A broken wrist is known as a wrist fracture and it may occur due to a variety of causes starting from undue pressure on the wrist which can result in an injury as well as debilitating conditions like arthritis, which makes the bones and joints prone to fractures. There are also non displaced breaks, which are stable kinds of fractures and in which, the wrist remains in its place. Let us find out more about the kinds of fractures and the procedures for treatment of the same.

Type of Fracture: The wrist is basically made up of eight small bones that connect the two long arm bones, which are known as the radius and ulna and create the forearm. The broken wrist can take place in any of these bones. A hand surgeon will generally take a look at this kind of fracture and determine whether it is displaced, stable or open. As discussed earlier, a wrist fracture can be of various types. While a non displaced wrist fracture is a more stable kind that does not really require much more than rest or medication, a displaced wrist fracture is a non stable kind where dislocation happens.

Other Factors: There are a variety of other factors that will be taken into consideration in order to repair this kind of a fracture. To begin with, the Orthopaedic specialist will consider your age and the kind of job, hobbies and other kinds of activities that you indulge in. Also, the doctor will try to ascertain whether or not you are in good health on an overall basis. The presence of other injuries will also be taken into account for this kind of an injury in there has been a bike or car accident that has caused the fracture.

Treatment: The method of treatment will vary as per the considerations listed above. A padded splint may be installed in order to align and support the bones and wrist respectively, so that there is ample relief from the acute pain as well. Further, an unstable fracture will require a cast as to support the entire forearm and give proper rest to the region so that the bone can grow back together and get aligned again. Surgery may also be required for very severe cases, and pins, screws, metals and plates may also be used depending on the exact location and type of fracture.

Recovery: Remember to move your fingers as much as you can so as to prevent them from getting stiff while they are held up in a splint or a cast.
Hand therapy will be helpful in gaining back motion and function of the wrist.

Wrist Fracture Procedure - Facts You Should Know About 

Polio is a virus that has the potential to infect any parts of the body including, but not limited to nerves and muscles. Primarily there are 3 types of polio namely, non-paralytic, spinal paralytic and bulbar. This disease shows minimal to no symptoms in more than 90 percent of the cases. 5 percent of the cases can show symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, sore throat and abdominal pain. Polio is a communicable disease and can cause massive damage if a proper dosage is not taken. It can spread through air, physical contact with an infected person, coughs etc.

Polio can cause paralysis: Polio has a far-reaching permanent effect on the body. It can cause paralysis on any of the limbs leading to permanent disability. This severely alters a child s life. The far-reaching consequences of the virus can only be negated through vaccination.
Weak muscle: Polio can result in weak muscles, respiratory problems and loss of reflex. If the breathing muscle collapses, it can result in the death of a person. Any of the above-mentioned symptoms can lead to weak body development altering the fate of a child.
It can spread fast and quick: Polio spreads very fast through the air, physical contact, saliva and water. It not only affects a single life but put millions at risk of the disease. A 1916 outbreak of the disease killed 6000 people in the United States and left several thousands of people disabled.
It reduces the risk of infection: 3 dosages Polio vaccination under the age of 6 can save a baby from getting polio in future. The body successfully creates polio antibodies from the vaccines and gets enough ammunition to fight it if the virus attacks it in future.
Social responsibility: Massive amount of awareness campaigns have been run by countries all over the world to permanently eradicate polio from the face of the earth. As per the latest reports, only 3 countries are reported to have babies affected with polio; Afghanistan, Pakistan and Congo. It is, therefore, a social responsibility to take part in the mission of removing polio from the face of the earth once and for all.
Save future generation: Although polio is not known to be a disease which passes through heredity, there still lies a chance for the future generation to get this disease. In order to negate that from happening, it makes sense to get the vaccines on time.
Give your kid a head start: Every kid deserves to have an equal amount of privileges like others. One small mistake on part of the parents can heavily cost a child s future. In order to make sure your kids grow up with any apprehension of polio, it is very important to treat them with polio vaccines.

Polio Vaccination - Why Is It so Important?

Treatment of frozen shoulder varies depending on the stage it is at, and how severe is the pain and stiffness. There is no outright cure and the aim of treatment is to keep the joint as mobile as possible. The most effective treatment is that which maintains a good range of movement until the shoulder starts to heal. 

Treatment may Include the following:

1. Shoulder exercises: Regular, gentle exercise can help to keep the shoulder joint mobile. If your shoulder is very stiff, exercise may hurt, and it should only be carried out with the guidance of your doctor or physiotherapist. If you are able to, continue using your shoulder as normal saving' the shoulder can cause the muscle to waste and may make stiffness worse.
2. Painkillers: Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or prescription-only drugs such as codeine may be taken to ease pain and you should discuss this with your general physician or pharmacist.
3. Anti-inflammatory painkillers: Such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, are often prescribed to ease pain and inflammation. Any medication that you take should be discussed with your general physician or pharmacist.
4. Steroid injections into or near the shoulder joint may be effective at relieving pain and inflammation for a few weeks. However, injections are not a cure, and symptoms may return.


Treatment of frozen shoulder

Facial paralysis can happen due to many factors. Sometimes inflammation develops around the facial nerve as it passes through the skull from the brain. This presses on the nerve and makes it stop functioning. As the nerve stops functioning, so does the muscle it controls.


This is what happens in Bell s palsy, the most common cause of facial paralysis.


Bell s palsy can happen to anyone and its cause is, hold your breath, a viral infection. Herpes zoster, Varicella zoster and HIV viruses can cause Bell s palsy.


Bell's palsy is a common cause of a facial paralysis but there are many others too that affect or damage facial nerve. These include head injury, sarcoidosis, lyme disease, growths in the ear, tumours in the parotid gland, brain tumours and stroke.


The weakness of the face usually one-sided is a symptom of Bell s palsy. The face may droop to one side, chewing food is also tough, drooling, dry eyes and difficulty wrinkling forehead and speech are other symptoms of Bell s palsy, the most common reason for facial paralysis.


Treatment:
The type of therapy you receive for facial paralysis will depend on its cause. It will also develop on how long you ve suffered from facial paralysis and the extent of damage to the facial nerve.


Your physiotherapist can help and so can speech and language therapists to deal with the issue.


In physiotherapy, a treatment called 'facial retraining' with facial exercises helps with facial palsy. It is important that you seek help from a therapist who specialises in facial rehabilitation only.


This is what you can expect from facial rehabilitation therapy-
Exercises for eye care
Exercises for dry mouth management
Exercises to make drinking and eating easier
Speech therapy
Your physiotherapist will educate you on how the facial nerve works and how it recovers. This is important to make you recover. A home therapy programme plays an important role too. It includes massages to keep face muscles mobile and healthy, stretches to lengthen muscles, exercises to help re-learn balanced facial movements and relaxation of your facial nerve and muscles.


The physiotherapist will work on your facial movement to make muscles fit. The basic idea is to slowly rewire the brain-to-nerve-to-muscle pathway. The physiotherapist s first step is to retrain you to do correct movements voluntarily, while mentally focusing on the movement.


Physiotherapy may take months but keep at it to recover completely, especially the home exercises.


Injections of botulinum toxin or Botox also help especially if you suffer from spasms in facial muscles. Surgery is also an option for chronic cases.


Remember that exercises should be done gently as well as daily to reap benefits. Always do these exercises with the help of a therapist only. Doing exercises by yourself can be counter- productive.


Facial Paralysis - How Can Physiotherapy Help You Get Better?

What are the Different Kinds of Arthritis and How to Treat Them?

Arthritis is a very common medical condition that affects a lot of adults as they age. It occurs due to inflammation of the joints, which can be caused by a number of factors such as aging, injury or infection.

There are over a hundred different kinds of arthritis that cause various sorts of problems to those affected. However this condition can be broadly classified into two major types, which include the following:

1.Osteoarthritis

Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is the most common kind of chronic condition to affect the joints. This occurs when the cartilage that surrounds the joint wears away and allows the ends of bones to rub against each other causing immense pain and is often accompanied by inflammation and swelling. The primary cause of osteoarthritis is aging and occurs mainly due to pressure on the joints from lifting heavy weights.

2.Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is the most common type of arthritis that occurs due to joint inflammation. It is an autoimmune condition, which means that it is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system that leads to inflammation of the joints. Chronic inflammation causes joint deformities and even the development of rheumatoid nodules on the skin around the joint. Two-thirds of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis are women.

Depending on the nature of the condition and the age and medical history of the patient, diagnosis, and treatment of arthritis varies. Although there is no permanent cure for arthritis, especially the type caused by aging, a number of remedies exist that provide relief from pain.

Some of the common methods of treatment for arthritis are:

Medication

Some medicines provide relief from the pain of arthritis if it is not too severe. These include painkillers, anti-inflammatory pills, sprays, and ointments, etc. In case of high-intensity pain, codeine is often prescribed.

Stem Cell Therapy

This method involves drawing platelets from the patient's own blood and injecting it into the inflamed parts of the joint in order to repair damaged muscles and alleviate pain.

Injections

A number of anti-inflammatory substances and lubricants can be injected into the affected joints to decrease pain. Ozone gas injections are an example of this.

Surgery

In extreme cases, surgical procedures are resorted to for treating arthritis. However, successful surgery cannot always be guaranteed and it comes with its own set of risks.



All You Need to Know about Arthritis - Types and Treatment

Arthritis is a disease usually associated with elderly people, but it can also affect children. When arthritis affects children, it is known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This disorder affects the musculoskeletal structure of a child and can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the muscles, joints, ligaments and bones. In some cases, it can also affect the internal organs. With medication and therapy, the symptoms of this disorder can be managed and the quality of the child s life can be improved.

Hence, it is important to recognise the signs and symptoms of this disease. Some of the symptoms to look out for are:

Pain: Complaints of pain in the joints or muscles on waking up from bed can be a sign of juvenile arthritis. This may affect a child s jaw, neck, hands, knees and feet. For most children, moving around helps relieve some of the pain. Unlike the pain triggered by an injury, this kind of pain develops slowly and affects both symmetrical joints.

Joint stiffness: Children affected by this disorder may complain of stiff joints which hamper normal movement and activities. As with pain, this stiffness is usually worst in the morning and improves with movement.

Swelling: Redness and inflammation of painful joints is another symptom of this disorder. The joint may also feel warm to touch. This swelling may come and go or persist for several days. The joints of the hands, feet and knees are most susceptible to swelling.

 Fever: Frequent fever accompanied by fatigue can indicate juvenile arthritis. These fevers usually come on suddenly and are relieved after a short time. Also, they do not exhibit any signs of respiratory or stomach infections.

Rashes: Rashes that are symptomatic of this disorder appear commonly over the knuckles, nose bridge or on the trunk, arms and legs. This often takes the form of a faint, pink rash that persists for weeks but unlike other rashes, it does not itch or ooze.

Weight loss: Drastic weight loss and an unexplained loss of appetite can also signal this disorder. In such cases, the child may also appear fatigued and showcase symptoms of associated malnutrition disorders.

 Eye problems: Persistent troubles with eyesight such as pain, blurred vision and redness of the eye can be a sign of juvenile arthritis. In some cases, this disorder also causes the iris and uveitis as well as the middle layer of the eye to appear inflamed. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a rheumatologist.

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis - 7 Signs Your Child Is Suffering from It!

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