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

The carpal tunnel is the passageway for the median nerve to pass through on the inner side of your hand, when your palms are facing down. For example, while typing, there is a lot of movement of the fingers and this puts a lot of pressure on this tunnel. In fact, people who are involved in a lot of typing are one of the most prone people for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Other causes would include trauma, fractures, etc., where the tunnel is injured.

Conventional measures to treat CTS included a combination of exercise and pain killers in mild to moderate cases. In moderate (sometimes) to severe cases, surgery was also done. However, with advancements in medical technology, endoscopic surgical procedure is gaining popularity.

What is done?
In endoscopic surgery, a small incision is made in the wrist or one each in the palm and the wrist. Through this, a flexible tube with a camera and minute cutting tools are inserted into the wrist. Another ligament known as transverse carpal ligament is cut. This reduces the pressure on the median nerve, which provides relief from the CTS symptoms.

What to expect as benefits?
The intention behind the surgery remains the same in both traditional and endoscopic procedures. The pressure on the median nerve is released, restoring movement and reducing pain in the joints. In addition, the endoscopic procedure has the following benefits.

Less invasive: Needless to say, there are only one or two small incisions done for this procedure, so less surrounding tissue is damaged.
Same day surgery: No hospitalization is required, and unless required, the patient can return home on the same day of surgery.
Reduced recovery time: The recovery period is usually substantially less compared to the traditional surgical approach.
Back to work: Depending on which is your dominant hand, you would be able to return to your regular work earlier than with regular surgery. If your non-dominant hand is involved, a day or two of rest is required. If your dominant hand was involved, give it up to four weeks for complete recovery.
Reduced chances of nerve injury: The area of operation has many nerves and blood vessels, and endoscopic surgery reduces the chances of damaging adjacent nerves.
Anesthesia: This is done under local anesthesia. Therefore, complications arising out of general anesthesia are completely avoided.
Indications
While these sound promising, your doctor will decide if you are a candidate for endoscopic procedure depending on the following:

Nonsurgical treatment including exercise and pain killers have not provided relief, even after several months.
Severe symptoms including those of nerve damage, like loss of sensation, altered coordination, etc., is affecting your normal daily routine.
Person requiring bilateral surgery like severe trauma, wheelchair dependent, etc.

Carpal Tunnel - How Endoscopic Surgery is Beneficial?

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

Ever faced a nagging low back ache that just won't quit? You could be dealing with sciatica. Sciatica or sciatic nerve pain is not a diagnosis in itself, but is a symptom of a deeper problem. Conditions that trigger sciatica include degenerative discs, spinal stenosis, a herniated disc in the lumbar region or   spondylolisthesis. Whether your sciatica pain is persistent or sporadic, it can make routine tasks difficult to perform. The good news is that there are a number of remedies to ease this pain and improve the health of your spine.

1. Hot and cold therapy: Sciatic pain that extends down to the thighs can be relieved by alternating between a heat pack and an ice pack. Each pack can be applied for about 20 minutes at a stretch every two hours. However, this does not treat the sciatic nerve itself.

2. Pain medications and steroid injections: Over the counter pain medication like ibuprofen or muscle relaxants can help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. In chronic cases, epidural steroid injections may also be prescribed to address the inflammation and pain. Pain relief provided by medication and steroid injections can last for a few days or a few months depending on the person.

3. Yoga: Sciatica patients looking for long term relief often turn towards alternative forms of treatment like yoga. Yoga helps strengthen muscles, increases flexibility and improves posture. This is more beneficial towards preventing sciatica problems from arising than treating ongoing sciatic pain. When practicing yoga with a sciatica problem, it is very important to understand your body's limitations and not over extend your back muscles.

4. Massage: A massage that treats sciatic pain is very different from the usual massage you may get at a spa. A massage to relieve sciatic pain involves putting pressure on the inflamed part of the back and the piriformis muscle. This is the muscle that sits over the sciatic nerve and triggers sciatic pain. In most cases, 3 to 4 massage sessions at intervals of 7 to 10 days can have effective results on sciatic pain.

5. Physical therapy: Sciatica patients often find the slightest movement extremely painful. While lying in a bad is tempting, it can actually worsen the pain. Exercise increases blood flow to the spine and helps flush out toxins. Going for a walk, light aerobics or swimming are ideal ways for a sciatica patient to exercise.

6. Chiropractic manipulation: This involves realigning the spinal column and is an effective way of treating underlying conditions that trigger sciatic pain. These spinal adjustments should only be performed by licensed chiropractors or osteopathic physicians.

Treatments for Sciatica Pain

Bursitis is a disorder that is characterized by inflammation of a fluid filled sac called the bursa. Bursa is present in between various tissues such as muscles, tendons and bones where friction may occur. This sac cushions the tissues and prevents friction. The usual areas that are affected by this condition are hip, shoulder and the elbows.

The symptoms of bursitis are:
1. You will experience pain in the affected area
2. Tightness and stiffness in the area
3. Local swelling of the muscle
4. Redness of the area
5. Any physical contact with the area causes pain

Bursitis may also occur due to the following reasons:
1. Ageing results in loss of elasticity of the tendons, thus impairing their ability to tolerate any stressful activity
2. Sports such as baseball where you are required to throw the ball with force may lead to bursitis
3. If you do tasks that require kneeling down on a regular basis
4. Sitting on hard surfaces for extended periods of time
5. Abnormalities such as improperly placed joints
6. Inflammation from other conditions such as gout, thyroid disorders and rheumatoid arthritis may lead to bursitis

Treatment
The condition is treated by using a variety of methods such as exercise and medication. Antibiotics are used to treat any underlying infection causing bursitis. Injections may be administered to reduce inflammation in the affected area along with exercises to strengthen the affected muscle. In severe cases, the doctor may resort to surgery to treat this condition.

Prevention
You may use certain preventive measures to stay clear of bursitis. Some of them are
1. Lift with proper form: If you are lifting something heavy, then make sure you keep the spine straight and bend your knees slightly.
2. Take breaks: Don t remain in the same position for long duration, take small breaks and walk around to release the stress from your legs.
3. Exercise: Do strength building workouts to build strength in the joints. Include mobility and flexibility stretches in your routine to keep your joints healthy, thus increasing the range of motion.
4. Maintain optimal weight levels: If you are obese, then take steps to reduce your weight. Maintain a proper diet to check your waistline.

Bursitis - 4 Ways You Can Prevent it

Mobility for a person is very important, and when you look through, the hip is a very important component to this. It connects the upper and lower parts of the body and helps in movement. It is a ball and socket joint, where the hip bone provides a socket, into which the upper part of the thighbone (femur) sits into, allowing for free movement.

Like any other human organ, the hip also is prone to damage. Be it natural ageing, infection, injury, or diseases, hip movement can be affected, leading to limited movement and increased pain and stiffness. For these people, being able to get back a hip which will allow them to be back on their feet is a boon for sure. It helps in relieving pain and improving mobility, almost giving people a second lease of life.

Reasons for hip replacement:

With natural ageing, the hip joint can lose its ability to move, due to normal wear and tear of the hip and thigh bones
Diseases of the hips (infectious or autoimmune) can also lead to hip replacement
Injury or trauma is another major cause that requires hip replacement
Joint problems, leading to repeated dislocations
Tumours of the relevant bones
Understanding the procedure in detail

The affected bones (whether diseases or worn out) are replaced with a prosthesis which is compatible with the normal body tissue.
While some materials fuse to the natural bone, others do not and are simply placed as a separate unit
This is a surgery which requires hospitalisation and stays for up to 5 days depending on patient s overall health condition
The entire procedure may take a couple of hours and is usually done under general anaesthesia
An incision is made through the side of the hip
Both the hip and the thigh joints are prepared, diseased tissue removed, re-shaped, etc. to make way for the prosthesis
The prosthesis is introduced through the same incision and positioned into place
As noted earlier, there are two types. The ones which fuse to the bone have pores in them into which normal bone eventually grows.
The other variety is the cemented version, and a glue is used to keep it in place
Most doctors now use a combination, that is cement a porous prosthesis, into which bone will grow, and the incisions are closed
The patient stays in the hospital for 1 to 4 days depending on overall health
Once discharged, infection and pain control are continued
Exercise and physiotherapy play a major role in restoring normal function
Weight management is also very important

Hip Replacement - Understanding The Procedure In Detail!

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