Arthritis, which is quite a common ailment among people aged above 40, is painful regardless where it affects a person, be it the hands or the toes. However, the Ayurvedic field of medicine has come up with historic ways of treating the issue. Over the course of time, these methods have proved to be quite effective, and especially popular as they have no side effects. A person only needs to spend a little time to get to know how to go about using Ayurveda to cure the arthritic aches and pains, which plague daily life!


One of the best things about Ayurveda is the fact that the solutions are generally made using ingredients that are very easy to source. For example, there is a solution for arthritis, which involves mixing a cup of mustard oil with about 10 grams of camphor and then heating the combination. This oil mixture then needs to be massaged on the affected areas. Now, isn t that simple?


The common potato, long considered to be a vegetable of the masses, also finds its use in Ayurveda when it comes to treating arthritis. If you soak a few unpeeled slices of potato in a glass of water overnight and drink this water the following morning, you are sure to find an improvement in your condition quite soon. 


Additionally, there are a few other food items that are recommended in the Ayurvedic treatment. These include bitter gourd, which is not only low in calorie content, but also very high on vitamins and ginger which improves metabolism. Consuming garlic and buttermilk is also considered advantageous. 


Moreover, you may also need to make some changes to the lifestyle habits, which have been deeply ingrained. For instance, sleeping as per a regular schedule and not going to sleep very late at night has a positive impact.


As you have probably be discerned, when it comes to health, the devil is in the eating! If a person who has arthritis makes an effort to conform to a good and healthy diet, which does not contain fried or sugary food, or even those which have spices in excess, he or she will not only find the pain symptoms of arthritis reducing, but also gain a general sense of health.


As long as a person has the patience to follow the way of treating arthritis set out by Ayurveda, the benefits will truly be bountiful!

Arthritis - How Ayurveda Can Help Treat it?

A pain in the neck or back can restrict movements and hamper your lifestyle. These are both common pains that may or may not be a symptom of a more serious illness. Neck pain can be caused by a number of factors including stress, whiplash, inflammatory infections, mechanical disorders and metabolic disorders. The main causes for a backache are vertebral column diseases, spinal cord infections, abnormal posture, heavy lifting etc.

Homeopathy is one of the most holistic forms of treatment that can be used to treat pain in the neck or back. Homeopathic treatment has no side effects and is based on individual mental and physical symptoms showcased. Homeopathy do not address the pain itself but treats the underlying cause thus ensuring that it does not recur. Some common homeopathic remedies for neck pain and backaches are:

1. Calcarea flour: this is used to treat pains that arise from the hardening of cervical glands. Such pain tends to deteriorate in cold weather and worsens when the patient is lying down. Heat can be soothing to such backaches and neck pains.

2. Bryonia: this is used typically to treat backaches that are worsened by any movement and for a stiff back. This sort of back ache is often relieved by resting or lying on a hard surface.

3. Arnica: arnica is an excellent remedy for pains that follow an injury. When it comes to backaches and neck pains it can be used to treat soreness and straining of ligaments. It is also beneficial against the feeling of being bruised.

4. Fluoric acid: this can be used to treat rigidity and a feeling of stiffness around the nape of the neck. Such pain is often associated with numbness of the neck and forearm.

5. Hypericum: this is a useful homeopathic remedy for compressed injuries and nerve pain. It can be used to treat back aches caused by disc compression, canal stenosis, myelopathy and radiculopathy. Hypericum can also be used to treat jerking muscles.

6. Kali carb: if your back feels weak and you experience sharp pains, kali carb may be help alleviate your pain. Such pain is usually associated with a burning sensation and causes excessive sweating. Kali carb is also suited to treating backaches during pregnancy.

Along with medication, try maintaining a good posture to help reduce neck pains and backaches. Avoid lifting heavy weights and travelling long distances. Applying hot and cold packs over the area can also help reduce the intensity of the pain.

Treating Backache and Neck Pain With Homeopathy Medicines

Your thyroid glands are important to the body because it produces essential hormones. However, if you suffer from hypothyroidism, your thyroid glands will not be able to produce these hormones sufficiently.

In the early stages of hypothyroidism, you will not detect any noticeable changes in your body or health. However, if you do not start treatment for the condition, you will soon start to experience symptoms, such as obesity and infertility. Joint pain is another serious symptom of hypothyroidism.

Symptoms of musculoskeletal pain related to hypothyroidism-

Hypothyroidism can lead to a range of muscular and skeletal disorders in your body. Here are some musculoskeletal symptoms you are likely to experience if you suffer from hypothyroidism.

Painful and stiff muscles, which mainly affect your hip and shoulder region

Swelling across the joints of feet and hands

Carpal tunnel syndrome, where pressure on a nerve in your wrist causes pain and tingling across the entire arm

Stiffness and pain in the joints

Treating hypothyroidism related muscle and joint pain-

Over-the-counter pain medications help deal with the pain and the swelling. However, they are a temporary solution for the discomfort. Treating hypothyroidism is the best way to reduce your pain and discomfort.

Your doctor will prescribe a levothyroxine supplement, which is a synthetic hormone. This medicine will rectify the imbalance in your hormone levels, which in turn will reduce pain in your muscles and joints. Apart from the joint pain, the medication will also lower your elevated cholesterol levels from hypothyroidism.

How to get the best results from the medication-

If you consume certain foods, supplements and medication while being on levothyroxine, the drug may not work effectively. Here is a look at some things to avoid when you are on the medication.

Excessive soy products

Excessive high-fibre diet

Foods with high iron content

Antacids that contain Aluminium hydroxide

Calcium supplements

For the best effects, you need to consume the hypothyroidism medication on an empty stomach. Your doctor will likely advise you to take the medicine first thing in the morning and then wait about an hour before having your meal. In some cases, you may need to take the drug before going to bed. However, ensure you consume the medicine at least 4 hours after the last meal for the day.

Hypothyroidism And Musculoskeletal Pain - Know More About Its Link!

Bone cancer is a rare form of cancer in the cancer family. It affects one of the bones of your body and spreads to other bones. But, more often, it has the tendency to affect the long bone in the legs and the arms. There are many types of bone cancers. While some of them can affect children, the others typically affect the adults. This type of cancer is different than those cancers which get initiated from other parts of the body and spread to the bones.

What are the symptoms of bone cancer?
The typical signs and symptoms of bone cancer include acute pain in the bone, tenderness in the affected area, swelling of certain bones, a tendency of bone breakage, fatigue with little or no effort, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath etc.

What are the causes of bone cancer?
There is no particular reason for bone cancer. Studies have shown that an error in the structure of the DNA leads to bone cancer. This error leads the bone to grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner leading to non-extinction of cells. These cells keep growing and form a mass invade to other parts of the body, leading to cancer.

What are the different types of bone cancer?
The type of the bone cancer can be distinguished from where cancer originates from. Some of the common bone cancer type includes the following:

Osteosarcoma: This is the form of cancer that originates from the bone cells and is often witnessed in young adults and children. They often attack the arm and the leg.
Chondrosarcoma: This form of cancer begins from the cartilage cells. The exact place of damage appearance includes legs, arm, and pelvis. This is typically observed in middle-aged persons in older adults.
Ewing's sarcoma: Though researchers are yet to find out the location this form of bone cancer originates from, it is mostly considered to affect the legs, arms, and legs of young children.
What are the risk factors?
While doctors are yet to researching for the exact reason of bone cancer, there are certain risk factors which have been associated with the bone cancers.

Inherited genetic syndromes: Certain genetic condition such as the hereditary retinoblastoma and Li-Fraumeni syndrome which are passed on from generations are a prime culprit of bone cancer.
Paget's disease: This is a bone-related disorder that affects the bone and increases the chance of bone cancer.
Radiation: Exposure to a huge amount of radiation increases the chances of bone cancer and other associated cancers.
How is bone cancer detected?
Imaging tests such as the bone scan, x-ray, MRI, PET scan and the CT scan can diagnose bone cancer. Apart from these, oncologists might order a biopsy that includes removing a part of the tissue and test the same in a laboratory can also help to detect bone cancer.

Bone Cancer - Risk Factors Associated With It!

The joints and bones of the body are connected by fibrous band of tissue called as a ligament. When these ligaments are over stretched or are subjected to any injury that could cause tearing of the ligament and a sprain of the ligament happens. Sprains usually occur at the ankle joint, knee joint or the shoulder, since these areas have a connection of bones at a joint. 

During movement, the ligament functions to stretch or expand and move back to its original position. However, sometimes due to an over-stretch of the ligament, it gets pushed or expands beyond its usual position. A sudden twisting movement of the ligament can also cause a sprain. 

While walking, any abnormal movement of the leg can cause a sprain, hence, the ankle joint is the most common location affected by a sprain. Sports injuries are a common causative factor of sprains. In accordance to the body part involved frequently in playing sports, a wrist sprain or an ankle sprain is a common finding. 

Dancers are also prone to frequently sprain their ligaments. If a sprain occurs at the wrist joint, it can also lead to cause the Carpal tunnel syndrome, which leads to the numbness of the wrist joint. Moderate to severe pain around the affected joint, presence of bruising in cases of an injury, swelling around the affected joint and difficulty in movement are the common symptoms of a sprain.



There can be a popping sound heard during an injury to the joint, which indicates a sprain. Sprain of the joint can cause other complications too. If there is an involvement of the nerve in the injury, there can be an associated numbness and tingling sensation at the affected area. A physician performs physical inspection of the area while looking for the symptoms of sprain. If the injury involves a larger surface area and is causing severe pain, an MRI or X-ray can be ordered to detect for the ligament or bone involvement, respectively. 

Classification of sprain can be enlisted as follows: 

Grade 1 sprain (mild): Slight stretching and little damage to the fibers of the ligament. 
Grade 2 sprain (moderate): Includes partial tearing of the ligament.  
Grade 3 sprain (severe): Includes complete tearing of the ligament.  Prevention of a sprain can be achieved with certain measures. Specific exercises that can be targeted for sprain prevention can be learnt from the physical therapist.
Stretching exercises and muscle training are important in prevention of a sprain. Sprain preventing measures are as follows: 

1. Before beginning an exercise routine, it is essential to do warm up exercises. Slight jogging can be done to activate muscle movement. 

2. Stretching before and after an exercise routine is necessary. It ensures that the muscles around the joint are in a relaxed position. It helps in minimizing the risk of an injury. 

3. Some specific exercises that help to strengthen the muscles around ankles should be done. Heel raise exercise is beneficial in strengthening the ankle muscles. 

4. Exercises that target the improvement of overall body s balance should be done on a regular basis. These exercises help in preventing twisting of ankles during walking or moving down the stairs. 

5. In case of a previous ankle injury, it is recommended to wear an ankle brace to prevent any twisting caused by a dis-balance. 

Treatment of the sprain is done by following the RICE procedure. This procedure includes the protocol of rest, ice, compression and elevation. Analgesics can be taken for pain relief. Ice pack application helps in reducing the swelling. Using a compression bandage helps in immobilizing the injury.

Sprain - Effective Tips To Prevent It!

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

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