Today  working  usually implies sitting at a desk from morning to evening. While this may seem more comfortable than working in the fields, sitting at a desk can trigger a host of back problems. This is because sitting in the same position all day makes the spine bend forward and lowers the efficiency of the back muscles. Working at a desk not only strains your back, but also restricts your movements to typing on a keyboard and moving a mouse. 

Once a back problem begins, it usually lasts a lifetime hence; here are a few tips to save your back.

Get yourself a good chair: Your chair is crucial to your back s health. Avoid the hard backed plastic chairs and pick a more flexible mesh backed office chair if you sit at the table for a long span of time. Ergonomic chairs may seem expensive, but are worth the expense in the long run.
Stretch your muscles: Sitting in the same position all day, puts the muscles under stress and with time can constrict the muscles. Make it appoint to stand up every 30 minutes and stretch your back and sides. Also try rotating your hips and shoulders form time to time.
Take a break: No matter how much work you have in front of you, take a break at the end of each hour. Taking even 2 minutes off out of 60 every hour can have a huge impact on your health. If you still feel guilty skip using the phone to connect with your colleague and walk over to their desks instead.
Get a pedometer: Keeping a pedometer will help you track the number of steps taken in a day. Ideally, a person should take 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. If you sit at a desk for majority of the day, take every opportunity you can to up the count on your pedometer. Go for a walk around your office after lunch or park your car a little way off from the office to create opportunities to walk.
Take the stairs: As far as possible avoid escalators and elevators. Instead climb stairs for a quick workout. If your office is on the 20th floor, walking up may not be feasible, but you could get off the elevator on the 18th floor and walk up the remaining two floors.
Eat healthy: Lastly, pay attention to what you eat. Avoid eating at the office canteen or picking up a bite at the coffee shop and carry lunch from home. This ensures that you eat a balanced meal.

World Spine Day-6 Back Saving Tips for People Who Sit at a Desk All Day

Shin splints' is a condition, which is characterized by pain in the shin bone, the bone that is present in front of the leg. Shin splints tend to occur quite frequently in runners and dancers as their activities tend to stress the shin bone.


Causes
When excess force is applied to the shinbone, it may result in swelling of the muscles, causing pain and inflammation. It may also occur from stress reactions to fractures in the bone. Cracks tend to develop due to constant application of force in the bones. If the area is not well rested then these cracks will not heal and ultimately lead to a complete fracture.


Some other causes of shin splints are 
1. Muscle imbalance in the glutes or the thighs
2. Anatomical deformity such as flat foot
3. Not using proper form during training
4. Lack of flexibility
5. If you wear improper shoes during workouts, then it may lead to shin problems
6. Running downhill may lead to excessive stress on the shin leading to shin splints


Symptoms
The symptoms of shin splints are: 
1. You may experience swelling in the lower leg
2. A dull pain in the front portion of the leg
3. Tenderness around the shin area
4. Numbness around the shin area
5. Inflammation in the shin area
6. You may experience severe pain while walking


Treatment
The basic treatment for shin splints is the rice (rest, ice, compression and elevation) protocol. It means allowing the leg to rest, applying ice packs and wearing compression bandages. It is recommended to take rest and not exert the leg beyond a certain point to limit the damage. The complications that may result from shin splints are compartment syndrome, where there is buildup of pressure in the muscle. In some cases, where the muscle tears off from the bone, a surgery may be required to treat this condition.

Causes and Symptoms of Shin Splints

Not all people who suffer from Tennis Elbow have swung their racquets, and those who have never been affected by the problem will not be able to understand how severe the pain and discomfort can be. It is a debilitating condition that affects one s normal lifestyle in both minor and major ways.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is nowadays considered a promising treatment for consistent and chronic tendon problems including Tennis Elbow and Golfer s Elbow. It is often conjugated with autologous blood injection which is a quick and minimally invasive process using the cells of the patients without any use of any drugs.

What is Tennis Elbow?
The human elbow is a joint comprising of three bones: humerus in the upper arm, ulna, and radius in the lower arm. Each part of the bone is covered with cartilage that facilitates free movements of the bones. Tennis elbow occurs at times when the epicondyle layer on the elbow joint become inflamed or torn.

Understanding platelet-rich plasma therapy
PRP is a non-surgical, in-office treatment which starts withdrawing a little amount of blood. The blood is then spun in a centrifuge for concentrating the platelets in the place. This process also segregates the red and white blood cells. Then the platelets together with some amount of plasma are injected into the body in the affected region which has some injury and is not able to heal properly.

When a person is affected with Tennis Elbow, the platelet-rich plasma is injected into the Flexor Origin present on the medial side of the wrist extensor tendon origin at the lateral epicondyle. The doctor may need to jab the needle in different places.

Why is PRP suitable for Tennis Elbow?
The primary objective of using platelet-rich plasma therapy is utilizing the cells and protein of the body along with specific healing factors that can stimulate and jumpstart the process of healing in the tendons. To begin the healing process that has either stalled or could not be completed or has never started, the PRP is the best means. The first step of beginning the healing process is dealing with the inflammation. Experts are fascinated at the way in which the platelet rich plasma can replace the conventional anti-inflammatory medical treatments of Tennis Elbow.

The arrival of platelet-rich plasma has caused the corticosteroid shots to lose their popularity. Because, though they can relieve acute pain for a short span of time, they do not promote healing and may also cause further breakdown of the affected area.

PRP therapy is known for improving the natural healing process of the body. It has ignorable side effects, and the best part is that it is minimally invasive. Since Tennis Elbow is becoming more common these days, it needs to be treated in ways that would be able to complement one's situation and restore normal functionality. 

Consider Platelet- Rich Plasma Treatment For Effective Treatment Of Tennis Elbow

Exercises to cure long hours of sitting
Most of us are used to sitting throughout the day, willingly or unwillingly due to work or otherwise. We spend more hours sitting, and most of our work is done in this position. The downsides of this are many, one of them being a stiff back which not only causes a lot of pain but also initiates many other health problems.
Train yourselves on these highly effective exercises which minimise the pain and keep your muscles active.

1. Back press: put towel on your back and press the towel with the back. Hold that position for 10 sec. Repeat 10 times. Do not hold your breath while applying pressure at the back.
2. Bridges: lie on the floor, bend your knees and secure your feet on the ground. Raise your hips upwards so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Release and go back to previous position.
3. Knee to chest exercise: just lie down on an exercise mat, bend your one knee while lying and try to touch that knee to the stomach. Hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat this with the other leg. Alternate the legs each time.
4. Bilateral knee to chest: bend both the knees while lying on bed. With support of your hands try bringing both bent knees to touch the stomach. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
5. Static abdominal exercise: lying on your back, try to contract your stomach without holding your breath. Hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise for 7 or 10 times.
6. Knee to opposite chest: lying on your back, bend your knees. Try bringing one knee to opposite side of the chest and hold that position for 7 sec. Do this for 7 times and repeat the same for the other leg too.
7: leg swings: these are easy and fun. Stand by the wall, hold on to a rod or something similar to keep balance. Now with the leg that is not towards the wall, swing. Swing your leg from front to back, left to right. Do not be too quick, do this at a mediocre pace. Repeat with the other leg.
8: static glutei: lying on the stomach, squeeze your buttock and hold it for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

General precautions:
1. Avoid bending instantly after or during the exercises. Incase you have to bend, first bend your knee then bend your back to pick up anything from ground.
2. While getting up from bed first turn to one side while lying, sideways then get up from bed slowly.
3. Apply hot pack in back whenever there is pain.
4. Try to sleep in hard part of mattress not in soft mattress.



Long Hours Of Sitting? Try This Permanent Relief From Back Pain

Herniated disc, bulged disc, protruded intervertebral disc (PIVD) are the different names of one condition. This is a condition where- disc in between the two vertebral bodies starts peeping out on one side- anterior or posterior. These discs are just like the bags filled with liquid material, which work like shock-absorbent. There are several hard bony vertebrae in the vertebral column and there is plenty of movements with these vertebrae. When we look on one side to other side, we look upwards, downwards or we twist and even we bend forward or backward in each and every condition, there will be a movement in these bones, these discs decide the free movements of the spine. Along with this- when we walk or run there will be shocks and jerks to all these bones and these bags decide that there won't be any kind of jerks in between the bones. So, these discs are of multiple uses.

Our spine is inverted  S  shaped. There are two main curvatures in the spine which are free to move- Cervical and Lumbar curvatures. These curvatures of the spine are maintained due to the spaces in between the two vertebrae. Whenever there is a loss or change (specially reduction) of this space between two vertebrae- pressure will be exerted on the intervertebral discs. This uneven pressure on the disc causes- protrusion/bulge/herniation of the disc- this is the condition known as SLIPPED DISC, in layman language. Why does disc slip

Generally, slipped disc condition is diagnosed by its signs and symptoms. When slipped disc starts exerting pressure on the nerves surround the disc- the nerve will be excited which gives the sensation of- Pain, Burning or Numbness in the related area of the nerve. This sensation can travel long far away to the areas, which are being supplied by the nerve and can be limited to a particular location in neck or back even. Sign & Symptoms of Slipped Disc.

Ayurveda about Slipped Disc

Where modern medical (Surgical) sciences believes that this is a problem of just bones and joints of the vertebral disc besides this Ayurveda takes a  Wholistic  (Complete and wholesome) approach towards this and tells that this is a problem at three levels-

Mamsa Dhatu, Asthi Dhatu, Majja Dhatu!!
These are different tissue levels according to Ayurveda- Mamsa is muscles, Asthi represents bones and the Majja denotes everything which is in between and in the bones.
Mamsa (the muscles) starts stiffening due to the dryness   improper diet and imbalanced lifestyle and deteriorate the curvature of the spine- which leads to the deterioration of the intervertebral discs.
Asthi (the bony tissue) is affected due to the muscles.
Majja (the disc and the neural tissue- spine) is compressed due to the pressure and all effects.
So, we need to treat the condition, wisely and in a wholesome manner, rather just to removal of the protruded tissues (Laminotomy) and this is the basic reason- there are risks associated with the surgery of the spine and in almost more than 45% cases patients had to go for a second surgery to stay pain free. Why Surgery for spine doesn t succeed. Secondly, this is a mechanical problem so medicines alone can give you temporary relief rather than the cure-  So better you save your money and invest it on complete cure for the problem, rather than just taking the pain killers and medicines which were indicated in epilepsy to just reduce the signs and symptoms.



Slipped Disc - How Can Ayurveda Avert It?

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that is known to affect the soft tissues and muscles of the body. As a result, there is a muscular pain and fatigue experienced throughout the body, often interfering with daily activities of the affected individual. Though the condition can affect both men and women, females are more prone to Fibromyalgia than their male counterparts.

The pain (can be acute or chronic) associated with fibromyalgia is often an outcome of a condition whereby the receptors in the brain that perceive the pain signal undergoes modification, becoming oversensitive to the pain stimuli.

The body has 18 tender points spread throughout the body. These tender points are highly sensitive and can be quite painful when pressed. Research suggests that individuals with fibromyalgia experience pain in at least 11 of these pressure points when pressed (often used in the diagnosis of fibromyalgia).

Causes of Fibromyalgia
While it may be difficult to decipher the exact trigger that results in Fibromyalgia, the condition may be an outcome of

Physical or emotional trauma, stress, anxiety, and depression
Genetic predisposition. The incidence of fibromyalgia is higher in individuals with a family history of the condition
Indulging in too much of a sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical activities and exercise) can play a pivotal role in triggering fibromyalgia
Certain health conditions and infections such as Arthritis can also give to fibromyalgia

Symptoms
While muscular and joint weakness and pain are synonymous to fibromyalgia, a person may also complain of

Sleeping disorders
There is a weakness, headache (often associated with a migraine), and fatigue (in spite of having a sound sleep and proper rest)
A person may experience Fibro Fog (a condition resulting from fibromyalgia whereby a person finds it difficult to memorize or concentrate on anything)
There may be morning stiffness along with numbness or a tingling sensation in the legs, hands, feet
Some women with fibromyalgia may experience menstrual cramps which are often painful
One may also suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Temporomandibular joint disorders

Treating Fibromyalgia with Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, Fibromyalgia is an outcome of the vitiation of all the three doshas - Vata, Kapha, Pitta. This affects the digestion process (it weakens or slows down) with the buildup of toxins or Ama in the body. Thus, for an effective treatment, the balance between the three doshas should be restored along with the elimination of the toxins out of the body (detoxification).

The treatment often involves a concoction of herbal and Ayurvedic oil massages and oil baths, lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, meditation and yogas or pranayamas
Avoid non-vegetarian (can have lean meat though), spicy and greasy foods. Instead, supplement the diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy or good fats (poly or monounsaturated fats), whole grains
Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water daily
Follow a healthy sleep routine. Mediation and Yoga will act as a catalyst, enhancing the overall treatment
Drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco or drug abuse should be avoided
A Warm Ayurvedic oil application with gentle pressure is very effective in this if done on regular basis
Stay happy and stress-free 

Fibromyalgia - Ayurvedic Ways That Can Help Resolve It!

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