Slip disk is a condition of the spinal column which consists of a stack of vertebras from the cervical, thoracic and the lumbar spine.The bones of the spine are cushioned by disks that are present to absorb shocks. Trauma to the spine may cause the disk to bulge or be ruptured. This may lead to pain in the neck and the back. 

Causes of slip disk

Slip disk is caused when the jelly like substance present in the disks bulges out. The damaged disk thus puts pressure on the adjacent nerve causing excruciating pain. The various causes of a slipped disk are:

1. Incorrect form during exercise: If you are into weight lifting, it is important that you use proper form during exercising. Moves like barbell squat and deadlifts can put pressure on the spine and lead to disk problems, if not done correctly. Make sure you work on your core strength and keep your lower back straight while exercising. 

2. Smoking: Smoking causes the disks to lose their flexibility and thus, increases the risk of slipped disk.

3. Ageing: Ageing decreases the content of water in the spine, thus leading to inflexibility.

The symptoms of slip disk are:
1. Pain on one side of the body that tends to aggravate over time
2. Activities such as sitting and coughing may lead to pressure on the spine causing pain
3. Your range of motion on certain movements may be restricted
4. Pain in the neck while moving it
5. Numbness in the shoulder and the neck region
6. You may experience tingling sensations in the genitals, hips and the legs
7. You may have muscles spasms which lead to sudden contraction of the muscles
8. It may also lead to partial paralysis of the lower body

Prevention
1. If you are overweight, try to reduce weight and then focus on maintaining healthy weight levels
2. Maintain proper posture while sitting or standing
3. Exercise on a regular basis to build strength and keep your joints healthy
4. Don't remain in seated position for an extended period of time. Take small breaks in between to stretch

Slip Disk Problems

A migraine is considered to be one of the worst headaches of all. It causes excruciating pain along with a range of other symptoms. Notably, a migraine pain is very different in nature compared to general headache. A migraine pain is mostly felt on any one side of the brain. Since a migraine is difficult to diagnose, here is a list of 5 signs that will help you to understand, if your headache qualifies as a migraine:

Vision splotches: It is very common among migraine patients to experience blind spots and a sudden flash of light. While this might appear to be a little unusual, it is pretty normal for migraine patients. The visual cortex of the brain is responsible for incidences like these. They often pace up and slow down to cause such unnatural feelings. For cases like this, the nerve gets activated by the optical lobe and crashes immediately resulting in such sensations. These visible auras are felt by both the eyes.
A spinning sensation: A migraine patient often gets a swirling sensation. This requires them to immediately lie down. This is accompanied with nausea and throwing up. Certain migraine-induced changes caused in the brain causes hearing imbalance which is very similar to vertigo. These auras often serve as the onset of a migraine and can last for over one hour before the actual migraine cycle starts. If a person is suffering from these symptoms, it is a clear indication that he is suffering from a migraine.
Light sensitivity: Migraine patients often becomes oversensitive to sound and light. This is perhaps the reason why most migraine sufferers like to spend more time in dark and solicitude. Studies have shown that sudden exposure to light activates the optic nerve fiber which in turn activates the pain receptors in the brain. A study conducted by the Nature Neuroscience journal conducted in the year 2010 showed that even blind person (with a migraine) suffers from a sudden glow of light.
Touch sensitivity: Sensory auras often cause sharp pain from tiniest of touches. This is a condition known as the allodynia. This is a condition by which the spine and the brain get super excited by the inflamed blood vessels. This condition should be reported to a doctor since the most common medicine of a migraine does not work well if a patient is suffering from allodynia.
Funny Face: Aura of the tongue, face and lips are known as cheiro-oral. There is a type of aura that makes even speaking and eating difficult. At time sufferers feel that they are suffering from serious diseases such as brain tumor. If this condition prevails, it makes sense to contact your doctor at the earliest and start medication.

5 Signs You Are Suffering From Migraine

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder related to the posture, movement or muscle tone, mostly due to immature development of the brain in a baby. This condition usually crops up, when the baby is already in the womb. The symptoms may surface when the baby is in its infancy or even later. Irregularities in the reflexes, posture, walking style, etc should ring a bell for the parents. Kids suffering from cerebral palsy may also suffer from muscle imbalance of the eye muscles, leading to problems focusing on an object. The range of motions becomes limited as well. There could be conditions such as deafness, epilepsy, impaired brain function and blindness associated with this disease. 

Whom to consult for cerebral palsy in kids? 
A kid suffering from Cerebral Palsy might have to work with a medical team for a very long time. Parents might need the help of a paediatrician, orthopaedic surgeon, paediatric neurologist, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist, mental health specialist, developmental therapist, recreation therapist and special education teacher. 

Treatments that are available for Cerebral Palsy in kids Medication: 

Medications: Medications are often used to improve the functional abilities of a kid. Certain spasticity related complications, treatment of pain, and other symptoms of Cerebral Palsy can be treated with medications. It is important to discuss with the doctor, the side-effects involved in taking the medication. There are two types of medications- for isolated spasticity and for generalized spasticity. In case of Isolated spasticity, doctors recommend Botox injections every 4-6 months to stabilize one muscle group. If the whole body is affected due to cerebral palsy, doctors recommend medications such as baclofen, diazepam and dantrolene to relax the contracted and stiff muscles. 

Therapies: While there are many therapy treatment, three types of therapies are the most important for treating a child suffering from cerebral palsy. They are physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech& language therapy. Physical therapy is necessary for the flexibility, mobility and motor development of the child. Occupational therapy helps a kid imbibe alternative strategies to participate in daily activities. From teaching a child to walk with a cane to help them operate a wheelchair, physical therapy makes a child self-sufficient as much as possible. Speech and language therapy helps child s ability to communicate either verbally or with sign-language. 

Surgery: Surgery may be necessary to loosen the muscles, correct abnormalities of the bone etc. An orthopaedic surgery is necessary in cases where a kid was born with several deformities. The correction can decrease pain and increase mobility. In severe cases when the normal treatments do not help, doctors cut the tendon of spastic muscle. It helps to relieve the pain and relax the muscle.

Cerebral Palsy In Kids - Treatments That Can Help!

Surgery to remove abnormal growths of the brain, peripheral nervous system or the spine or any disorder can be tricky because the brain and the skull that shields it are complex areas. In the old days, open surgery was the only way to access the brain or spinal cord. But, with the invention of laparoscopy, keyhole surgery to treat neurological issues is gaining ground.

What is Neuroendoscopy? 
Neuroendoscopy is a surgical procedure that is favoured by doctors and patients alike because it is minimally invasive.
Before the surgery, you will be administered general anaesthesia so that you will be unconscious during the entire duration. During the surgery, the surgeon will drill a minute hole into your skull just above the eyebrows. You skull also has two natural openings. That is why the surgeon may make use of the nose or the mouth to access the region that needs to be operated upon.

Neuroendoscopy is useful because -

  It lets the surgeon reach regions that are not accessible with open surgery
  The tumour can be removed without any damage being done to surrounding tissues

An endoscope is a delicate device with a high-resolution camera mounted on it. There is an eyepiece on the other end. The device is also fitted with a light. When it is inserted into the brain, it lights up the passage and the eyepiece allows the surgeon to take a look inside. The camera sends a live feed of the path it is traversing and this guides the surgeon. When the tumour is reached, it is gently removed with other surgical instruments that too were inserted through the cavities or the drilled hole.

Benefits of Neuroscopy -
There are several advantages of relying on laparoscopy -

  The patient endures less pain
  Fewer chances of infection
  Faster recovery
  Very little scarring of tissues

Which Disorders call for Neuroendoscopy?
Any of the following disorders can be put to rights with a neuroendoscopic surgery -

  Pituitary tumours
  Rathke s cleft cysts
  Pineal area tumours
  Ventricular tumours
  Skull base tumours
  Brain inflammation triggered by an infection
  Chordomas
  Cerebrospinal fluid fistulas
  Trigeminal neuralgia
  Cerebral aneurysm

After Surgery-
Once you undergo the neuroendoscopic surgery, you will have to be rehabilitated so that your condition can be monitored round the clock. Neuroendoscopy is a state of the art clean and efficient surgery that is beneficial to both surgeons as well as the patients.

Know More About Neuroendoscopy And Its Uses!

Our body is composed of many elements that carry out emotional and physical functions that are usually in sync with one another. It is important for these organs and other elements to be in sync for good health. All nerves are connected to the brain and are responsible for sending important signals throughout your body. Therefore, even one pressed nerve may send you warning signals such as pain to the body. It is advisable not to overlook these signals. Damage from a pressed nerve might be minor or extreme. It might bring about persistent and chronic issues. Therefore, the sooner you get a treatment for nerve compression, the more relieving experience you will have. In a few cases, you cannot reverse the damage caused by a pressed nerve. However, treatment does relieve you from the pain in most cases.

Nerves are the most vulnerable at spots in your body where they go through narrow spaces and have very less tissue to protect them. These are the places they are more likely to get pinched. A number of the causes may include:

If the nerve is pressed between tissues, for example, your tendon, ligament or bone.
Nerve compression in your neck or arm may likewise bring pain in zones, for example, your elbow, hand, wrist or fingers.
Aggravation or weight on a nerve root leaving the spine may bring about neck or low back pain.
In case a disc tears, it is known as a herniated circle that can put weight on a spinal nerve.
Some of the common symptoms of pinched nerves are:

Pain in the region of pressure, for example, the neck or low back
Transmitting pain, for example, sciatica or radicular pain
Numbness
Tingling
Blazing sensation
Weakness
To what extent you are affected depends from individual to individual. Treatment fluctuates, based upon the seriousness and reason for the pinched nerve. You may find that you benefit from just resting the affected area and by maintaining distance from any exercises that may cause you harm. If side effects endure or torment is serious, it is best to see your specialist. You may require one or more types of treatment to contract swollen tissue around the nerve.

Treatment may include:

NSAIDs - Non steroidal inflammation mitigating drugs (NSAIDs, for example, headache medicine, ibuprofen, or naproxen may diminish swelling).
Oral corticosteroids - These are utilized to lessen swelling and agony.
Opiates - These are utilized for brief periods to lessen extreme pain.
Steroid infusions - These infusions may diminish swelling and allow the affected nerves to recover.
Exercise based recuperation - This will extend and reinforce muscles.
Brace - A prop or delicate neckline limits movement and permits muscles to rest for brief periods.
Interventional Pain Procedures: They are the most cost effective and non invasive methods for pain relief as recommended by the WHO. Your pain will be taken care of by the interventional pain physician or the pain specialist.
Surgery - Surgery might be required for more serious issues that do not react to different sorts of treatment.

What to Do When You Have a Pinched Nerve?

With age, just like other body functions, the mind too begins to slow down. This could lead to problems in communication, focus, recall, reasoning, and thinking. So with dementia, the person faces problems which are a combination of above-mentioned activities. Dementia is a symptom associated with many diseases and is not a disease on its own.

Alzheimer s is the main cause of dementia, followed by stroke or brain injury, Huntington s disease, and Lewy body disease. However, there are some symptoms that can be indicative that a person is gradually progressing into dementia. Watching out for these symptoms can help one seek help at an early stage, thereby helping the affected person, and slowing down its progress.

Short term memory loss: With age, people tend to forget what happened recently, and this can even be something as recent as the previous day. However, they can very clearly recollect events from the past. They might forget things like where they have placed their glasses, where the television remote control is, etc. They may also ask for the same information repeatedly, even after it is answered.
Mood changes: Rapid mood swings is observed in a person suffering from dementia. Their emotions keep changing within a matter of seconds, and they may show also less emotion than what they used to show previously.
Personality changes: Since dementia affects reasoning and judgment, someone who was earlier shy could suddenly become outgoing. Their inhibitions which led to a shy personality are lost, making them more outgoing.
Difficulty in performing regular tasks: Be it forgetting things like laying out tables, keeping things back in their places, or organising medical kits, with dementia setting in, these tasks slowly become more difficult to do. Also, learning new tasks, even simple ones, seem tough and are often not accomplished.
Losing storylines: The elderly would usually be good with telling and appreciating stories like telling tales to their grandchildren or following television soaps and stories. However, as dementia begins to set in, they tend to lose storylines, both when observing and telling.
Repeating actions: As they are not able to register things, they tend to repeat things, both in words and in actions.
Feeling lost: Things like heading out to a store to buy something and then wondering why they came there are common. Short-term memory loss can cause such situations. This confusion, especially with regard to time and things, is very common.
Spatial and time orientation: There could be problems relating to space and time, seasons, and they may often ask questions like what time it is, etc. Routine tasks like paying bills, cooking using recipe books, which were easily managed, suddenly begin to look difficult.
Apathy: Losing interest in people, hobbies, or other things like puzzles, which they once enjoyed, become boring and unenjoyable.

9 Early Symptoms of Dementia!

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