor's advice must be followed.

3. Be consistent with exercise: depending upon the source of pain, physiotherapist will advise certain sets of shoulder exercises. It is very important that they should be performed diligently for fast recovery.

4. Support it well: wearing a sling is extremely important and should not be taken lightly at any point of time. A good support will ensure there is no mislocation and faster recovery.

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Shoulder Pain Care - 4 things you must not ignore!

Joint pain is considered to be one of the first few signs of aging. According to the science of Ayurveda, joint pain is triggered mainly by an accumulation of toxins in the body. These toxins can create an imbalance in the doshas which in turn can cause pain and inflammation on the joints. Along with joint pain, a person is likely to experience a loss of flexibility, weakness, tenderness and enlargement of the joints.

Unlike some popular forms of medication that focus on relieving the pain, Ayurveda addresses the root cause of the issue. Panchkarma aims at cleansing the body of toxins and clearing blockages in the body s digestive and circulatory system. This helps the vatta dosha flow easily through the body and reduces pain associated with arthritis etc. Panchkarma can be defined as a collection of five ayurvedic techniques. These are:

Vasti or Medicated Enema: Vasti aims at removing toxins and waste products from the body through the colon. In doing this, it cleanses the digestive channels and improves circulation of air or the vatta dosha in the body. With better circulation, joint pain is effectively reduced. An enema also nourishes the body and gives it the strength to rebuild tissues while boosting the immune system.
Abhyanga or Full Body Massage: This technique helps I the removal of toxins from deep tissues within the body. It pacifies the vatta and nourishes the body while simultaneously reducing stress and enabling better quality sleep. A full body massage also helps calm the body both physically and mentally.
Potli or Poultice Massage: As the name suggests, a potli involves massaging the body with medicated herbs tied together in a tiny bundle that has been warmed with medicated oils. This potli is then used to massage the entire body. This technique helps relax the muscles of the body and soothes the aggravated vatta dosha. It is very effective when it comes to providing relief from joint pains caused by arthritis, spondylitis, muscle cramps etc.
Pizhichil or Rich Oil Massage: A rich oil massage involves subjecting the body to streams of lukewarm oil that has medicinal properties while simultaneously softly massaging the body. This type of massage helps relieve tension and stress and is a very effective remedy against joint pains. It is highly recommended in the case of rheumatic diseases.
Svedana or Steam Bath: A steam bath helps cleanse the body both physically and mentally by aiding in the removal of toxins through sweat and calming the mind. It also helps soften the muscles and tissues and dilates the channels in the body.

Joint Pain - How Panchkarma Therapies Can Help You?

When we speak of bone health, calcium is usually the hero of the story. However, by itself, calcium is not enough for healthy bones. Vitamin D is equally important for healthy bones and the prevention of orthopedic conditions.

What does Vitamin D do?
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the food being eaten. It also controls the calcium and phosphate levels in the body. This is critical for the growth and development of new bones. Vitamin D also controls how much calcium and phosphates are being expelled by the body. In this way, vitamin D helps strengthen the bones and improve overall bone health.

Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D is not commonly found in food. It is present only in certain types of oily fishes, egg yolks and mushrooms. Most of the vitamin D we eat comes from fortified cereals, breads and dairy products. The sun is an important source of vitamin D but exposing yourself to too much sunlight could cause various skin problems. Thus, vitamin D deficiency is very common. When it comes to bone health, vitamin D deficiency can cause low-density bones. This, in turn, can cause rickets and osteoporosis. People with vitamin D deficiency are likely to suffer frequent fractures. Vitamin D deficiency can also cause skeletal deformities such as bow legs and a stooped spine.

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a musculoskeletal condition that is marked by low bone density. Studies have shown that people with osteoporosis have lower levels of vitamin D as compared to others. Some studies also suggest that fractures are more common in winter as compared to summer. The winter sun is often hazy and many days can go by without strong sunlight. Thus it can be inferred that people do not get their required quota of vitamin D from the sunlight in winters leading to a deficiency and aggravated osteoporosis-related fractures.

Who is most susceptible to bone conditions caused by vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency is a very common condition across the globe. Some surveys have claimed that approximately 30% of the global population suffers from vitamin D deficiency. People with dark skin, women and elderly people are most susceptible to this deficiency. People suffering from kidney diseases may also be affected by vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplements are usually very helpful in combatting this deficiency. These can be taken by young children as well as adults.

Relation Between Vitamin D Deficiency And Bone Problems!

Runner s knee is a very common problem with athletes. It is definitely not something one needs to worry about. In fact, with certain exercises, it can be prevented and if you do develop a runner s knee, it can be treated with some exercises as well. There are special sports medical practitioners who prescribe not only regular physiotherapy, but also specific exercises to deal with specific sports injuries. To fight with runner s knee pain, there are a few exercises. 

But the four most important ones are described in detail below.

Quads: For performing proper quads, all you need is a back wall for additional support. You need to hold yourself against the wall and keep your legs apart from each other. The legs should be folded in the knees. In this position, you have to move up till the knee position with a minimum of one minute hold time in the knee position. You can repeat this exercise 10 times at a stretch before moving on to the next exercise.
Hamstring: This is a fairly easier exercise than the previous one. You have to stand straight with your legs apart. Bend downwards from your hips. Relax your neck and back. Ease your head downwards as well. Keep your hands behind. Join both your hands and give it a stretch. If you think that this position is straining your neck or back a little too much, then you can simply stretch your hands without joining them.
Calves: Calves is a standard exercise that is prescribed by medical practitioners and physiotherapists for easing out the pain caused by runner s knee. You have to stand with your hand against the wall. Put your left leg forward and bend it at the knees. Stand on your right heel. Hold yourself in this position for 20 to 30 seconds before changing the legs and doing the same.
Lateral: Lateral is also one of the easiest and common forms of exercises. You have to stand with your legs directly below your hips. Then stretch your right leg apart. Without bending your knees, try to touch the toes of your right leg with the fingers of your left hand. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds before changing the position and performing the lateral with your left leg.
Thus, these are some of the very fundamental exercises that one should follow in order to get quick relief from the pains of a runner s knee. These exercises are very easy and help in reducing pain.

Runner's Knee - 4 Most Important Exercises for it

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