What you must know about body ache


Affecting your entire body, body ache is usually an indicator of a condition that requires your attention for the pain to stop or a reaction of your body's immune system to an infection. Understanding the symptoms and the cause of the pain is the first step towards getting the right treatment for your problem.
The causes of body ache can be any one of these:
  an increase in your body's lactic acid as a result of overused muscles (that you normally experience when you perform strenuous exercises) leads to body aches that are not severe but temporary in nature.
  temporary body aches can also occur if you suffer from flu caused by the influenza virus and other medical conditions like fever and viral infections, among others.
  a cause of body aches can be the presence of a serious condition such as Lyme disease or pneumonia that brings about major infection affecting your entire body.
  inflammation of body cells or damage to your body's nervous system in the form of chronic ailments like autoimmune diseases and psychiatric problems can also cause pains and aches to develop all over the body.

What can you do to manage it?
There are simple ways that you can employ to relieve your body aches based on the root cause and these are:

  if the cause of your body ache is the flu, the best way to alleviate your condition is to take a hot bath. The hot water works by eliminating the body pains you may be suffering from. Even a gentle massage can soothe the ache affecting your entire body.
  for body aches that are caused due to overused muscle, you need to apply ice packs for 2-3 weeks on the affected area to bring down the inflammation. Even the application of a heating pad can help in relieving body aches brought on by muscle soreness.
  shoulder and neck pains can be easily prevented by performing simple exercises from time to time such as shoulder shrugs or head turns. Also, the practice of using wrist and forearm rests can reduce your chances of getting shoulder and neck aches.
  reducing your stress levels can also help in effectively lowering the instances of body ache. From sleeping on time to meditating for about 20 minutes a day can help in lowering stress.

In case, you do not get relief from any of the suggested ways, you need to consult a qualified doctor who will guide you on the right treatment course. 

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Related Tip: Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Body Ache? Here's What You Must Know about Body Pain

Once feared to be highly contagious and fatal, leprosy is today a disease that can be treated and even cured. Leprosy or Hansen s disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and affects the peripheral nervous system and skin. Leprosy has been categorized into two types   tuberculoid and lepromatous   with the latter being more severe. Both these categories have been further subdivided into more categories. Skin lesions are the most prominent symptom of leprosy. If left untreated, leprosy can cause permanent damage to the skin, nervous system, limbs and eyes.

An early diagnosis of this disease makes treatment easier. Apart from antibiotics, homeopathic medicines are also effective when it comes to treating leprosy. Homeopathy is a holistic form of treatment that addresses not only the symptoms of the disease, but also the root cause of the infection. One of the biggest advantages of homeopathy is that it has negligible side effects. When it comes to leprosy, homeopathy can be used to reduce inflammation and pain, drain sores and promote suppuration. It can also strengthen the immune system to prevent recurrent sores and boils. Some of the homeopathic remedies that may be helpful are:

Sulphur: If the patient has a tendency to suffer from eruptions, curvature of the spine, wrinkled and flabby skin and has a voracious appetite triggered by diseased glands, sulphur is effective. The symptoms may also be aggravated by washing and the affected area may itch more on scratching. There is a tendency for the folds of the skin to be sore.

Graphites: If the patient has swollen lymph glands, mesenteric glands and prominent skin sores, this medicine is useful. It also treats moist eruptions that bleed or ooze tenacious discharge before turning into scabs on the scalp, face, joints and in the folds of the skin. The patient may experience an absence of sweat and hair fall.

Calcarea Carbonica and Silicea: The combination of these two medicines help in treating a patient who suffers from a swollen abdomen and has open fontanelles. Excessive sweating is another symptom treated by Calcarea carbonica and Silicea.

Rhus Toxicodendron: This is prescribed in cases where the patient has reddish skin that is covered with vesicles and suffers from intense itchiness.

Cantharis: It is used when the patient has large blisters on the skin accompanied by intense burning. The blisters may look like typical burn blisters.

Croton Tiglium: It is used to treat small blisters that itch terribly and form pustules that dry into yellowish scabs.

Although homeopathy is considered safe and free from side effects, it should not be used to self-medicate.  

How To Treat Leprosy With Homeopathy?

Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain is an unpleasant and distressing physical sensation caused by disease or injury, which induces hurt and anxiety in those suffering from it.
There are many different manifestations of pain, ranging from short term (acute pain) to long term (chronic pain). Other classifications include pain in the internal organs (visceral pain), injured tissue (inflammatory pain), nerves (neuropathic pain), etc.

The reason for the occurrence of pain depends on the cause and kind of pain being experienced. In most cases, pain acts as a warning sign that the body has been afflicted by a disorder of some sort, which may have arisen due to internal sickness or external wounding. Acute pains are generally cured on their own through rest or simple medication. Chronic pains, on the other hand, are more complicated in nature and the treatment requires more elaborate diagnosis.

The mechanism of pain

Pain is an extremely personal and subjective experience and affects each individual to varying degrees. The pain signals, which can arise in any part of the body, travel through the spinal cord to the brain along thousands of specialized nerves and nerve fibres. In the brain, it is processed in the centres associated with anxiety, emotions, memory, appetite, etc. Signals and pain inputs are then returned from the brain to the spinal cord, which may heighten or diminish pain.

In some cases, pain may also be induced by damage to the brain and spinal cord, which happens after a stroke.
A constant barrage of pain signals may cause the cells at the end of nerve fibres to become over-sensitized. This is known as 'wind-up' and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain that occurs even though the root of the problem has been identified and treated.

The causes and effects of pain differ from case to case depending on the signals received by the brain and its interpretation. It affects the individual's day to day activities and if persistent, can also have a harmful impact on mental health and psychosis. Pain is always handled, diagnosed and treated differently in all patients by drawing out the best possible solution to the problem.





Why does PAIN occur? Understand the Mechanism of Pain

Pain management is an issue that stares back at mankind, irrespective of the underlying health condition. Whether it is a headache or a back pain, burn or fracture, heart attack or cancer, pain is always a symptom. In some cases like migraines, cancer, etc., the pain is chronic and the patient needs to be constantly on the vigil to know when an attack will ensue. This has also put high pressure on the medical fraternity to identify ways that can provide relief to these people. Various methods have been identified, and one of them is the electrotherapy.

What is done?
A few electrical impulses are directed at the area of the pain using a hand-held device. This is similar to providing electric shocks of mild intensity to the affected area (forehead, low back, neck, etc.). What this does is stimulate the nerve endings, improves circulation and muscle strength and promotes bone growth and tissue repair. The end result of all this is overall improved functioning and pain relief. Depending on the actual condition, the sessions will have to be repeated. In some patients, the electrotherapy is used in conjunction with other therapy so that they can go about their routine exercise and pain relief.
The sessions may also have to be repeated as most often these are used in individuals with chronic pain. They are also helpful in providing relief during the acute attacks.

How does it work?
The most common form of electrotherapy is known as TENS, which stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The area to be treated is cleansed with spirit and then small sticky pads are applied through which the electricity is passed. A hand-held device is used, through which electrical impulses are passed to the skin, which stimulates the nerve cells to provide relief from pain. It causes a vibrating and tingling sensation in the treated area. It is believed that it blocks the nerve impulses and therefore provides pain relief. Another theory states that they promote the release of endorphins which are natural painkillers; it is also very effective in case of migraine and sciatica and neck pain where the chronic pain is coupled with acute spurts.

With narcotic painkillers having various side effects, techniques like electrotherapy are gaining popularity. A small catch also is that it does not work for everybody and in most people with back pain, fibromyalgia, and migraines, requires repeat sessions for relief. The cost of each session also needs to be considered against the extent of relief achieved. However, for those whom it works, it is a very good technique for chronic pain control.

Electrotherapy - How It Can Help In Managing Pain?

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

Prevention of leprosy: Leprosy is caused by the bacterial infection of Mycobacterium leprae and it is classified into multiple types. Leprosy is communicable through contact with common objects or a person by infected droplets within their nose. It primarily affects mucous membranes and the skin and the nerves on the hands, feet, and in extreme cases may cause disfigurement as well. There are no specific ways to prevent leprosy as no specific correlation between transmission and development has been found so far. Leprosy can happen through one time contact or through contact over extended period of time within the same household. Thus preventive measures will primarily include the following:

Regular checkups by going to the doctor
Ensuring that surfaces are kept clean if you share a household with a leprosy patient
Skin biopsies at regular intervals just to check if you may have contracted the bacteria
If a rash has developed, then it is urgent that you visit the doctor. Earlier the leprosy is detected, quickly it can treated and resolved
Incidences of leprosy have reduced over the last few decades due to improvements in medicine and early detection. This has allowed people to nip the problem in the bud and does not allow it to spread within their bodies or to other people.

Treatment of leprosy: The primary weapon that modern medicine has against leprosy is known as MDT or multidrug therapy. Multidrug therapy is the combination of multiple drugs, which attack the various aspects of leprosy, such as skin problems, nerve damage, loss of sensation, deterioration of skin conditions etc. This is the proven way to not only reduce symptoms, but also cure the problems in the long run.

Some of the drugs in the MDT used are as follows:

Rifampicin and dapsone
Rifampicin and clofazimine and dapsone
Rifampicin, minocycline and ofloxacin
However, the combination will depend on the type of leprosy the person is affected with, such as paucibacillary leprosy or multibacillary leprosy and thus can only be prescribed by the doctor after the thorough and detailed examination.

Leprosy - Treatment And Prevention!

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