A pain in the neck or back can restrict movements and hamper your lifestyle. These are both common pains that may or may not be a symptom of a more serious illness. Neck pain can be caused by a number of factors including stress, whiplash, inflammatory infections, mechanical disorders and metabolic disorders. The main causes for a backache are vertebral column diseases, spinal cord infections, abnormal posture, heavy lifting etc.

Homeopathy is one of the most holistic forms of treatment that can be used to treat pain in the neck or back. Homeopathic treatment has no side effects and is based on individual mental and physical symptoms showcased. Homeopathy do not address the pain itself but treats the underlying cause thus ensuring that it does not recur. Some common homeopathic remedies for neck pain and backaches are:

1. Calcarea flour: this is used to treat pains that arise from the hardening of cervical glands. Such pain tends to deteriorate in cold weather and worsens when the patient is lying down. Heat can be soothing to such backaches and neck pains.

2. Bryonia: this is used typically to treat backaches that are worsened by any movement and for a stiff back. This sort of back ache is often relieved by resting or lying on a hard surface.

3. Arnica: arnica is an excellent remedy for pains that follow an injury. When it comes to backaches and neck pains it can be used to treat soreness and straining of ligaments. It is also beneficial against the feeling of being bruised.

4. Fluoric acid: this can be used to treat rigidity and a feeling of stiffness around the nape of the neck. Such pain is often associated with numbness of the neck and forearm.

5. Hypericum: this is a useful homeopathic remedy for compressed injuries and nerve pain. It can be used to treat back aches caused by disc compression, canal stenosis, myelopathy and radiculopathy. Hypericum can also be used to treat jerking muscles.

6. Kali carb: if your back feels weak and you experience sharp pains, kali carb may be help alleviate your pain. Such pain is usually associated with a burning sensation and causes excessive sweating. Kali carb is also suited to treating backaches during pregnancy.

Along with medication, try maintaining a good posture to help reduce neck pains and backaches. Avoid lifting heavy weights and travelling long distances. Applying hot and cold packs over the area can also help reduce the intensity of the pain.

Treating Backache and Neck Pain With Homeopathy Medicines

The shoulders are the most mobile joints in your body. Shoulder joints undergo wear and a tear over time and hence become unstable. Shoulder arthritis is one of the painful conditions affecting the shoulder joints. Arthritis not only takes a toll on the tendons and muscles, but also affects the ligaments and joints too. They usually cause symptoms such as joint pain, resulting in limited mobility.

Treatment:

Nonsurgical or Lifestyle treatments:

Take rest or avoid the activities that provoke pain or change the way of your arm movements.
Physical therapy boosts shoulder mobility.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin alleviate pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroid injections in the shoulders can also help to ease the pain and inflammation, although temporarily.
Applying moist heat or ice packs over the shoulders for about half an hour at least thrice a day brings relief.
Drugs such as methotrexate can be administered in case one is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic disease attacking multiple joints of the body).
Dietary supplements such as chondroitin and glucosamine may help reduce pain.
Surgical treatments (if your pain results in disability and does not lessen with nonsurgical options)

Join replacement surgery or arthroplasty involves replacing the damaged parts of the shoulder with a prosthetic (artificial) joint.
Few mild forms of arthritis may be treated using the Arthroscopic procedure (minimally invasive surgery). It requires a surgeon to ease the joint pain by making small incisions to  clean out  the joint. A tiny camera fitted into the joint guides the surgeon through the surgery.
Resection arthroplasty is a method that involves the surgical removal of the bone from the collar bone and substituting it with a scar tissue to treat arthritis of particular joints.

Everything You Need To Know About Shoulder Arthritis Treatment

Sciatica is probably one of those things which is vaguely familiar but a person is not fully aware of it. The sciatic nerve is one which is part of the spine and then spreads out over the legs. When this nerve gets pinched, it leads to sciatica, or pain of the sciatic nerve, which is tremendous! But, then, what exactly is a person to do in order to reduce the pain caused on account of sciatica?


The best answer for this is not medication, though it does have its uses, but rather, exercises which help the situation improve and reduce the risk of the person going mad due to the pain! One of the simplest exercises that a person can start with is known quite commonly as the knee to shoulder exercise. All that one needs to do is to lie down on the back and then, raise one knee and pull it across the body, with hands wrapped around it, so that it touches the opposite shoulder. This position of the knee touching the shoulder is to be held for about half a minute. About 3 repetitions need to be done and the same with the other side.


While it is important in the effort to relieve pain due to sciatica, it is equally important not to push oneself beyond natural limits, especially initially as this can cause injury. After all, more pain is the last thing which a person with sciatica is likely to want!


Since it is important to keep in mind the fact that consistency is one of the key secrets to reducing the sciatic pain, it is worth keeping in mind the standing hamstring stretch. What this exercise can boast of is the fact that it is one which can be done nearly anywhere. Also, it is pretty simple, too!


To do the standing hamstring stretch, one leg needs to be kept on an elevated surface which is not as high as the level of the hip. It is important to keep in mind that the leg is to be kept straight. The torso needs to then be bent towards the elevated leg. This process should be done slowly and again, maintained for about half a minute.


The sitting pose is useful to remember, as well. Sitting on the floor, one leg s ankle should rest on the other s knee. Like the standing hamstring stretch, the upper torso is to be bent towards the extended leg. With all these exercises, relief is not far away!


Top Ways To Get Pain Relief From Sciatica

The backbone is made up of multiple small bones which are connected together by a softer bone. The spine is what allows important body movements including bending and walking. The issue is, with age, the backbone also loses its elasticity and becomes rigid. Though this is a natural process with ageing, lack of exercise and sedentary lifestyle makes it worse.

Lumbar spondylosis is the medical term for this chronic, degenerative condition of the lumbar and the sacral spines (the lower portion of the backbone). This leads to chronic stiffening of the spine, affecting movement. This joint is very crucial in all bending movements and spinal movements.

Causes of Lumbar Spondylosis:

Ageing: As the condition progresses, the nerves that run through the spines can get exposed and there could be pain and irritation
Genetic abnormalities that produce a weak bone
Spinal trauma like accident or falls
Sedentary lifestyle: Sitting in front of the computer for prolonged hours also causes lumbar spondylosis
Overuse: People who are weightlifters tend to put excessive pressure on the spine, causing lumbar spondylosis
Symptoms:

Stiffness and pain in the low back
Pain with continued sitting
Numbness and tingling if nerves are getting affected
Loss of balance, leading to frequent falls
Losing control over bowel and bladder movement
Pain radiating to the lower legs
Ayurvedic remedies: This includes a combination of external applications, yoga, and food preparations including kashayas and tailas.

This condition is caused by increased Vata and Kapha. Maharasnadi kashayam, Astavarga kashayam, and Dashamoola kashayam reduce these elements.
Pain and inflammation is relieved by the use of various Guggulu including Mahayogaraja Guggulu, Simhanada Guggulu, Trayodashang Guggulu, and Dhanvantara Vati  
The affected joints can be hydrated with the use of gandha taila and dhanwantharam.
Kukkutandatvak bhasma is known to strengthen the bone.
Ashwagandha is known to lubricate the vertebral disks and joints
External treatments like Abhyanga are useful in improving joint movement. They improve circulation and help in removal of toxins so that pure blood can flow and reduce inflammation.
Vasti: This helps in improving nutrition to the joints and bones, thereby helping them repair themselves and heal.
Yogas for lumbar spondylosis: The five most effective asanas are:

Ardhakati chakrasana
Pada hastasana
Matsyasana
Ardha chakrasana
Vakrasana (sitting in a chair)
Additional measures:

Sit in a comfortable position with adequate back support
Take short breaks to avoid continued sitting
Sleep comfortably, by resting the back adequately
Strengthen the back muscles by regular exercises.
Eat healthy, avoid junk, and drink plenty of water.

Lumbar Spondylosis & Ayurveda - What To Expect

Osteoporosis is a condition which usually results due to a decrease in bone density. In this condition, the bones become weak and brittle. Fractures are a common result of osteoporosis. Usually, symptoms or signs do not show up until the condition progresses to its advanced stages.

Since osteoporosis is usually irreversible and incurable, preventing the fractures is considered to be extremely important.

Who is at risk of osteoporosis?
All men and women have some risk of developing 'thinning' of the bones (osteoporosis) as they become older, particularly over the age of 60. As mentioned above, women are more at risk than men. The following situations may also lead to excessive bone loss and so increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. If you:

Are a woman who had the menopause before 45 years of age
Have already had a bone fracture after a minor fall or bump
Have a strong family history of osteoporosis.
Have a body mass index (BMI) of 19 or less (that is, you are very underweight)
Have irregular periods
Have taken, or are taking, a steroid medicine (such as prednisolone) for three months or more
Are a smoker
Have an alcohol intake of more than four units per day
Lack calcium and/or vitamin D (due to a poor diet and/or little exposure to sunlight).
Are mostly inactive
Ways To Treat Osteporosis

Osteoporosis in women can be treated using Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The therapy makes use of either a combination of progestin and oestrogen or simply, oestrogen. However, it is possible that certain combinations have side-effects that might give rise to other medical conditions. Therefore, proper consultation with an orthopedist is an essential pre-requisite so that the condition of osteoporosis as well the side effects may be addressed before proceeding with Hormone Replacement Therapy.

There are a number of medications that can be used which have long-term effects on osteoporosis. However, the schedule for intake of these medicines should be followed diligently. Failing to adhere to the schedule could lead to serious complications. For example, the intake of Risedronate medications (prevent bone loss) should be scheduled once every month, failing which can cause ulcers in the food pipe. Raloxifene has effects which are similar to oestrogen but does not exhibit any serious side effects. Teriparatide can be used to treat osteoporosis in people who have a high risk of suffering from bone fractures.

Don't rely entirely on medication as the only treatment for your osteoporosis. These practices also are important:

Exercise. Weight-bearing physical activity and exercises that improve balance and posture can strengthen bones and reduce the chance of a fracture. The more active and fit you are as you age, the less likely you are to fall and break a bone.
Good nutrition. Eat a healthy diet and make certain that you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Being underweight or losing a lot of weight unintentionally is associated with poorer bone health and a higher risk of fracture   even if you're taking a bisphosphonate.
Quit smoking. Smoking cigarettes speed up bone loss.
Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

How To Cure Osteoporosis?

Back pain is a common source of pain and can be acute, sub-acute or chronic in nature. Back pain is classified along the segments of the spine and can be divided into neck pain, middle back pain, lower back pain and coccydynia or tail bone pain. Back pain can be quite troublesome as it disables a person to move about freely due to constant ache.

Here are some procedures for the treatment of back pain.

    Give your back some rest: Most people who get back pain become obsessed with it and end up getting MRI scans and x-rays done. Some even take injections and other such measures without recognizing the intensity of the pain. It is advised not to rush into the matter immediately and the simplest way to cure the pain is by resting. 90% of pains in the back resolve by themselves in 6 weeks and so you must give your back a break instead of taking medical actions and let time do the healing.
    Pills: While you let time treat your back pain, sometimes the pain increases and gives you a bad time. In this case, you can take anti-inflammatory medicinal pills such as ibuprofen or naproxen. These pills will help you ease the pain. However, using such pills for a continued period of time causes side effects such as gastrointestinal disorders. Hence, you should not take them for more than ten days at a stretch.
    Hot and cold compress: Apply a bag of frozen peas or an ice pack to the affected area for 48 hours after the pain appears. Every session should be about 20 minutes, and you should take more than two sessions each day. After two days, repeat the same procedure using a heat pad instead of ice. The cooling procedure shuts down your blood capillaries and reduces the flow of blood to that area. The swelling is eased as a result. The heating, on the other hand, loosens tight muscles and increases the blood circulation, providing extra oxygen.
    Change your mattress: People who sleep on firm mattresses and cushions on their beds are at a higher risk of having a back pain. According to studies, it has been observed that people sleeping on medium-firm mattresses have healthier backs. In case your mattress in sagging or is over 8 years old, you should replace it.
    Acupuncture: When your back pain is very severe, you can resort to acupuncture, which provides efficient pain relief. The procedure changes the way your nerves react and reduces inflammation.

Back pain arises from various reasons and should always be taken care of. Unattended back pain worsens and makes the affected person suffer.

Suffering From Lower Back Pain - 5 Ways You Can Treat it

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