If your kid is affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), it is important for you to know about the best ways of dealing with the condition. Muscular dystrophy consists of group of diseases, which result in the weakening of muscles along with reduced flexibility. DMD accounts for being the most common type of muscular dystrophy. It occurs because of flaws in the gene, which controls how your body keeps the muscles healthy. This disease affects boys and the symptoms start appearing from early childhood.

Treatment
There is no specific treatment for DMD. However, there are several ways, including medicines and therapy, to deal with the symptoms and to protect the muscles.

Several steroids such as prednisone help in slowing down muscle damage. Children taking this medicine are able to walk for two to five years longer than they would usually do. Lung and heart functions are also improved.
DMD leads to heart problems and hence, you should take your child to a heart doctor for regular checkups until the age of 10.
In some cases, a surgery may be required to fix their shortened muscles, for straightening the spine, or for treating a heart or lung problem.
Taking care of your child
If your child has DMD, it does not mean that he will have to refrain from activities such as school, sports and spending time with friends. By sticking to the right treatment plan, you will be able to make your child active.

Stand and walk: Being in an upright position will keep your child s bones strong and the spine straight. You can get your child braces or standing walkers, which will help him in terms of balance and mobility.
Eat right: Although there is no special diet for DMD, several food items should be taken for preventing problems related to weight. Your child should eat the proper amount of food with a proper balance of nutrients and calories regularly.
Stay active: You should ensure that your child exercises regularly. Regular stretching exercises help in keeping the muscles and joints limber, which makes him feel better. You can avail the help of a physical therapist for an exercise schedule.
You can look for and join local support groups associated with DMD, as other families living with DMD can be a source of good advice and understanding about life with DMD.

Muscular Dystrophy -  How To Deal With It?

Debilitating inflammation in the joints and its surrounding tissue usually characterize arthritis. This ailment can greatly weaken the body. At the point when joints are seriously influenced by joint pain, there are a number of treatment methods that may be available for the patient. Pain relievers, physiotherapy and other forms of treatment can help in offering relief. Yet, when these methods fail, one can go in for replacement surgery of the affected joint. This may not just lessen or eliminate the pain experienced but it can also it can reestablish better strength in the joint. Hip, knee, and shoulder joint substitutions are a portion of the more normal surgeries suggested when managing joint pain.

Joint Replacement Surgery for Various Joints: Arthritis can affect a variety of joints in various ways. In the shoulder, this can be found in the humerus (the upper arm bone) and a bit of the scapula (the shoulder bone). In the knee, it includes the finishes of the femur and tibia (the thigh bone and shin bone, separately) and the patella (the knee top). In the hip, the influenced zones are the femur and the attachment in the pelvic bones in which it rests (the hip bone socket). In simple words, an aggregate joint trade or replacement for joint pain includes replacing the harmed joint surfaces with simulated segments artificially.

Ideal Candidate: In the event that your joint pain is progressed yet you are generally healthy, joint substitution might be a choice. Notwithstanding, you should take the advice of an accomplished orthopedic pro who can give you moderate treatment choices and other negligibly intrusive ways to deal with the condition before resorting surgery.

As a rule, you may not be a decent candidate of the replacement if:

-You have inadequately controlled diabetes

-You are a chain smoker

-You are extremely chubby

-You have encountered contaminations in the influenced ligament joint before

The best contender for a ligament joint replacement surgery includes patients who:

-Have joint pain that is extreme

-Are encountering a debilitating effect in their personal life due to the painful symptoms

-Have discovered moderate medicines, for example, mitigating drugs and non-intrusive treatment to be ineffectual

-Are willing to effectively and regularly participate in a recovery program after surgery

The accomplishment of a joint substitution surgery relies on upon the stability of the remaining parts of the joint. In the event that the joint has endured a few diseases, or in the event that it has experienced a few surgeries, it may not be sufficiently solid to withstand a joint replacement procedure. What's more, if you there are immune system disorders or long ailments like diabetes at play, then there may be little chance of aligning with the new joint.

Should You Undergo a Total Joint Replacement for Arthritis?

Weakness of the muscles due to a genetically inherited condition is known as muscular dystrophy. This condition prevents the body from producing the required protein that can help in building muscles. This protein is also responsible for making the muscles strong and stable. This is most commonly seen in children who may seem clumsy as they begin to grow up and indulge in varied kinds of movements. Let us learn more about this condition and the ways in which it may be treated.

1. Symptoms: In order to better understand the ways of treating this condition, it is important to take stock of the varied signs and symptoms that are associated with the same. The main symptom of this condition includes difficulty in walking as well as constant slips and falls that may be endured by the child. Also, the children suffering from this condition will have trouble in lifting the leg and foot in a normal way.

2. Other Complications: This condition can also affect the heart and lungs by making the muscles in these regions weak. Also, this condition can lead to a number of serious breathing problems that will need immediate medical intervention so that it does not become fatal. It may also lead to accelerated heart beats and affect the hands and feet of the patient in an adverse manner. This condition can be found in different types, each of which will affect the patient in a different manner.

3. Physical and Occupational Therapy: One of the most effective ways of dealing with condition in the long run is to indulge in physical and occupational therapy. With the help of a physiotherapist and other specialists, the patient will be taught to move in a more deliberate and normal manner without falling too often. Also, the patient will be eventually trained to go about life and various functions with certain kinds of movements that will be limited to the issues that the patient may be facing. Bracing will also be required so as to help the child cope better in the physical sense.

4. Prednisone: This medicine may be prescribed by the Pediatrician to ensure that the progression of the heart issues may be slowed down. This will ensure that the heart may function in a more normal manner despite the muscle issues that it may be facing. The doctor will usually recommend that the medicine should be started when the child is around five or six years old.

5. Spinal Fusion: This surgery can lessen the pain and reduce the severity of the symptoms, which can lead to better chances of moving in a normal manner. This will also give the child better posture so that the child may breathe normally.

How Can Muscular Dystrophy Be Treated in Children?

Torn cartilages are quite a common form of injury occurring in the human body. While one can t always be too cautious of injuries, one can still try to be conscious of their muscles and do not move about in an abrupt manner to cause injury to themselves. Further, even though torn cartilages are very common, they are quite painful and most often they occur in the knee. Here are some tips to ensure that your torn cartilage heals well and you are exposed to less pain during the healing period:

Rest: You must take rest. While it is advised to take bed rest, humanly it is impossible to spend all day in bed. Thus one can move about a little but avoid walking and straining their legs and knee too much. At times crutches can be taken while taking a few steps in the room.

Ice Therapy: Putting ice bags in the affected area helps in relaxing the muscles and reducing the pain quite a lot. Though previously people adhered to putting hot water bags, the scenario is slowly changing to ice therapy.

Compress: When you are suffering from a torn cartilage, the doctor often puts a bandage on the knee to compress the area. This is done so that the muscles are brought together and they can heal on their own with time and rest.

Elevate the Knee: Often it is seen that during such cases, the knee or the hands are rested in an elevated platform. This platform is created with the help of a pillow mostly. This lets the cartilage get time to rest and heal on its own.

Avoid Strenuous Activities: This includes jumping, running, jogging, kicking etc, when it comes to the legs and writing, lifting weight etc. when it comes to the hands. These activities require a lot of strength and power and most of all the use of the cartilages. Since the cartilages are torn and in their healing mode, it is best to avoid such activities for a certain amount of time to not put pressure on the cartilages and damage them further.

Painkillers: It has been already mentioned that the healing period can be painful. Thus, the doctor may prescribe some painkillers to ease the pain during this time.

Thus, these are some of the easiest ways to deal with a torn cartilage. The recovery period may be painful, but it happens to many people and is completely healable in nature.

How To Deal With Torn Cartilages?

Your shoulders are one of the most important parts of your body, but sadly it is also one of the most neglected parts. People use their shoulders for day to day activities. Without shoulders it would be very difficult to even do a simple activity like lifting a fallen paper from the ground. Like your other body-parts, shoulders also need proper attention and care.

Why is shoulder mobility so important?
Whether it is about moving a growing child, lifting a barbeque table or about moving heavy luggage, actions require shoulder mobility. If you find it difficult to do these activities it is highly probable that you have shoulder impingement syndrome. This syndrome occurs when the rotator cuff muscles become inflamed and irritated and result in severe pain and difficulty while moving one s shoulder. Weak shoulders also make your posture look bad, it can cause grave strains in your neck and back and make you look hunched which is not at all attractive for your appearance.

Different kinds of shoulder injuries and causes of shoulder immobility:

Rotator cuff injury

Frozen shoulder

Onset of arthritis

Shoulder instability

Injury to the tendons and ligaments

Shoulder dislocation

Torn rotator cuff

Impingement   It refers to the excessive friction of the shoulder muscles against the top part of the shoulder blade.

How can you improve shoulder mobility?

You can improve your shoulder mobility with the help of some exercises. For example, stand straight with your hip and feet apart. Move your hands behind your back and try to interlock your fingers, if you face difficulty in doing so, use a towel instead. Hold this position for a minute or so.
Sit and keep your feet and knees straight pointing towards the direction of your eyes. Touch your shoulder blade by bringing your hands backward, touch your elbow with your other hand and bring it upwards. Sit straight, hold your head up and breathe slowly. Hold this position for a minute and then repeat again.
You can also improve your shoulder mobility with the help of yoga. Yoga is all about relieving your tension and stress, hence it is very beneficial to loosen up tight shoulders and it makes you much healthier by improving shoulder mobility. Stand straight with your feet at least four feet apart and then bend your left foot slightly towards to the right. Make your right foot bend 90 degrees. Raise your right arm towards the left and bend your body. Inhale and exhale. Switch sides after taking five breaths.
Physiotherapy For Shoulder Mobility-

Physical Therapy is not just scientific; it is also very thorough and very methodical in its way of healing and remedying clients with many aches and pains. A therapist is well trained and very careful in massaging and handling delicate parts of the body such as the vertebrae, extremities and in cases of temporomandibular joint neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction. Physical Therapy is a distinct specialization in the practice of physiotherapy.

Before patients are treated with the therapy, it is very important that they undergo a preliminary assessment of what ails them. Their dysfunctions are determined and their biochemical systems are assessed as well. The body's posture as well as the placement is analyzed and almost all areas of the entire body in terms of the position and functioning of the musculoskeletal system is considered just to make sure that the root cause of the problem is discovered and treated. 

The aim of the therapy is to alleviate pain, strengthen the body, and improve movement and usability of the limbs as well as the other areas of the body through the use of the hands. The therapy also utilizes various work-out regimens as well as a home carry over system to make sure that the intervention plan will work as expected. More than just treatment, physical therapy is a means of assisting a patient to recover body movement, strength and function, therefore the need to have a strong determination to improve from the patient is definitely required. Here are some physical exercises to improve shoulder mobility-

First step is to provide adequate rest to the shoulder. Avoid using the affected arm too much. Keep it in a comfortable position. Do not strain the arm.

Cold compressions can help to ease pain and swelling. Alternate applications of hot and cold compressions help to reduce inflammation and provide quicker relief.

Keeping the arm elevated in a swing is recommended. It helps to drain the fluid or oedema and reduce pain.

Other exercises recommended are basic shoulder strengthening exercises. Example of one such exercise is gently pulling an elastic tubing attached to a door knob, towards your body. These can be performed twice daily, starting five times with each arm.

Wall push exercises are those that strengthen shoulders, forearms, biceps and triceps. You must stand at least a feet away from the wall and push against the wall, for a count of 5 to 10.

Shoulder press ups are exercises that can be comfortably done while sitting on a chair. Keep your arms on the armrest of the chair. Instead of putting the weight on your feet, rise up slowly by putting the weight on your hands. Repeat this 5 times twice or thrice daily.

There are isometric shoulder mobility exercises that involve muscle contraction and movement of limbs. It involves strengthening the muscles through extension, contraction, rotation and flexion of shoulder joint.

There are lateral rotation abduction exercises, lateral shoulder raises, lateral shoulder pull down.

There s a range of scapula squeeze exercises that involve strengthening and stabilising the shoulder blades.

Medicine balls and lightweight dumbbells can be used as props to exercise the shoulders.

A bad shoulder not only results in a bad posture but also prevents you from doing day to day activities. Hence it is necessary to take care of your shoulders and exercise daily to improve the mobility.

Shoulder Mobility - How You Can Improve it?

Your thyroid glands are important to the body because it produces essential hormones. However, if you suffer from hypothyroidism, your thyroid glands will not be able to produce these hormones sufficiently.

In the early stages of hypothyroidism, you will not detect any noticeable changes in your body or health. However, if you do not start treatment for the condition, you will soon start to experience symptoms, such as obesity and infertility. Joint pain is another serious symptom of hypothyroidism.

Symptoms of musculoskeletal pain related to hypothyroidism-

Hypothyroidism can lead to a range of muscular and skeletal disorders in your body. Here are some musculoskeletal symptoms you are likely to experience if you suffer from hypothyroidism.

Painful and stiff muscles, which mainly affect your hip and shoulder region

Swelling across the joints of feet and hands

Carpal tunnel syndrome, where pressure on a nerve in your wrist causes pain and tingling across the entire arm

Stiffness and pain in the joints

Treating hypothyroidism related muscle and joint pain-

Over-the-counter pain medications help deal with the pain and the swelling. However, they are a temporary solution for the discomfort. Treating hypothyroidism is the best way to reduce your pain and discomfort.

Your doctor will prescribe a levothyroxine supplement, which is a synthetic hormone. This medicine will rectify the imbalance in your hormone levels, which in turn will reduce pain in your muscles and joints. Apart from the joint pain, the medication will also lower your elevated cholesterol levels from hypothyroidism.

How to get the best results from the medication-

If you consume certain foods, supplements and medication while being on levothyroxine, the drug may not work effectively. Here is a look at some things to avoid when you are on the medication.

Excessive soy products

Excessive high-fibre diet

Foods with high iron content

Antacids that contain Aluminium hydroxide

Calcium supplements

For the best effects, you need to consume the hypothyroidism medication on an empty stomach. Your doctor will likely advise you to take the medicine first thing in the morning and then wait about an hour before having your meal. In some cases, you may need to take the drug before going to bed. However, ensure you consume the medicine at least 4 hours after the last meal for the day.

Hypothyroidism And Musculoskeletal Pain - Know More About Its Link!

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