Spinal fractures occur as a result of an injury or dislocation of the bony vertebra. This causes the bone fragments to pinch and damage the spinal cord. Fractures can occur anywhere along the spine but the most common site of fracture is the lower back.

What causes spinal fractures?

Spinal fractures are often a result of the following-

  A sudden traumatic injury
  A high-velocity accident
  Falling from a height
  Sports injuries
  Spinal instability
  A whiplash

Types of spinal fractures:

Spinal fractures are classified into three categories, such as the following-

  Compression fracture - If you exert excessive pressure on the vertebra, it will break. This type of fracture occurs when the bones in the spine become fragile or weak to the extent that they easily crumble. People living with osteoporosis, certain types of cancer or tumours are prone to a compression fracture.

  Dislocation - When the discs and/or ligaments linking the vertebrae is torn or stretched, the bones may dislocate or come out of alignment.

  Fracture-dislocation - Torn ligament and broken bone lead to this condition. A fracture-dislocation is a debilitating condition and often requires surgical intervention.

Symptoms of spine fractures:

Following an accident or an injury, you can tell if you have ended up fracturing your spinal column by identifying these symptoms-

  Excruciating pain
  Tingling sensation
  Numbness
  Muscle spasm
  Swelling of the muscle
  Sudden onset of back pain
  Restricted spinal mobility
  The pain worsens if you walk or stand for long
  Deformity or disability of the spine

How are spinal fractures treated?

Spinal fracture treatment begins with administering pain-management drugs and medications to ease the symptoms, and stabilization methods to prevent injury. Depending on the nature of the fracture, your doctor may follow these lines of treatment-

  Fusion and instrumentation - These are surgical procedures to cure unstable fractures. Fusion refers to the joining of the vertebrae using a bone graft along with hardware such as hooks, rods, plates, or pedicle screws. The bone graft joins the vertebrae below and above to form a solid piece of bone.

  Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty - These are minimally invasive procedures, wherein the surgeon injects bone cement into the fractured body through a needle. During kyphoplasty, the surgeon first inserts and inflates a balloon to expand the compressed vertebrae and then fills it with bone cement.

Spinal fractures are an extremely uncomfortable and painful condition to live with. It can hinder your day-to-day activities and affect your quality of life. It is imperative that you seek immediate treatment if you end up with fractures or dislocation of the spine.

Spine Fracture - How Can You Get It Fixed?

A spinal cord injury is a damage to the spinal cord. It s an extremely serious type of physical trauma that s likely to have a lasting and significant impact on most aspects of daily life.

The spinal cord is responsible for sending messages from the brain to all parts of the body. It also sends messages from the body to the brain. We are able to perceive pain and move our limbs because of messages sent through the spinal cord.

If the spinal cord sustains an injury, some or all of these impulses may not be able to  get through . The result is a complete or total loss of sensation and mobility below the injury. A spinal cord injury closer to the neck will typically cause paralysis throughout a larger part of the body than one in the lower back area.

Causes-

A spinal cord injury is often the result of an unpredictable accident or violent event. The following can all result in damage to the spinal cord:

a violent attack such as a stabbing or a gunshot
diving into water that s too shallow and hitting the bottom
trauma during a car accident (specifically, trauma to the face, head and neck region, back, or chest area)
falling from a significant height
head or spinal injuries during sporting events
electrical accidents
severe twisting of the middle portion of the torso
Symptoms-

Some symptoms of a spinal cord injury include:

problems walking
loss of control of the bladder or bowels
inability to move the arms or legs
feelings of spreading numbness or tingling in the extremities
unconsciousness
headache
pain, pressure, stiffness in the back or neck area
signs of shock
unnatural positioning of the head
If you suspect that someone has a back or neck injury:

Don t move the injured person   permanent paralysis and other serious complications may result
Call 911 or your local emergency medical assistance number
Keep the person still
Place heavy towels on both sides of the neck or hold the head and neck to prevent them from moving until emergency care arrives
Provide basic first aid, such as stopping any bleeding and making the person comfortable, without moving the head or neck
Prevention-

Because spinal cord injuries are often due to unpredictable events, the best you can do is reduce your risk.

 Some risk-reducing measures include:

always wearing a seatbelt while in a car
wearing proper protective gear while playing sports
never diving into water unless you ve examined it first to make sure it s deep enough and free of rocks

Spinal Cord Injury - Signs, Causes & Prevention

5 Ways to Stop Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are feared and loathed by all of us alike – they hurt, they slow us down and they just give us a helpless feeling! The most common cause of these cramps is premature fatigue which affects the reflex control of muscles. Here are 5 ways guaranteed to beat these troublesome muscle cramps:

1. Take rest
The most easy and sure-shot way to kill a muscle cramp is to take rest. Just rest your body, be at one place and the cramp will not last more than 3-4 minutes. Moving around will only cause the pain to be aggravated and eventually affect other areas as well.

2. Consume solutions rich in salt
Whenever you encounter a troublesome cramp, the first instinct is to reach for water. However, studies have shown that salt solutions are far more effective in countering cramps as compared to plain water. You can have pickle juice and similar drinks which have a high salt concentration.

3. Be physically active
The most common reason for muscle cramps is over-straining of the body. If you are planning to indulge in an extremely intensive physical activity, make sure to train well in advance. Also, keep the duration and intensity of the training at a similar level to that of the actual activity.

4. Keep your body hydrated
Dehydration is the root of a number of troublesome conditions, muscle cramps being one of them. Make sure to always carry a water bottle with you and drink a minimum of 7-8 glasses of water on a daily basis.

5. Indulge in light passive muscle stretching
When faced with a muscle cramp, in addition to resting, try and gently stretch the affected muscle. This continuous and light passive stretching lets the brain know that it can relax the muscle and help it return to normal.




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5 Winning Ways to Stop those Nasty Muscle Cramps

Concentrated pain in the neck can be especially tormenting. Before you look for a cure for this pain and start treating it, it is important that you try and find out the underlying cause behind it as well. Contacting a physiotherapist in time will allow you not only to avoid any and every side effect posed by neck pain, but also assist you to get good riddance from it.

Causes of Neck Pain:
There can be multiple causes of neck pain. The treatment of the same depends wholly on the factor that is causing the pain. Some of these causes of neck pain include

Misaligned hips,
Misaligned Spine,
Misaligned shoulders,
A constantly forward-tilted head,
Lack of movement of the head from one specific position,
Tensing up of the muscles in the upper back,
Tensing up of the muscles in the neck region, etc.
It is all these factors and a few more that end up resulting in stiffening of muscles in and around the neck and causing you intermediate to unbearable pain.
Side effects of neck pain:
Neck pain also has some side effects, which includes temporary loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, blackouts, temporarily blurred vision, headache, spondylitis, etc.

Exercises for neck pain:
Neck exercises are a predominant part of the treatment extended by every physiotherapist, to cure neck pain. Some of the most vital and effective exercises for neck pain are listed below.

Frog: Funny as it way sounds, the frog is one of the best exercises when it comes to treating neck pain. All you have to do is lie down on the floor with your knees apart, your feet joined, your hands laid upward on the floor at a 45-degree angle to your body and just stay there in that position for two minutes. This will force your back to arch naturally, slowly giving some relief to your neck.
Sitting floor: Try sitting floor for neck pain. All you have to do is sit straight with your back rested on a wall, with your legs laid straight forward. Bring together your shoulder blades and bend to help them meet your knees while curling the toes outward to optimal. Stay in this position for a good 3 minutes, without bending the legs.
Static wall: Lie down on the floor with your bottom against a wall and your legs up it. You can always scoot back a bit if there is the slightest of discomfort. The aim here is to help the tail bone lie comfortably on the floor. Tighten your thigh muscles but curling your toes outward and pointing your feet straight out from its previous position. Maintain this position for 3 minutes for maximum effect.
Static back: The static back is the most common and most helpful exercise for neck pain. All you got to do is lie down on the floor, while placing your legs on an elevated surface, such as an ottoman or a chair at a 45-degree angle to your body. Now put your arms at an angle of 45 degrees to your body as well, only sideways on your shoulder. Follow this position by lifting your palms and staying in that position for five to ten minutes.
All these exercises are aimed to positively influence one muscle or the other in and around the neck region and to help you get rid of that pain. Consult a physiotherapist first, and he/she will advise you on the best neck pain exercises.

Neck Pain - 4 Exercises to Control Pain

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune disorder which induces inflammation in the joints. What causes the condition is not exactly clear, but a lot of studies have been done to establish a connection between various factors such as, diet, exercise, etc., with this condition. These studies have come up with correlation between foods and rheumatoid arthritis. There are some foods which should be a part of your diet, and some that should definitely be avoided if you have to keep the joint inflammation under control. Read on to know the top 5 foods to eat and to avoid.

What to eat?

Soy: Being rich in protein and fiber and low in fat, soy is a great food for RA. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids and vegetarians especially should ensure they get enough soy in their diet.
Fish: Salmon and tuna are fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and these are proven to be natural anti-inflammatory agents. Therefore, it is highly recommended that people with RA eat fish about 3 to 4 times per week.
Oils: While an oily diet is definitely to be avoided, some healthy oils should be included. These include sunflower oil, walnut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil. These are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and are beneficial in people with RA.
Green tea: Known for their polyphenols and antioxidants, green tea reduces damage caused by inflammation in RA. People with RA are recommended to have at least 2 servings of green tea daily.
Beans and legumes: The high content of fiber, protein, folic acid, zinc, iron, potassium, and other minerals makes beans a must-have for RA patients. The red and kidney variety of beans are the preferred ones.
What to avoid?

Grilled foods: Grilled chicken or red meat have high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which are known to worsen inflammation. So, while they are good for weight watchers, not so if you have RA. These also contain higher levels of saturated fat, which is again not advisable for RA.
Fried foods: These contain 6-omega fatty acids, which have been proven to worsen inflammation. They are also high in saturated fats, which is a strict no-no for inflammation.
MSG: Monosodium glutamate which is used generously in various Oriental dishes including soups, salad dressings, etc. should be avoided as it affects liver health and worsens inflammation.
Salt: Reduce overall salt intake. Limiting the intake of pickles, salad dressings and processed foods, etc., which contain high amounts of sodium.
Alcohol: This again increases inflammation and should be avoided in RA.
A healthy lifestyle improves not just the overall quality of life, but also reduces the severity of symptoms of RA.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What To Eat & What To Avoid?

A bone may break due to several reasons starting from a fall or an injury or a condition like osteoporosis that makes the bones brittle and leaves them susceptible to fractures. The fracture usually takes a few weeks to get fixed as the broken bones grow back together with the help of various forms of treatment including a plaster and sling applied by the orthopaedic specialist or general physician. Find out more about how bones heal with this article.

Types of fracture: Before we get to the subject of how bones heal, it is important to understand the various kinds of fractures recognised by doctors. The first kind is the complete fracture where the bone breaks into two distinct parts. The next kind is the greenstick fracture or hairline fracture where there is simply a crack on one side of the bone due to pressure. Further, there is the single fracture which occurs where there is breakage of the bone only in one place. A bowing fracture may occur when the bones bend instead of breaking completely. This kind of fracture is pretty common for children. The comminuted fracture happens when the bone is crushed or broken in many places. And finally, the open fracture is one where the bone ends up protruding from the skin.

Treatment: Once you have broken a bone, the doctor will conduct an X ray which will help in understanding the type of fracture and the extent of the damage caused. The doctor will then apply a cast and plaster that will help in bringing the bone back to its normal position so that it grows back with the main bone. In case the bone has broken into various parts or there is a complete fracture, then the doctor may even insert metal pins.

Natural healers: Bones are known as natural healers that can heal with the process of new cells and vessel production which rebuilds the bone by covering the broken ends and closing the gap caused due to the damage or the crack.
Clot: Once a bone has broken, a blood clot or a callus forms in the surrounding region, which kind of acts towards sealing the area.
Threads: Once these clots have formed, the new threads of the bone cells begin to grow slowly from the ends of the broken bones. This will grow on both sides of the affected and fractured bones, almost as if drawing a line from one broken end to another.
Absorption: Finally, the callus will be absorbed by the new cell and the gap will close.
See a doctor is you are experiencing any noticeable symptoms that may point towards bone fractures.

Broken Bones - How Do They Heal?

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