After a tough workout session or a strenuous day at the office, your muscles may feel floppy and exhausted until you have given them a chance to rest. However, persistent muscle weakness with no apparent cause or explanation can be a sign of an underlying medical problem.

What causes muscle weakness?
Voluntary muscle contractions and movement are generated when the brain sends a signal through your spinal cord and nerves to the particular muscle. If there are any hindrances in the connections between them, it can result in muscle weakness. However hard you try, the muscle is such cases becomes abnormal.

Here are some common causes of muscle weakness:

Lack of Use: One of the most common causes of muscle weakness, lack of muscle fitness may occur as a result of a sedentary lifestyle. If the muscles are not used, then the fibers are partially replaced with fat.
Ageing: As we age, our muscles tend to get weaker and lose strength. Muscles become bulky and recovery times during injury are greater. However, with physical activity, it is still possible to increase the muscle power. So stay active and instill strength in your muscles.
Infections: Infections and inflammation can cause temporary muscle fatigue. Even though recovery is quick, if the infection is severe the weakness can last for some time. Without proper care, it can lead to permanent damage.
Pregnancy: During and just after pregnancy, high levels of steroid in the blood and low levels of iron can cause muscle tiredness. Lower back pain is common during pregnancy and all your muscles may feel floppy.
Chronic Diseases: With conditions of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and anemia, it can lead to muscle weakness by thwarting the essential blood or nutrient supply to the muscles. Also, chronic pain related ailments cause weakness.
Injuries: Injury or trauma such as sporting injuries, pulls and sprains can deter the muscles. Along with localized pain, it can also lead to muscle weakness if not taken care of properly.
Sleep Disorders: With disturbed or reduced sleep there is a general sense of tiredness that leads to fatigue in the muscles. Insomnia, anxiety, depression and other mental disorders also affect the muscles a great deal.
Conditions affecting Nerves: Conditions like Myasthenia gravis or motor neuron disease affects the nerves and thereby fail to relay signals to the muscles, leading to weakness.
Genetic disorder affecting muscles: There are also certain inherited diseases which can affect the muscles like muscular dystrophy.
Spine-related disorders: Conditions like slip disc and other disorders affect the muscles served by the irritated or compressed nerves of the spinal cord.

Muscle Weakness - 10 Common Reasons Behind It!

The sciatic nerve spreads down the spine till the legs. The pain in this nerve can feel like sparks running down your leg (by and large only each one in turn) or cause pain in the lower back. Anything that puts weight on or aggravates this nerve can cause pain that shoots down the back of one butt cheek or thigh. The amount of pain can increase gradually. Sciatica may feel like a gentle ache, a sharp sensation or extreme uneasiness. Sciatica can bring feelings of shivering, numbness and weakness.

Sitting, standing up, coughing, sneezing, lifting, or straining for a very long time, might aggravate pain. Now and then, individuals experience numbness or shivering in the leg, too. Some of the most regular symptoms of sciatic pain include:

1. Lower back pain
2. Pain in the back or leg when sitting
3. Hip pain
4. Burning sensation in the leg
5. Numbness or trouble moving the leg or foot
6. Continuous pain on one side of the back
7. Shooting pain that makes it hard to stand up properly

The most common causes of sciatic pain include:

1. Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal channel in the lower back)
2. Degenerative disk sickness (breakdown of discs, which go about as pads between the vertebrae)
3. Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebra slips over another)
4. Pregnancy
5. Muscle spasms

Some of the most effective exercises for sciatic pain relief are as follows:

1. Pigeon Pose is a typical yoga posture. It attempts to open the hips. There are various types of this stretch. The first is the leaning back pigeon posture. If you are beginning your treatment, you have to attempt the leaning back posture first.

2. While on the back, raise your right leg up to a right point and hold it with both hands behind the thigh and lock your fingers. Take your left leg and touch your lower leg against the knee. Hold the position for a minute.

3. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight before you. At that point twist your right leg, putting your lower right leg on top of the left knee.

Bend forward and incline your abdominal area toward your thigh. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and after that switch sides.

4. Kneel down on the floor on all fours. Get your right leg and bring it forward so that your lower leg is on the ground. Your right foot has to be ahead your right knee while your right knee stays to one side. Stretch the left leg out the distance behind you on the floor, with the top of the foot on the ground and toes pointing backwards.

5. Lie on your back with your legs facing outward and your feet flexed upward.

Wrap your hands around your knee and delicately pull your right leg over your body toward your left shoulder. Hold it there for 30 seconds and afterward push your knee so your leg comes back to its initial position.

Sciatica Pain and Ways to Deal With It

Muscle sprains and ligament tears are one of the most common injuries that medical practitioners encounter on a regular basis. These injuries are painful and can also limit one s movement, needless to say. However, there are simple things that can be done as soon as the injury happens so that the impact of the injury can be reduced, the symptoms minimised, and recovery improved.

A sprain is a tear of the ligament. The ligament is responsible for connecting the tissue strands that connect the bone to the muscle. When this sprain affects the muscle or even the tendon, it is known as a strain.
Sprains are very common and can occur due to a fall, twist, or impact. Most commonly affected areas are the ankles and wrists. Sprains happen when there is a pull or a twist of the ankle or the joint. This is very common in athletes and can be caused by repetitive motions in the knees, wrists, elbows, etc.

The most common symptom is pain, swelling, limited movement, and sometimes bruising. The degree of these injuries depends on its severity. The most common ways to treat such injuries are as follows.

RICE therapy: RICE is an acronym for rest, ice, compress, and elevate. Rest the affected area immediately by stopping any further activity. Ice the area using an ice wrap, with the ice cubes wrapped in a towel or a cotton cloth. Repeat this exercise if possible for every 20 minutes. This will reduce the swelling and pain. Compress the area using a sling or a wrap. This will help in reducing the swelling. Elevate the affected area if possible above the heart. This will help control the blood flow and thereby reduce the swelling and pain.
Pain control: If there is pain that needs medication, go for the non-steroidal drugs like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If it is a child that is injured, it is advisable to give non-aspirin ones.
Seek professional help: Most sprains can be self-limiting over a couple of days. However, it is advisable to seek medical help if there is significant pain, swelling, or numbness, open wounds or bruises, or inability to move the joint.
The doctor may decide to do the following.

Scanning or imaging to rule out any internal hard/soft tissue injury like fracture or tear
Immobilise the joint with a splint or a cast
Start physical therapy if there is severe pain and immobility
Surgical repair if there is a ligament injury
A word of caution to athletes or people who are very active physically is to go easy on the joint. In an eagerness to quickly get back to their routine, more and severe damage may be caused. This can be avoided by allowing time for complete healing.

Muscle & Ligament Sprain - Tips To Help You Deal With It!

People have a common perception that most injuries, medical conditions only affect those who spend several hours working outdoors. But what if we tell you that people who stay indoors- such as homemakers - are also susceptible to numerous health problems?

There s a saying:  Home is where the heart is.  But for countless homemakers, home is the place where  hurt  is! Scores of Indian homemakers encounter various injuries every year while engaging in household chores like cleaning and washing. The most common ones are-

Sprain- if you re a neat freak, you wouldn t mind spending half of your day cleaning the entire house. Here s a small tip- go slow if your cleaning duties include shifting heavy appliances and furniture from one place to another. There s a high chance that you may end up with a sprain injury. Sprains occur when you accidentally twist your ligaments. Another major cause of sprain injuries is a sudden fall. If you re mopping the floor or cleaning the bathroom, there s a fair chance that you may slip or lose balance. One must be cautious when working with water.
Back injuries- These are the most common types of injuries at home. Bending, lifting a heavy bucket or an abrupt movement, can strain your back muscles or ligaments leading to back injury. Many times the injury can result in a persistent, sharp stabbing pain, and hinder your usual routine.
Joint compression- Homemakers spend a considerable amount of time standing in the kitchen. As tiring as it is, standing for prolonged periods puts pressure on your joints- knee joint, hip joint as well as those in the feet and the ankle. This leads to wear and tear of the synovial joints, eventually causing them to tear. In due course of time, you will find it difficult to move around and walk even a meagre distance.
Prevention-
Starting to get worked up? Don t be. These problems can easily be prevented if you follow these steps-

Avoid overstretching, bending and twisting
Avoid lifting heavy weights. If possible, use a waist belt to keep away from traumatic injuries.
Keep your body weight in check. Mild exercises can help you with that.
Maintain a healthy diet- calcium intake can help your bones get stronger.
Use muscle braces to keep your joints protected.
Treatment-
The most preferred and effective choice of treatment for curing muscle injuries and joint inflammation is physiotherapy. Physiotherapy uses manual therapy, mechanical force and exercise therapy to promote mobility.

The most common method of treating such injuries is the RICE technique.  RICE  stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. Keep the injured part at rest. Put an ice bag on the injured portion. Compress the injured area. Elevate the wound/injury for faster relief.
Anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and Aspirin are prescribed to reduce inflammation and swelling. Painkillers can offer you instant relief from pain.
Physiotherapy treatment can effectively cure you of such injuries, that too in a short span of time. If you follow the treatment guidelines, recovery will take about 2-4 weeks. 

Common Problems Faced By Homemakers Who Stay Indoors - How Physiotherapy Can Be Of Help?

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

One month, the injury is still healing, two months, just a little bit longer, three months? Well, you, believe it or not, it has probably become a chronic pain and is affecting every aspect of your life. Chronic pain may be a novel notion to accept but is now understood to be a disease and generally defined as pain persisting for longer than 12 weeks. Pain management in such cases is traditionally treated through prescription drugs, the other option being amputation.

This is a major cause of patients having qualms about these pills and a need for an alternative. In response to this, doctors have a new tool to help decrease the perception of pain which is a small implant placed in the back to help patients shake off the pain. This small device that could bring you back to your feet is the spinal cord stimulator.

What is spinal cord stimulation?

Theoretically, the spinal cord stimulation is a type of neurostimulation which produces an effect that interferes with the brain s ability to interpret the signal as pain by using electrical pulses. The brain, instead, experiences it as a pleasant numbing sensation. The implant is placed which takes place in two parts i.e. placing the lead device in the spine and placing the pulse generator in abdomen or buttock.

For test stimulation, the several stimulation settings are tried so that the pulse generator can be programmed using these settings. The procedure typically takes 1-2 hours and post-procedure, patients are given a handy device to control the simulations which they are to use in their day-to-day lives.

It has been observed to reduce the pain by at least 50%. However, this too has its limitations. Typical candidates are people with chronic back and limb pain who may have a failed back or disc procedure. The most common risks associated are device-related, example, unintended movement of the leads. Serious effects include hemorrhage in the epidural space or injury to a spinal cord leading to neural damage, but these are highly uncommon.

Quick facts about it

The best product which works for spinal cord stimulation is a long-lasting solution with a need to change the battery of the lead device every 9 years.
The most recommended device today is the implant because of its compact size and the device costs is quite nominal.
The quality of the product matters a lot as there are ample of cheap products available on the same lines. The same can be fitted within the body via a procedure.
The procedure conducted is also called the pain pacemaker.
Earlier, the procedure was used to conduct only in the international countries, but nowadays the implant can be done in India as well. If you are apprehensive about consuming painkillers for your chronic pain, you can explore this option with your Interventional Pain Specialist.
As it is said, lasting pain can lead to damage, hence don t wait until the damage repair has a complete null chance, rather reach out to your doctor to understand more about the concept of SCS so that you can get treated in no time. Explore the option with your "Interventional Pain Specialist".

Spinal Cord Stimulator - How Is It Beneficial In Pain Management?

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