
A fracture separates a single solid object into two or more pieces due to pressure. In medical terms, a fracture refers to a broken bone due to some kind of external trauma. A crack in the bone, on the other hand, it does not cause a clean break in the bone, there is only a separation or discontinuity in the bone material.

A crack in the bone caused due to repeated stress is often called as 'hairline fracture'. Here are the basic differences between a crack and a fracture in the bone and how to treat them:

1. A crack or hairline fracture is rarely caused by a single injury. It is usually the result of bone fatigue, which may be caused due to repeated, concentrated stress over a long period of time and thus, it is also called as 'stress fracture'. Other bone fractures are almost always the result of sudden and severe force on the bones.

2. The skeletal system constantly remodels itself. The cells, known as 'osteoblasts' absorb calcium and secrete bone connective tissue. If a particular site is exposed to recurrent bouts of force (which are individually not impactful enough to cause a crack), over time the osteoblasts in that region malfunction and the crack appears.

Muscular exhaustion can also cause cracks in the bone. Fractures are caused due to sudden external single force trauma to the bone. Nutritional problems like deficiencies of Calcium, Phosphorus, vitamin D and excessive smoking decrease the bone mineral density and increase the chance of both cracks and fractures.

3. Symptoms of a crack are swelling, tenderness and sharp pain in the injured region and the symptoms worsen over time. A fracture has similar symptoms and might also exhibit an external physical distortion and makes it impossible to move that part of the body that where the bone is broken.

4. An MRI is often suggested for detecting the crack or crack-prone areas because an X-ray can only detect the crack after it widens somewhat or the bone starts paining because the rays cannot pass through the tiny gap in bone material. A fracture is easily detectable by an X-ray because the rays pass right through the break.

5. Complete rest for six to eight weeks is the most effective way of healing a crack. Using a walking boot in case of cracks in the leg bones in also helpful. Healing fractures require extensive medical intervention. Surgical techniques like bone grafting and the insertion of metal plates are used to reposition the broken bone.

Cracks VS Fractures

Calcium is known for its role in maintaining the bone health, from keeping your teeth stronger to normal functioning of the cells.  But there are various factors, which lead to a deficiency of calcium in the human body and paves the way for several complications.

Here are the top three signs that indicate you are suffering from calcium deficiency.

Difficulty in sleeping: Sleep is essential for your bone health and calcium is directly associated with your sleep cycle. The level of calcium in your bones rises and falls when you are asleep and it reaches its peak when you are in deep slumber. This indicates that when you are unable to sleep properly, it is a warning sign of calcium deficiency. There are various researches that have confirmed, that by increasing the level of calcium, it is possible to restore the normal sleep cycle of an individual. This is also related to the role that calcium plays in the production of a sleep hormone called melatonin. When the calcium content in the body is really low, this hormone is not produced, thus, making it difficult for a person to sleep.
Difficulty in losing extra pounds: Yet another frustrating aspect of any individual s life is the inability to shed off excess pounds. This issue is also linked with the lack of calcium supply in the body. The calcium that s stored in the cells assists in the processing and storage of fat. So the fat cells with high calcium content burn faster, making you lose weight. Thus, if you have trouble losing weight in spite of having a well-regulated diet and regular workout, it s a sign that you are suffering from low calcium.
Paresthesia: Though this ailment is not much heard of, it could be a sign of calcium deficiency. Paresthesia is a nervous disorder, which causes tingling sensation, tremors, numbness and loss of sensitivity. It could also lead to poor concentration, amnesia, confusion, hearing impairment, twitches and other physical as well as neurological impairment. This is because low calcium in the blood is connected with the health of your nerves.
The deficiency of calcium can manifest itself in different intensity, ranging from the non-existent to minimal to severe levels. Chronic calcium deficiency can lead to life-threatening diseases like rickets, osteopenia, and even osteoporosis. Therefore, you shouldn t ignore these signs and consult an expert without delay.

Calcium Deficiency - 3 Signs You are Suffering from it

Rotator Cuff Tear is one of the most common disabilities observed amongst adults above 40 years of age. Rotator Cuff is a group of four muscles that keep the Humerus (arm bone) attached to the socket of the Shoulder. The Rotator Cuff keeps the Shoulder Blade attached to the arm, and when there s a damage (tear) in one of these muscles, excruciating pain is felt by the patient.

Kinds of Rotator Cuff Tear-

  Partial Tear: This happens when one of the Tendons amongst the four Tendons is damaged or torn.
  Full Tear: This occurs when all the Tendons are torn; this is also called Complete Tear. Severe pain is experienced in this type of tear and surgery might be required.

Symptoms-

  A person may experience excruciating pain while performing daily tasks like Combing hair, Picking up Laundry, etc.
  Muscle weakness and stiffness on Shoulder.

Diagnosis of Rotator Cuff Tear-

  Ultrasound is used to check the internal structure of the shoulder and the damaged muscle pattern. The waves directed into the shoulder create images of the Tendons and ligaments of the shoulder. This allows the doctor to access the severity of the damage on the shoulder.
  MRI: When the doctor needs a better look at the Tendon damage, radio waves provide a better imagery than Ultrasound.

Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tear-

  RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation): In Case of partial rotator cuff injuries with very little damage, RICE is a good treatment option to treat temporary partial damage in the shoulder. Applying cold water and moving the hands slowly helps the muscles to get into shape.

  Injections: Non-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to the patient suffering from Full Rotator Cuff injury to deal with the pain. A Tendon tear can cause extreme pain, which might give the patient some sleepless nights. Non-inflammatory painkillers temporarily numb the shoulder, allowing the patient to sleep.

  Physical Therapies: Physical therapy is one of the most sought out treatment option. Physical therapy allows a person to recover from a rotator cuff injury through exercises and mild movements of the arms and shoulders.

  Surgery: When the injury is too severe for conventional treatment and medication, a patient might have to go through some complex surgeries.

A) Arthroscopic Tendon Repair: In this surgery, the doctor makes a small incision on the shoulders and then inserts a Laparoscope type instrument (Arthroscope) into the muscles, with a camera attached on the top. This instrument allows the surgeon to see the muscle structure and also helps in re-joining the tendons.

B) Open Tendon Repair: Arthroscopic Tendon Repair can be a bit complex, that s why an open tendon repair is preferred by most doctors. In this surgery, the surgeon makes a bigger incision and attaches the Tendons surgically. 

Conclusion-
Rotator Cuff Tears is a severe problem for the locomotion of body, but it is treatable, as long as one doesn t delay going to an experienced doctor.

Rotator Cuff Tear - Know The Treatment Options!

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

Rotator cuff is the name given to four muscles and their tendons, which keep your arms in your shoulder sockets, allowing you to lift your arms and do day-to-day stuff like combing your hair, cutting vegetables etc.

The shoulder joint is a very important joint of the body and this is why any tear that happens in the rotator cuff can be devastating.

Causes

Tears can happen in rotator cuff due to a number of factors like injury and degeneration due to age. Tears that happen due to an injury to the shoulder are called acute. Degenerative tears are tears that happen due to degeneration of the tendon over time.

Common causes of degeneration are lack of proper blood circulation, which impedes the rotator cuff s ability to repair itself. Repetitive stress is another cause where we stress the tendon by repeating the same shoulder motions again and again while playing games like tennis, cricket etc. and doing jobs that require us to extend our arms upwards a lot. Lifting heavy objects can also lead to tears.

Symptoms

Chronic shoulder and arm pain are good reasons for you to see your doctor. If you suffer from pain in your shoulder at rest, while sleeping on the affected shoulder or pain while lifting and lowering your arm, then there is no time to wait.

The doctor will do a physical examination by moving your arm in different directions. He may follow it up with X-rays and MRI to check how big the tear is in your rotator cuff.

Treatment

Once confirmed that you indeed have a rotator cuff tear, your doctor will start the treatment. The goal of any treatment is to reduce pain and make your shoulder joint work properly again.

Nonsurgical Treatments: 

Nonsurgical treatments include rest, using of a sling to protect the shoulder and modifying your daily activities. This means you may not be able to do activities that cause shoulder pain. Your doctor can also prescribe pain and anti-inflammatory medicines. Strengthening and physical therapy bring up the rear of this type of treatment.

What you must remember is that nonsurgical treatment relieves pain and improves function in the shoulder, but does not improve shoulder strength. The size of your tear may also increase over time.

Surgery: 

Surgery, which attaches the rotator cuff to your bone, is done if you suffer from continuous pain and symptoms over a year or so. If you have a large tear, conservative treatments will not work and surgery will have to be resorted to. 

If you have been suffering from chronic shoulder or arm pain, waiting and watching is definitely not an option. You must visit an orthopedic surgeon at the earliest. Remember, if treatment is not started soon enough, your rotator cuff tear will get larger and will require only surgery.

Rotator Cuff Tears: What Are My Options?

Human bones are continuously being removed and formed, which is necessary for its proper maintenance. However, in certain cases, especially with aging, some bones and joints will be worn down to an extent where the body will not be able to reform them. This is especially true in the case of hips, which may become worn due to age or other problems within the body. 

Hip replacement surgery 
When this happens, a hip replacement surgery can be performed to replace the original joints with a prosthesis or artificial hip, which is usually made out of metal or a specially formed composite material or even a combination of the two. Along with other parts, it replaces the natural hip with an artificial hip to restore mobility and other related functions.

Benefits of hip replacement surgery:
1. Lessening hip pain: This is one of the major factors as well as symptoms of requiring hip replacement surgery. Due to the grinding down of the bones, even the slightest movement causes pain and after the surgery and the recovery period, the pain is lessened.

2. Correction of bone deformity: When the bones grind down and are abnormally reformed, deformities may occur reducing mobility. Artificial hips will ensure that deformities are corrected and resulting problems are thus eliminated.

3. Return to normal activities: This is possibly one of the primary advantages of this surgery, although it entails a long recovery period. However, most patients can get back to their normal activities and are able to resume a pain free life.

4. Ability to have painless sleep: Many people who suffer from hip displacements or bone deformities are not able to sleep properly due to pain. After the surgery and the recovery period, they can return to normal functions and habits, thus are able to sleep properly.

5.  Leg strength increase: Many patients tend to have an increase in their leg strength as one side of the hip tends to become very weak due to bone problems before surgery. After surgery and recovery, the same side tends to have an increased strength due to the implant.

6. In most cases a lifelong solution to hip problems: As the hip replacement prosthesis is made out of metal and if the operation is successful, it usually tends to last till the end of a person's life and this area usually doesn't tend to have problems again.

Benefits of Hip Replacement Surgery

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