If you have a desk job that involves sitting right in front of your computer throughout the day or for a major part of the day, you could be unknowingly putting yourself at augmented risk of reduced hip mobility. The hips are one of the major muscles in your body that are used in a number of activities you do everyday.

Causes of Hip Immobility-

1. Sitting for long hours at the same place and working. This is common to people who work in front of the computer screens for extended hours continuously.

2. Toxic Synovitis, which is an inflammation of the hip joint. It causes pain and stiffness.

3. Juvenile Arthritis

4. Rheumatoid arthritis

5. Tendinitis or inflammation of the tendons that causes severe discomfort in movement

6. Ankylosing spondylitis that mainly affects the spine. It can cause extreme pain and discomfort in the movement of the hips. This makes it difficult to sit, stand or lie down.

7. Injuries

8. Fractures and breakage

9. Muscle and tissue ruptures near the hip region

10. Sprains and strains

11. Lack of proper blood circulation

12. Pain and injuries in the lower back region which can spread to the hip, causing stiffness and swelling

Physiotherapy for Hip Mobility-

Physiotherapy alias physical therapy is considered as one of the fastest growing allied areas of present generation medicine. Being an important rehabilitative service needed in a community and a vital therapeutic supplement of the medical profession, it's the treatment of diseases and disabilities using physical exercises, heat radiations, cold therapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture and therapeutic massage. 

As doctors, physiotherapists or physical therapists are essential in helping the patient to recover and rehabilitate from a state of incapacity, due to genetic defect or the result of an accident or an illness. Physiotherapy for Hip Mobility involves certain exercises. Below give are some of the most common exercises for hip mobility-.

Lying Hip Rotations. One has to lie on the back on a padded mat, then put one leg over the other, exactly over the knee on one s lower thigh. Now, use either a towel or the hands to get to the leg that is placed below and without hyperextending, slowly pull this leg s knee closer to the chest.

Butterfly Movements and The Frog Posture.

The Kneeling Lunge. Here, one has to lunge forward with one knee on a padded mat. Then position the foot carefully beyond the knee that is put forward. Place your hands over the knees; straighten hip of the rear leg while leaning with the hips forward. Hold this particular stretch and repeat with the opposite side.

The Squatting Position.

The Pigeon Posture. In this, your knees need to be right below the hip on the padded mat. Then lower the outer side of the right buttock to the mat. You have to position your right heel in such a manner that it is exactly in front of the left hip. Hold this stretch for about 5-6 breaths and exhale deeply through the nose.

Bending forwards or backwards, guided and assisted by a physiotherapist.

Stretching Exercises.

Hot compresses on the area of inflammation.

Ice packs can also be applied alternately on the spot of injury.

Massage helps to regulate blood circulation and is an important part of physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy for Hip Mobility

Your knee is guarded and cushioned by a cartilage known as meniscus. A meniscus tear, therefore, is an extremely painful and discomforting situation. It occurs very frequently and has emerged as one of the most commonly occurring cartilage injuries. What makes a meniscus tear an extremely common phenomenon is the way it can tear that is all it takes is a twist of the knee for it to happen.

People involved in sports mostly face the brunt of this form of injury. The risk of getting meniscus torn increases with age and tends to occur at the slightest change of direction of movement. 

Symptoms 
Some of the symptoms of a torn meniscus are:
1. Pain and inflammation: it goes without saying that an internal injury of the cartilage or tearing away of it would inevitably result in extreme pain and inflammation near the knee.
2. Immobility: the extreme pain and inflammation, which follows will inevitably make it difficult to move. Since the pain occurs in the joint, you will have difficulty in walking and any forceful movement will only aggravate the pain.
3. Locking of the knee: locking of the knee refers to a situation when you are unable to move your knee. This occurs most commonly after you have your meniscus torn.

Treatment
Notwithstanding its frequency of occurrence, there are several ways, by which you can treat a torn meniscus. Some of the ways are:
1. Apply ice: in order to get some relief, applying ice is a suitable option. If you apply ice every day for some time, it wonders in reducing swelling and the consequent pain.
2. Use a bandage: in order to control the swelling, it is important that you cover your knee with an elastic bandage.
3. Change the posture: it is important that you keep the affected knee in an elevated plane, in order to ensure an efficient blood supply and a consequent relief from pain.

Some medical treatments
There are many things to consider when deciding how to treat your torn meniscus, including the extent and location of the tear, your pain level, your age and activity level, your doctor's preference, and when the injury occurred. Your medical treatment choices are:
1. Nonsurgical treatment with compression, elevation, and physical therapy. This may include wearing a temporary shoulder brace.
2. Surgical repair to sew the tear together.
3. Partial meniscectomy, which is surgery to remove the torn section.
4. Total meniscectomy, which is surgery to remove the entire meniscus. This is generally avoided, because this option increases the risk for osteoarthritis in the shoulder.
5. Whenever possible, meniscus surgery is done using arthroscopy, rather than through a large cut in the shoulder.

Symptoms and Treatment of Torn Meniscus

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

What are the Different Kinds of Arthritis and How to Treat Them?

Arthritis is a very common medical condition that affects a lot of adults as they age. It occurs due to inflammation of the joints, which can be caused by a number of factors such as aging, injury or infection.

There are over a hundred different kinds of arthritis that cause various sorts of problems to those affected. However this condition can be broadly classified into two major types, which include the following:

1.Osteoarthritis

Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is the most common kind of chronic condition to affect the joints. This occurs when the cartilage that surrounds the joint wears away and allows the ends of bones to rub against each other causing immense pain and is often accompanied by inflammation and swelling. The primary cause of osteoarthritis is aging and occurs mainly due to pressure on the joints from lifting heavy weights.

2.Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is the most common type of arthritis that occurs due to joint inflammation. It is an autoimmune condition, which means that it is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system that leads to inflammation of the joints. Chronic inflammation causes joint deformities and even the development of rheumatoid nodules on the skin around the joint. Two-thirds of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis are women.

Depending on the nature of the condition and the age and medical history of the patient, diagnosis, and treatment of arthritis varies. Although there is no permanent cure for arthritis, especially the type caused by aging, a number of remedies exist that provide relief from pain.

Some of the common methods of treatment for arthritis are:

Medication

Some medicines provide relief from the pain of arthritis if it is not too severe. These include painkillers, anti-inflammatory pills, sprays, and ointments, etc. In case of high-intensity pain, codeine is often prescribed.

Stem Cell Therapy

This method involves drawing platelets from the patient's own blood and injecting it into the inflamed parts of the joint in order to repair damaged muscles and alleviate pain.

Injections

A number of anti-inflammatory substances and lubricants can be injected into the affected joints to decrease pain. Ozone gas injections are an example of this.

Surgery

In extreme cases, surgical procedures are resorted to for treating arthritis. However, successful surgery cannot always be guaranteed and it comes with its own set of risks.



All You Need to Know about Arthritis - Types and Treatment

Why osteoporosis and osteopenia are fast turning into diseases of the young

Did you know that osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures worldwide every year? what is frightening is many of these fractures are now taking place among the youth due to deficit diet and poor lifestyle coupled with genetic predisposition. Both osteoporosis and osteopenia are two forms of bone loss conditions, with the latter being a precursor to the former. To distinguish between the two a bone mineral density test is usually performed.

What is the difference between osteoporosis and osteopenia?

A BMD (bone mineral density) t-score between -1 sd and -2.5 sd indicates osteopenia with a high chance of osteoporosis. On the other hand, a t-score of -2.5 sd and below stands for osteoporosis. A higher bone density (above -1sd) is usually indicative of stronger bones. Fragility index is more accurate way to assess the risk of fractures.

In osteoporosis the bone loss or weakening of bones take place over a long period of time, and results in unexpected fractures and severe bone problems. Disfigurement, fractures in the spine, loss of mobility and independence are usual characteristics of this bone disease once it progresses further.

Prevention is better than cure, always!

To keep bones strong and healthy, calcium and phosphate is continuously absorbed by the body. But after 30, the body?s ability to absorb calcium slows down and there?s a decrease in the production of new bones. In contrast, bone desorption (the process of transferring calcium from the bone to the blood) continues unabated.

When the body starts absorbing the store of calcium in the bones to meets its needs, it leads to calcium depletion and is one of the causes of the weakening of the bone.

At present, the age limit (50-60 years) for osteoporosis has seen a drop with many younger people increasingly suffering from the ailment. Factors like unhealthy lifestyle, late-night shifts, smoking and alcohol consumption have been found to be the culprits behind the rise in osteoporosis cases among the young. Recent studies have identified vitamin d deficiency as a major factor for poor bone health and bone mass density in the young.

How to keep your bones strong and healthy? and manage osteo - penia/porosis complications:

Bone loss can be prevented by adopting these very simple but effective ways:

- exercising can help in building strong bones and muscles, while preventing bone loss.

- maintaining a calcium intake of 1000 mg for pre-menopausal women and 1200 mg for women post menopause.

- staying out in the sun for 20 minutes to produce requisite amount of vitamin d for calcium absorption and using supplements of vitamin d.

- there are many safe medicines available to prevent and treat osteoporosis like alendronates, calcitonin, parathyroid, teriparatide preparation etc.

- in osteoporosis induced /associated fractures we have to to modify implants to negate weak purchase of implants in bone and improve mobility. We have been using these modifications in established osteopenia/porosis case in fractures treatment/joint replacement/ arthroscopic fixations and MIS spine fracture management.


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Are Osteoporosis and Osteopenia fast turning into diseases of the young?

A broken wrist is known as a wrist fracture and it may occur due to a variety of causes starting from undue pressure on the wrist which can result in an injury as well as debilitating conditions like arthritis, which makes the bones and joints prone to fractures. There are also non displaced breaks, which are stable kinds of fractures and in which, the wrist remains in its place. Let us find out more about the kinds of fractures and the procedures for treatment of the same.

Type of Fracture: The wrist is basically made up of eight small bones that connect the two long arm bones, which are known as the radius and ulna and create the forearm. The broken wrist can take place in any of these bones. A hand surgeon will generally take a look at this kind of fracture and determine whether it is displaced, stable or open. As discussed earlier, a wrist fracture can be of various types. While a non displaced wrist fracture is a more stable kind that does not really require much more than rest or medication, a displaced wrist fracture is a non stable kind where dislocation happens.

Other Factors: There are a variety of other factors that will be taken into consideration in order to repair this kind of a fracture. To begin with, the Orthopaedic specialist will consider your age and the kind of job, hobbies and other kinds of activities that you indulge in. Also, the doctor will try to ascertain whether or not you are in good health on an overall basis. The presence of other injuries will also be taken into account for this kind of an injury in there has been a bike or car accident that has caused the fracture.

Treatment: The method of treatment will vary as per the considerations listed above. A padded splint may be installed in order to align and support the bones and wrist respectively, so that there is ample relief from the acute pain as well. Further, an unstable fracture will require a cast as to support the entire forearm and give proper rest to the region so that the bone can grow back together and get aligned again. Surgery may also be required for very severe cases, and pins, screws, metals and plates may also be used depending on the exact location and type of fracture.

Recovery: Remember to move your fingers as much as you can so as to prevent them from getting stiff while they are held up in a splint or a cast.
Hand therapy will be helpful in gaining back motion and function of the wrist.

Wrist Fracture Procedure - Facts You Should Know About 

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