When you think about a healthy diet, you wonder how much carbohydrate, protein, fats and minerals you need to stay fit. However, are you neglecting the importance of vitamins in your daily diet? Research suggests that vitamins play a crucial role in muscle building and bone health.

Here is a look at the different vitamins that will help you enhance your muscles and bones using vitamins.

1. Vitamin D-

You may have heard about the importance of calcium for proper bone health. However, only consuming calcium-rich foods will not help you develop stronger bones. If you do not have enough vitamin D in your body, you will not be able to use the excess calcium for bone health. Vitamin D helps your body utilize the calcium for bone growth and enhancement.

Apart from strengthening your bones, vitamin D also works wonders for your muscles. It helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, both of which are essential elements in the production of adenosine triphosphate or ATP. ATP is the only form of energy that your muscles can use during movements and activities.

Best sources for vitamin D are cheese, egg yolk, certain fatty fish, shrimp, mushrooms, soya milk, orange juice and cereals.

2. Vitamin K2-

Vitamin K2, also known as menaquinone, improves your cardiovascular health. Vitamin K2 is also a coenzyme that helps your bone use proteins. Additionally, a study performed in 2013 revealed that vitamin K2 improves bone metabolism in post-menopausal women. At such an age, women s bone health starts to deteriorate and osteoporosis sets in. Therefore, vitamin K2 becomes all the more important for women at such an age.

Best sources of vitamin K2 are butter, cheese, egg yolk, dark chicken meat, and fermented soy.

3. Vitamin C-

Vitamin C is a great choice if you work out regularly. A powerful antioxidant, it helps your body metabolise proteins in the body, leading to muscle growth. Additionally, vitamin C helps in the absorption of iron, which is an essential component of blood.

Best food sources for vitamin C are citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and more. Additionally, green capsicum, broccoli, and blackcurrants also provide ample amounts of vitamin C to your body.

Even though vitamins have a role to play in building stronger bones and muscles, the only diet will not be enough for a fit body. You need to start exercising along with eating a balanced diet if you want to stay healthy. Furthermore, exercising helps improve your musculoskeletal health.

Vital Vitamins For Musculoskeletal Health!

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?

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?

Gone are the days when bone ailments and damages were detected based on the experience and superficial conversations made by the physicians. These days with the advent of radio waves, medical science has made significant progress that has enabled a detailed overview of what exactly is going on inside your body and what should be the most relevant treatment in that regard. Magnetic Resonance Imaging or more commonly known as MRIs are a boon when it comes to diagnosing orthopedic and musculoskeletal complaints.

Common Uses of the Procedure:

MR imaging is usually the best choice for examining the:

body s major joints.
spine for back pain
soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) and bones of the extremities.
MR imaging is typically performed to diagnose or evaluate:

degenerative joint disorders such as arthritis.
tears of the menisci, ligaments and tendons (knee) or rotator cuff and labrum (shoulder and hip).
fractures (in selected patients).
spinal disk abnormalities (such as a herniated disk).
the integrity of the spinal cord after trauma.
sports-related injuries and work-related disorders caused by repeated strain, vibration or forceful impact.
infections (such as osteomyelitis).
tumors (primary tumors and metastases) involving soft tissues around the joints and extremities (such as muscles, bones and joints).
pain, swelling or bleeding in the tissues in and around the joints and extremities.
congenital malformations of the extremities in children and infants.
developmental abnormalities of the extremities in children and infants.
congenital and idiopathic (developing during adolescence) scoliosis prior to surgery.
tethered spinal cord (abnormal stretching in the spinal cord) in infants and children.
The Process:

In this process, X-rays and radio waves are subjected upon the affected region to examine the conditions of the bones, tissues, muscles and also detect the presence of tumours. This is majorly a non-invasive test and is painless. It does not use ionizing rays and therefore does not harm the body in any which way. The MRIs capture a detailed picture of the organs and the internal body structures and then transmit them onto a computer screen for the physician to monitor the inside story.

The Benefits: 

MRI is an imaging technique that does not require exposure to radiation.
MR images of the soft-tissue structures of the body (particularly muscles, bones and joints) are often clearer and more detailed than with other imaging methods. This detail makes MRI an invaluable tool in early diagnosis and evaluation of many conditions, including tumors.
MRI can distinguish abnormal tissues from normal tissues much more accurately than most other imaging tests (x-ray, CT, etc.).
MRI enables the discovery of abnormalities that might be obscured by bone with other imaging methods.
The contrast material used in MRI exams is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based contrast materials used for conventional x-rays and CT scanning.
MR images allow the physician to clearly see even very small tears and injuries to tendons, ligaments and muscles and some fractures that cannot be seen on x-rays and CT.

Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal MRI

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

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?

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