One of the deadly diseases caused by the bite of an infected mosquito is Chikungunya. If you suddenly experience unbearable joint pain with symptoms of fever, consult a doctor immediately. Even the name Chikungunya etymologically means "to become twisted". If you are having the aforementioned symptoms, there is a high chance you are suffering from Chikungunya.

Symptoms of Chikungunya
Chikungunya affects your body within 3-4 days of the mosquito bite. The first sign of Chikungunya is sudden fever, which causes mild tremors in your body accompanied by severe pain and swelling of the joints. A headache and pain in the muscles are other two symptoms of this disease. The most glaring indication that you are suffering from it is the excessive joint pain you experience. This pain usually lasts for a few days to a couple of weeks. If left untreated, this disease can prove to be fatal. 

1. The joint pain will have a paralyzing effect on your body resulting in extreme pain.
2. Your finger joints and foot exhibit signs of swelling, causing severe pain.
3. You will experience pain in your hip, wrists and elbows.

Other symptoms of the disease include neurological and mild cardiac complications. You may even complain of having an eyesore. Also, there are chances of you suffering from gastrointestinal problems. However, none of these symptoms will be as severe as the excruciating joint pain you experience.

Some preventive measures can be taken, them being:
a. Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
b. Get plenty of sleep. It might be impossible for you to sleep especially when you are having body aches. Thus ask your doctor for some painkillers which will let you rest.
c. Paracetamol is a must to beat fever and joint pain.
d. Anti-inflammatory pills will be strictly recommended by your doctor to treat the inflammation.
e. Use a mosquito net at night
f. Keep your house clean so that the Chikungunya mosquitoes don't thrive

Suffering From Severe Joint Pain? It Could Be Due to Chikungunya

Hot and Cold therapy is one of the most popular home remedies for any kind of joint pain or muscle sprain. In some cases applying heat therapy and cold therapy alternatively, can help relieve the pain while for others only one form of therapy is necessary. To understand what to use when, one should first understand the effect of heat and cooling on the body.

Applying a heat pack or immersing the affected limb in hot water improves blood circulation and makes the muscles more flexible. Thus, it can help relax a muscle and fasten the healing of damaged tissues. On the other hand, cold therapy or cryotherapy reduces blood flow to the affected site. This helps relieve inflammation and pain caused by it. It can also make the area feel numb by reducing nerve activity temporarily.

Types of Heat Therapy
Heat therapy can be categorized as dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat involves using saunas or dry heating packs to relieve pain. This is also known as conducted heat therapy. As the name suggests, moist heat involves the use of steamed towels, hot baths and moist heating packs. This is also known as convection heat therapy. Moist heat is usually considered more effective than dry heat.

Types of Cold Therapy
Cold therapy may be applied to a part of the body or to the entire body. This includes ice packs, coolant sprays, ice baths, ice massages and whole body, cold therapy chambers.

How to use heat and cold therapy?
The sooner heat and cold therapy is given to a person, the faster they will recover from their pains. Heat therapy can be given to a person for extended periods of time but when giving cold therapy, a person should not be exposed to a cold pack or ice bath for more than 10-15 minutes. Care should also be taken no to apply ice or a frozen pack directly on the skin as it can damage the skin and nerves.

When not to use Heat Therapy?
If the injury site is swollen or bruised, cold therapy is better than heat therapy. Heat therapy should also not be applied to an open wound. People suffering from conditions such as diabetes, dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, vascular diseases and multiple sclerosis should also avoid heat therapy as these conditions can increase the risk of burns and other such complications. Pregnant women should also consult a doctor before using a hot tub or sauna.

When not to use Cold Therapy?
Cold therapy is avoidable for treating stiff joints and muscles. People suffering from poor circulation and sensory disorders should also avoid using cold therapy without a doctor s supervision. 

Hot & Cold Therapy - How It Can Treat Pain?

The pectoral muscle is the large muscle in the chest; that appears just below the collar bone and runs down through the sixth rib. This muscle is used when you flex and raise your arms over your head.
A strain on this muscle is self-treatable in most cases. The most common cause of pectoral strain is its overuse. Bodybuilders who perform extensive strength training are more prone to pectoral strain due to heavyweights they lift on a regular basis.

Lack of adequate warm-up before exercising can be another cause of this condition.

Symptoms
Pain in the chest is one of the most significant signs of pectoral strain. At times, shoulders and front of the arm may also be hurt if one has ruptured the pectoral muscle. Injuring the pectorals makes it difficult in moving the arms. According to diagnosis, although first degree strain on the pectoral muscles does not lead to a loss of muscle power, a more serious second or third degree tear in the pectoral muscles can cause significant weakness in the muscle strength.

Treatment and cure
A natural treatment for treating pectoral muscle strain at home is to put a temporary hold on all the workout regimes and allow the muscle to heal on its own. During this time, icing the inflamed zone can also help to control the pain. Icing the inflamed pectoral muscle for two to three days along with an application of a compression bandage helps in reducing the swelling.
In worst cases, surgical intervention may also be required for third degree muscle tear in the pectoral zone, especially when other tendons are also involved in the injury.

Prevention
One should always remember to stretch the muscles properly before any extensive workouts, to prevent this particular condition. Doing a chest stretch exercise helps in loosening the pectoral muscles in a faster and effective way.

Pectoral Strain - Signs You Are Suffering From It!

The bones are the bits and pieces which form the framework of the body. Each bone is placed in the correct position to give your body the structure it has. It is of utmost importance for you to have healthy bones so that the structure or frame of your body is maintained. A lot of times, due to the stress of your daily life, you tend to neglect the health of your bones. But remember that if you want to have a fit body, you will have to keep your skeletal system fit as well. Here are a few tips on how to keep your bones healthy:

1. Family history: Having a knowledge of your family history is extremely important as there may be cases where you might suffer from a particular disease which is hereditary. If your family has a history of osteoporosis, there is a high chance of you suffering from it. 

2. Increase your regular calcium and vitamin D intake: Calcium is extremely essential for your bone health. If you want your bones to be healthy and strong, you need to take a regular calcium dose in order to achieve that. But there is a catch to this. Although you might have food containing calcium every day or take calcium tablets, it won't be helpful until you also get a supply of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the bones to absorb the calcium.

3. Maintain a healthy bone density: To do this you need to eat food which will supply you with vitamin K. Vitamin K boosts bone density by enabling the body to make proteins required for healthy bones. Vitamin K also helps the bones absorb calcium just like vitamin D although this function is not predominant for vitamin K.

4. Exercise: The secret to healthy bones is exercise. The more you exercise regularly, the fitter your bones and muscles will be. Regular exercise helps to keep bone problems at bay. Leading a sedentary lifestyle heightens the risk of suffering from osteoporosis. It can also mess with your bone density and weaken your bones. Hence, exercise regularly for healthy bones.

5. Cut down on your caffeine intake: Too much of caffeine can mess up the calcium absorbing power of your bones. If you have more than two cups of coffee every day, your bones will gradually become weak.

So, if you want to remain as fit as a fiddle, then try these tips out, and you will not complain.

Tips And Tricks To Keep Your Bones Healthy!

5 Ways to Stop Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are feared and loathed by all of us alike – they hurt, they slow us down and they just give us a helpless feeling! The most common cause of these cramps is premature fatigue which affects the reflex control of muscles. Here are 5 ways guaranteed to beat these troublesome muscle cramps:

1. Take rest
The most easy and sure-shot way to kill a muscle cramp is to take rest. Just rest your body, be at one place and the cramp will not last more than 3-4 minutes. Moving around will only cause the pain to be aggravated and eventually affect other areas as well.

2. Consume solutions rich in salt
Whenever you encounter a troublesome cramp, the first instinct is to reach for water. However, studies have shown that salt solutions are far more effective in countering cramps as compared to plain water. You can have pickle juice and similar drinks which have a high salt concentration.

3. Be physically active
The most common reason for muscle cramps is over-straining of the body. If you are planning to indulge in an extremely intensive physical activity, make sure to train well in advance. Also, keep the duration and intensity of the training at a similar level to that of the actual activity.

4. Keep your body hydrated
Dehydration is the root of a number of troublesome conditions, muscle cramps being one of them. Make sure to always carry a water bottle with you and drink a minimum of 7-8 glasses of water on a daily basis.

5. Indulge in light passive muscle stretching
When faced with a muscle cramp, in addition to resting, try and gently stretch the affected muscle. This continuous and light passive stretching lets the brain know that it can relax the muscle and help it return to normal.




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5 Winning Ways to Stop those Nasty Muscle Cramps

The deltoid muscle is situated around the shoulder joint that makes up the shoulder. It is classified into three parts - front, side and rear deltoids. It is one of the most frequently used muscles in the body, its major functions are abduction and forward elevation of the arm.

Causes
A deltoid strain is a condition where you experience pain and tenderness in the shoulder area due to various causes like overuse of the deltoid muscle. It is very common in weightlifting and various sports such as cricket. It may even lead to partial loss of function in the deltoid muscle. Deltoid strain may be caused due to overworking of the muscle without adequate rest. It may also be caused due to lengthening of the deltoid muscle under stress or direct trauma to the muscle.

There are three types of deltoid strains

Grade 1 deltoid strain: It is characterized by tight muscles with some possible swelling. There may be mild pain when you use your shoulders for any activity.
Grade 2 deltoid strain: This strain is a result of a major injury to the deltoid muscle; there may be visible swelling and pain while carrying out activities that require movement of the shoulder. Lifting your arm to the front or the sides becomes difficult and painful.
Grade 3 deltoid strain: This form of deltoid strain is the most severe of the three; it may cause the shoulders to become immobile. You usually will experience excessive pain and severe swelling. You might not be able to move your arm and carry out any activity that requires the shoulders.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of a deltoid strain starts with a physical exam where the doctor will understand the symptoms of the deltoid strain. Various imaging tests such as x-rays may be required for the diagnosis. The basic treatment for shoulder strain comprises of the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression and elevation) which is used to treat grade 1 and grade 2 strains. Grade 3 strains may require surgery in addition to the above treatment methods. In case of excess pain, the doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to ease the pain.

All About Deltoid Strain!

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