Plantar fasciitis is an orthopedic problem that gives rise to pain in the foot and heel due to strain or pressure on the plantar fascia. This is a ligament or connective tissue which lies in a flat band, connecting your heel with the toes and effectively, providing a basis for the motion of the feet in general. Inflammation, swelling and bruising of this tissue or ligament can lead to excessive pain in the heel. Let us look at ways that can help you deal with this pain.

Rest: taking rest and giving your feet a break from all kinds of strain inducing activities can help in relieving the pain. Also, you can keep your feet elevated to help in reducing the pain in the area.

Supportive footwear: using pads within your shoes with gel built into them, or using specific footwear that help in walking without feeling too much of pain is a good way of dealing with plantar fasciitis. The shoe inserts must be rubber, felt or plastic so that they are soft for your feet. They also give your heel and its arch good support, while orthotics pulls the ligament so that there is less stress on the same. You can also pull on a pair of night flints which will keep the foot and the ligament stretched while you enjoy a good night of sleep.

Exercise: indulging in mild muscle strengthening exercise that also involves stretching and heel hooks can help in alleviating chronic pain that you may be suffering from. Lie flat on your back and take a towel. Lift your leg and hook your foot into it. Now press against the towel and pull down the towel simultaneously. Repeat at least ten times per foot. This will give you flexibility and strength in the area.

Painkillers: use pain killers only when absolutely necessary and with due advice from the doctor or orthopaedic specialist. The use of ibuprofen and other pain relievers can help in numbing the pain inducing nerves in the brain and give you instant relief.

Anti-inflammatory drugs: your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication that can bring down the swelling for more comfortable functioning when you are on your feet. Naproxen is one such drug that helps in bringing down the inflammation. Also, corticosteroid injections can relieve severe pain.

Surgery: heel spur removal or plantar fascia release are some of the surgical options for chronic and severe cases.

Taking care of your feet is a matter of ensuring that you look into the slightest discomfort and report the same to a doctor.

Plantars Fasciitis: How To Deal With It

A small piece of bone is known as a fragment and it is very common that an avulsion fracture also tends to damage the protrusions of bone to which the tendons attach. This basically means that the tendon or ligament will come away from the bone and it will take a small piece of bone with it. It is sometimes very hard to find out what type of injury you have and this is why knowing the causes and symptoms of an avulsion fracture are very helpful in determining exactly how severe the injury is. 
Here are the causes of an avulsion fracture.
Causes:
Explosive Landing: Athletes who tend to jump or land with great impact tend to get these most commonly. Therefore, it is crucial for your health that if you participate in such sports, you do follow the correct method of jumping.
Explosive Extension: Similar to how an athlete landing ferociously can get an avulsion fracture, someone who is extending the legs very violently and explosively during an exercise can also get an avulsion fracture. This is because the bone getting extended could very well damage the protrusions to which the tendons are attached. 
Symptoms:
These are the two main causes of an avulsion fracture. There are not many symptoms of an avulsion fracture. This is because an avulsion fracture can only be determined by an MRI or by an X-ray scan. Therefore it is nearly impossible to diagnose that you have an avulsion fracture without looking at the results of the tests performed on the part of your body. However, the way you got the fracture and especially the details of it are very good indications of whether you have an avulsion fracture or not.


Causes and Symptoms of Avulsion Fracture

Lower back pain can be one of the most physically debilitating things that can affect you and limit your mobility. Even if the pain isn t that acute, it could still signal something deteriorating in your lower back. While oral medications, topical creams or sprays can help in reducing pain, there are other effective remedies you can try on your own. These will be handy when you have no medications at hand. One of these is the hot and cold therapy.

Heat therapy for lower back pain

Heat works well with lower back pain as it can dilate blood vessels and improve circulation within the tissue. This will help in circulation and also result in lowering the pain. Heat therapy will also loosen up other muscles in the area and help soothe sore areas which have been taking the burden along with the lower back muscles. Some of the techniques that can be applied are:

1. All day heat wraps: These are specially manufactured belts or wraps which wrap around your abdomen and keep tightness and pressure on your lower back as well as supplying heat.

2. Electric heating pads: These are mechanized heating pads which generate heat with electricity. You can place them under you back and then either sit or sleep with it positioned behind you. However, ensure that you don t keep these for too long as they could burn your skin.

3. Hot Compress with towels or hot water bags: Use a clean towel and heat it over a conductive surface and apply it on your lower back. You can also use hot water bags for the same purpose.

Cold therapy for lower back pain

Cold therapy uses the principle of constriction of blood vessels as well as slowing circulation. This will help numb the area and thus help relieve the pain. Some of the ways these can be administered are mentioned below.

1. Ice towel: In this method, soak a towel in ice cold water, wring it to dry it and then apply on your lower back. This will numb the pain without transferring the sting of the cold or damaging your skin.

2. Ice packs: Put about half a kg of ice in a plastic Ziploc bag and pour water over the ice to just about cover it. Push out the air out of the bag and then lock it. Use this ice pack with a towel to ensure that you back doesn't get wet.

3. Ice gel packs: These are ready made packs, which can be bought from medical stores and kept frozen to be used whenever you need it in order to relieve lower back pain.

Treating Lower Back Pain Using Hot and Cold Therapy

Ayurveda is something which is very potent and its efficacy has been proven over the years. Arthritis is painful and has the ability to make a person feel pretty much like his or her hands are tied! However, while not much can be done to liberate a person to his or her pre-arthritis level of ease, the issue can be controlled and Ayurveda can really work wonders!

When you prefer an Ayurvedic treatment to help a person who is suffering from arthritis to experience lesser pain in his or her daily life, it is important to correct anything which may be wrong with digestion. This is because digestion, which is not optimal, leads to a situation of a build-up of ama, which is a lethal side effect of low-quality digestion.

It is believed that correcting a person s food intake will reduce the amount of ama one has in their body and as a result of the same, reduce the inflammation and the consequent pain which a patient of arthritis has to put up with on a daily basis.
If a person does not suffer from other lifestyle issues such as diabetes, making the effort to fast in accordance with the guidelines which have been set out as per the Ayurveda knowledge bank can have great benefits for the problems faced due to having arthritis.
The Magic of Ayurveda!

There is a herb known as Guggul, which is quite helpful, especially if a person is diligent about its consumption. This would mean that it be taken by him or her twice a day, along with some warm water. The dosages are small and usually range between 1 to 3 gms.
Ayurveda is a symbol of natural solutions to the health problems of people. As a result, it is only reasonable to expect a lot of the field to be centred on lifestyle habits and more so around food, as it is true, in this case at least, that we are what we eat.
In order to ease the pains of arthritis, it is very important to avoid oily food items and prefer a fruit diet such as apples, papayas and oranges. Tea, coffee and alcohol consumption should be kept to a bare minimum.
Arthritis is something which is frustrating, for sure. But, as long as a person is taking steps in the right direction, the issue will be a lot easier to deal with!

Ayurvedic Management For Arthritis!

Exercises for Sciatica
Sciatica is often distinguished not as a medical condition but as a set of symptoms that underlie a more serious medical concern such as a slipped disc, degeneration of the spine or the lumbar region etc.
It is important to note the symptoms of Sciatica, as these are quite distinct -
1.Constant pain in one of the buttocks or leg (rarely are both legs affected)
2.The pain worsens on sitting
3.The pain is often described as a sharp & searing pain similar to a burning sensation
4.The pain is often accompanied by a heaviness or numbness that makes movement difficult
5.Shifting of postures (sitting to standing and back to sitting) becomes painful and laborious
An alternative to surgery would be to supplement the oral medication with certain specific exercises.
Reflexology, Acupuncture and Chiropractic manipulation are all considered effective to alleviate the pain to a large extent.
Patients are often encouraged to partake in daily exercise routine, incorporating strengthening and stretching exercises.
The strengthening exercises target the core or abdominal muscles along with the back muscles to provide more support to the back.
The stretching exercises will help to “loosen up” the surrounding muscle groups such as the hamstrings, which then allow for more blood and oxygen circulation alleviating the pain and giving the immune system a much needed boost.
When patients engage in a regular programme of gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, they can recover quickly (in comparison to those who do not exercise) from the flare ups and over time the painful episodes are known to reduce significantly, both in frequency as well as intensity.
Ancient holistic practices such Yoga and Tai-chi are often considered the best form of exercises for the afflicted because of the balanced and slow but controlled movements that complement the ‘breath’ rather than causing further exertion to the already fragile bone density.
It is recommended that expert advice be sought and the exercises should be undertaken only under trained supervision. Please do not attempt to “experiment” with Yoga or Tai-Chi on your own, as improper or wrong posture could lead to irreparable damage to the spine. 


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 Exercises for Sciatica To Keep It Under Check

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune chronic disorder that might cause abnormal swelling in the joints when the joint tissues are attacked by the human immune system. The more frequently used body joints, such as the knees, fingers, shoulders, wrists, elbows and hips commonly get affected by the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis can also occur in the ligaments or tendons and might affect areas such as the kidney, bone marrow, eyes, lungs, and heart.

If rheumatoid arthritis is not diagnosed on time, it might lead to future complications, such as blood cancer in the lymph regions, osteoporosis (a medical condition resulting in the weakness of the bones), infections, stiffening of the arteries and dry mouth.

What exactly causes the disease is not known, but a significant damage to the immune system might cause the inflammation of the joints, resulting in this condition. Obesity, a family history of this condition and other lifestyle habits such as smoking tobacco put one at higher risks of this disorder.

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis might vary among people. The most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are;
1. Severe pain in the morning
2. Episodes of mild fever with severe pain
3. Redness and inflammation of the joints which might cause intense pain
4. Stiffness in the joints
5. The pain might increase in low-temperature conditions
6. Acute lethargy and weight loss

Treatments
The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis includes a prescribed dosage (depending on the intensity of the condition) of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, anti-rheumatoid drugs such as methotrexate and steroid drugs such as prednisone to reduce the swelling and the subsequent pain. Performing regular exercises in order to retain the flexibility of the joints with appropriate consultation from the physiotherapist might cure rheumatoid arthritis. 

Persistent Stiffness in Joints - Can it be a Sign of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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