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

The bones and joints orchestrate very well with each other for smooth movements of various joints and the spine. However, due to various reasons, some identified and others unknown, there could be inflammation of the areas where the bones join the muscles leading to impaired movement. The range of motion could be reduced or it could be painful, thereby, limiting movement. Spondyloarthritis includes a group of inflammatory diseases that involves the bones and joints and enthuses which are areas where the ligaments and tendons attach to the bones. This causes conditions like plantar fasciitis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis. The term spondyloarthritis is a blanket term to describe any of the above-mentioned conditions.

Read on to know a little more in detail about it:

Causes: While the exact etiology is not identified for sure, most patients with spondyloarthritis have an autosomal dominant gene (HLA-B27). Chronic infections could trigger the onset of the disease too.

Symptoms:

1. In all forms of spondyloarthritis, there is always inflammation of the spine, joints and entheses. If the fingers or toes are involved, there could be swelling leading to what are typically known as 'sausage digits'.

2. There is sacroiliitis which is inflammation of the joint between the pelvis and the spine, and spondylitis which is inflammation of the joints between the spines. 3. Family history and autosomal dominant gene.

Diagnosis:

A detailed medical history and physical examination form the cornerstone of a confirmed diagnosis. In addition, radiographic examination and diagnostic blood tests also could be done to confirm the diagnosis. Radiographs, especially, of the spine and the low back show typical changes including sacroilitis in suspected cases of spondyloarthritis. If the spine does not show these changes, but there is a high likelihood of spondyloarthritis, then MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can be used to confirm the diagnosis.

As a final step, a blood test for the HLA-B27 gene can also be confirmatory. However, it is not true that a person with the gene will definitely develop the disease.

Treatment:

The most important aspect of treatment is the use of pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which help manage pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroid injections may sometimes be given directly into the joint spaces or the membranes to provide quick relief of these symptoms.
ESWT / RSWT has a definite role to cure enthesopathy. Plantar fasciitis, and achillodynia can be cured with ESWT. Even small joints of hand and feet are amenable to treatment with RSWT. It is nonoperative and noninvasive treatment and has no side effects.
Very rarely, stronger drugs such as methotrexate or sulfasalazine may be used.
Another set of drugs known as TNF-blockers (tumor necrotizing factor blockers) are also shown to be highly effective in controlling the pain of the spine and joints.
In very severe cases, surgery may be required to correct joint damages or correct severe degenerative changes.
Exercise plays a very vital role in controlling the issue and improving range of motion.

What You Should Know About Spondyloarthritis?

Knee pain is referred to as a condition when the knee joints (which are responsible for walking, running, sitting and standing along with bearing the maximum body weight for most forms of physical activities) are significantly inflamed, giving rise to a severe pain in particular areas or the entire knee joint. There might also be severe stiffness around the knee joint which might make it very difficult to function.

Knee pain might occur due to obesity, old age, different forms of arthritis, severe injury in the knee or the associated ligament or bones, knee cap dislocation, overuse of the knee joint and infections of the knee joint.

Homeopathic Treatment For Knee Pain:

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homoeopathy is not only to remove the symptom of knee pain but to cure its underlying cause. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for knee pain that can be selected on the basis of cause, location, sensation, modalities and extension of the knee pain. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. The effective homeopathic remedies for knee pain are as follows :

Bryonia Alba   This homeopathic preparation is effective in curing knee pain with the symptoms of severe pain in the knee joints during walking. Pain stops when you stop walking or moving and you may also have an abnormal growth in the knee joints. If the knee pain is caused due to osteoarthritis, Bryonia Alba can prove to be a useful remedy as well.

RhusTox   If the knee pain comes with the symptoms of severe pain in damp weather, intense pain after initial movement which tends to gets better in continuous motion, a prescribed dosage of RhusTox might help in the elimination of the pain.

Colchium   The medicine is useful in treating knee pain which worsens due to movement and subsequently improves in warm weather or after getting appropriate rest.

Silicea   This preparation is useful in curing knee pain which retains the sensation of being tightly bound during all times.

Lachesis   If the knee pain is caused due to rheumatoid arthritis, Lachesis can be an effective treatment. Lachesis can also be prescribed if the pain is accompanied with an abnormal growth around the affected area.

These are just a few of the commonly used Homeopathic remedies and are mentioned only to create awareness about the effectiveness of Homeopathic medicines for Knee Pain. It is not advisable to resort to self-medication for any disease.

Treating Knee Pain With Homeopathy Treatment

In today s stressful environment, more and more people are being diagnosed with psychological disorders such as insomnia and depression. Neither of the two are things which people feel lucky to possess. However, it is interesting to note that there is a link between the two conditions. Also, the problems are a lot more common than a person is likely to first think; 80% of depressed people suffer from chronic insomnia!

For a long time until recently, many people were of the opinion that most depressed people were insomniac. But that is not really correct. The two issues do overlap to a large extent, but they are different from each other. Again, that does not mean one cannot affect the other.

When a person has depression, one of the main things that he or she can experience is a lack of pleasure from the activities and happenings which occur in his or her daily life. Similarly, when a person does not get enough sleep or even just cannot sleep, he or she is quite likely to display a tendency to worry. Often, worrying sets the stage for depression to develop in the person. In fact, doctors have observed that people who do not sleep enough are more likely to undergo treatment for depression than the others.

Recent findings have concluded that when a person sleeps better, the case of depression also shows an uptick. In addition to this, the habit of sleeping well can also go quite a long way to make sure that a person does not relapse into depression. According to some sleep therapies, people who suffer from lack of sleep are advised to follow a systematic routine of getting to bed and getting out of bed. Activities including reading in bed or watching TV after going to bed must be avoided. While there are various means to help a person sleep better, the choice as to which one would suit a person in the best possible way is only best decided by the person s personal doctor. What is for sure is the fact that a person can effectively sleep to a better life!

So, it can be said that if a person wants to cure his/her depression and enjoy life being peppy, napping away is not such a bad idea after all. Having said that, everything is good only up to a certain limit!

Insomnia and Depression - Is There A Link Between Them?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disorder of the joints characterized by swelling, inflammation and pain in the joints. This disorder is an autoimmune disorder, wherein the immune cells of the body start to view the tissues of the body as a potential threat.

Homeopathy treats this condition very effectively as it focuses on treating the cause of the disorder. The remedies in homeopathy moderate the overactive immune system and thus help in reducing inflammation in the bones. The homeopathic practitioner starts the diagnosis by enquiring about your medical history, symptoms, working environment and provides treatment accordingly.

The various homeopathic remedies that are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are: 
1. Calcarea carbonica: arthritis that leads to formation of nodes in the affected joint, accompanied by symptoms, which aggravate during damp weather, is very effectively remedied by this particular homeopathic medicine.
2. Arnica: arnica is a homeopathic remedy that is used to treat symptoms of chronic arthritis where you experience a sore feeling on a regular basis. The symptoms tend to worsen if you touch the affected area.
3. Bryonia: f you have a throbbing pain in your joints, then bryonia is recommended. The symptoms tend to worsen in cold weather.
4. Calcarea fluorica: this remedy is recommended if the pain tends to improve with the application of heat. The symptoms include swelling of the joints and formation of nodes. It is especially used if the arthritis develops after an injury.
5. Kali carbonicum: if the joints are extremely stiff with the pain aggravating during the early morning hours, then this remedy is prescribed. It also helps if the symptoms tends to worsen in damp and cold weather.
6. Pulsatilla: this remedy is prescribed in cases where the intensity of the pain keeps on fluctuating and also if the pain is not localized. The symptoms tend to worsen in warm conditions and improve in cold conditions.
7. Rhododendron: rhododendron is recommended if the symptoms of arthritis tend to flare up and aggravate in cold conditions. Generally the pain increases during the early morning hours or if you stay stationary for a long time.

Homeopathic Medicines for Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Treatment

Knee is a hinge joint where the lower leg bone tibia meets the thigh bone femur. During osteoarthritis, cartilage or ligament defects and degenerative arthritis, knee replacement surgery is recommended world-wide to get relief from extreme pain. Knee replacement surgery, also known as knee arthroscopy, is a surgical procedure, in which the affected knee joint is replaced with synthetic material. The most likely candidates for total knee replacement are the patients with severe destruction of the knee joint coupled with progressive pain and impaired function.

Modern technological advances have made computer assisted knee replacement surgery extremely popular around the globe. In this surgery, the surgeon is assisted by a computer to remove the optimum amount and angle of the bone, which otherwise is done by inspecting manually. This is an excellent example of surgery through small incision and it eliminates the chances of human error. A perfect alignment and balance is achieved and hence longevity is also increased to 20 - 30 years. Knee replacement surgery is also specific to gender as the anatomy of male and female patients is different.

There are many types of knee replacements, most common being the total knee replacement or Total Knee Arthroplasty. In addition, there is partial knee replacement, bilateral knee replacement, revision knee replacement and knee arthroscopy.

In knee replacement surgery, the worn out surfaces of joints of knee are replaced with artificial implant of plastic and metal. The lower end of the femur bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The upper end of the lower leg bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a channelled plastic implant with a metal stem. A plastic ball is also added under the kneecap depending on its condition. These artificial components are commonly referred as prosthesis. The design of these highly flexible implants replicate knee, with the rotating knee replacement implants assist in backward and forward swing of the legs.

Patients whose knee joints have been damaged by either trauma or progressive arthritis should consider total knee replacement surgery. Post-surgical hospital stay after knee joint replacement is usually three to five days. The surgery has a very high success rate and shows dramatic improvement after a month. This improvement is most notable one month or more after surgery. The pain caused by the damaged joint is reduced significantly when the new gliding surface is constructed during surgery. Initially, patient will walk with the help of a walking aid until the knee is able to support full body weight. After six weeks, patient can walk comfortably with minimal assistance. Patients with artificial joints are prescribed to take antibiotics during the course of any elective invasive procedures including dental work. Physiotherapy is an essential part of rehabilitation and it will increase the muscle strength and patient can enjoy most activities, except running and jumping.

Knee Replacement

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