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!

Sarcopenia refers to the loss of muscle mass caused by the natural process of ageing. Over time, the loss of muscle mass may reduce a person s strength and affect his or her balance and the ability to walk. Sarcopenia can make it difficult for one to carry on with their routine activities, such as walking, lifting objects, or climbing stairs.

The reduction in muscle mass involves both a decrease in their size and the loss of muscle fibres. Sarcopenia becomes noticeable by age 40   and the loss of muscle tissues progress more rapidly by the time you reach the 60s or 70s. Doctors believe that certain hormonal changes due to ageing are the main reason for this condition. 

Apart from that, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle also contribute to muscle loss. Health experts and doctors suggest that following a proper, nutritious diet can help treat or delay sarcopenia.

Diet recommended for sarcopenia patients 

If you are diagnosed with sarcopenia, your dietician or healthcare provider will likely recommend a diet that has an abundance of proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins to prevent further muscle loss and boost their growth.

Here is a close look at the nutrients  

Proteins

The protein in your diet signals the muscle tissues to strengthen and build. As your muscles become more resistant to this signal with age, it is important that you consume more protein to increase muscle growth. A study found that people over age 70, who consumed a wholesome meal containing 35gms of protein, saw significant growth in the muscle mass. Leucine, an amino acid, is especially essential for regulating muscle growth. Some of the best sources of leucine include meat, eggs, fish, soy, and whey protein. 

Research has shown that the optimal intake of dietary protein should be somewhere between 0.6-0.9g/pound/d of protein in older adults with chronic or acute diseases. Besides eating more protein with meals, health experts recommend adding other protein-rich foods to their daily diet, including peanuts, almonds, edamame, and chickpeas. 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important for maintaining and building healthy bones. This is because the main component responsible for bone health, calcium can be absorbed only when your body has sufficient vitamin D. Milk, soymilk, cheese and other dairy products, egg yolks, and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel are some of the foods offering sufficient amounts of vital vitamin D. While natural food sources are the best way to get your daily dose of vitamin D, you can also opt for supplements to increase muscle endurance and lower the risk of falling. However, be sure to discuss with your doctor before taking vitamin supplements. 

Omega-3 fatty acids

Fish oil extracted from fatty fish contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, and EPA. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, fish oil is known to boost muscle sensitivity to resistance training and protein, allowing for growth in strength, size, and muscle mass as you age. A study conducted over 16 weeks revealed taking omega-3 supplements regularly witnessed a significant increase in muscle growth. 

Sarcopenia becomes more apparent with age and may affect your quality of life. Eating high-quality protein and enough calories can delay the rate of muscle loss. Consult a dietician and ask for a diet plan comprising these nutrients to improve muscle strength and deter sarcopenia.

What Type Of Diet Should Be Taken In Sarcopenia?

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

Unlike muscle aches, neuropathic pain or nerve pain is usually a lifelong condition. This usually affects the feet. In some cases, it can get better over the years but in most cases, nerve pain stays persistent or worsens with time. Neuropathic pain is caused by nerve damage and commonly triggered by conditions such as diabetes or is a result of the side effects of medication or chemotherapy.

Medication is usually the first line of treatment when it comes to dealing with neuropathic pain. Medication prescribed for such conditions can be categorized as:

Antidepressants
Anticonvulsants
Local anesthetics
These may be prescribed individually or in a combination of two or more types of drugs. additionally, topical creams may also be prescribed for pain relief. Conventional medicine can provide temporary relief from nerve pain. However, in the long run, making a few lifestyle changes can help control nerve pain. Here are a few tips.

Exercise: Nerve pain may tempt you to sit in one place, but you must force yourself to walk about and exercise a little on a regular basis. Exercising increases blood flow to the extremities of the body and releases endorphins that act as natural painkillers. It can also expand blood vessels and nourish damaged nerves.
Avoid alcohol: If you suffer from nerve damage, alcohol can aggravate the damage and increase pain. Hence it is best to skip alcohol and all other kinds of stimulants.
Heat therapy: Soaking your feet in a warm bath or using a heat pack can be very effective when it comes to dealing with nerve pain. The heat temporarily increase blood flow and reduces pressure on the nerves. However, be careful to avoid burning yourself.
Get a good night's sleep: Nerve pain is usually aggravated at night, thus disturbing your sleep. To get the required 8 hours of sleep a day, try maintaining a schedule of going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday. Drinking a cup of warm milk may also help you fall asleep faster. Ensure that the last cup of coffee you drink is in the afternoon.
Massage: As with muscle pains; a massage can help ease and reduce nerve pain. Your choice of oils also has a role to play in the effectiveness of the massage. While lavender oil helps people relax and takes their mind of the pain, geranium oil can help directly reduce nerve pain.

Ways to Control Nerve Pain

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

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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