Stomach aches or abdominal pains are one of the most frequently reported health complaints faced by children. Children below the age of twelve are known to suffer from recurrent stomach pain. While pains such as these lead to momentary discomfiture, they also lay the path for graver worries if neglected for too long. Your child may feel sick and bunk school for two days; rest and home care can restore his or her health, but that in no way, is the best suited way of dealing with the situation. If tummy aches resurface over a certain period of time, parents should be cautious enough to look for the root cause and should try to eliminate it accordingly.

Widely noticed causes of stomach aches in children:

Unhygienic food can affect the child s digestive system.
Intolerance to a certain food item should not be overlooked.
Perpetual anxiety can make the tummy twist and turn.
Urinary Tract Infections can also lead to acute abdominal pain.
Serious factors such as gallstones or appendicitis could also be present. Immediate expert consultation is advised in such a case.
Caffeine and packaged soft drinks can be harmful.
Butter, ghee and other greasy products can trigger tummy aches.
Ways to treat tummy aches in children:

Keep children away from gas producing food items: Food that is hard to digest should be avoided. Lentil soup or dal should only be consumed in limited amounts to prevent the formation of gas. Don t let your child have too many nuts regularly.
Keep them hydrated: Fluid intake should be monitored. A child should drink at least six to seven glasses of water per day. Fruit juices or soups can also be given to them alongside main meals. This helps digestion.
Do not stack up food in one go: Eating a lot in one meal is a bad way of satisfying hunger. Have smaller meals in more numbers. Six to eight meals will keep your child full and will also eliminate chances of acid reflux which happens either due to an empty stomach or too much piling up of greasy food.
Timely check - up with the doctor: If tummy aches refuse to go away, take your child to a doctor for a thorough check- up. Administer medicines as prescribed by the physician.

Stomach Ache in Kids - 7 Causes Behind It!

The Hijama or Cupping Therapy is an ancient form of Alternative medicine that has long been practiced in Egypt, China, and few Middle Eastern countries. The cupping therapy work wonders to deal with problems ranging from body pain, skin lesions to inflammation. It also plays a significant role in improving the circulation and blood flow. But what is the Cupping Therapy and how does it work? In this article, we will discuss some important points related to the cupping therapy along with its merits.

What is a cupping therapy?
A Cupping Therapy is a non-invasive procedure that involves the use specially designed cups (made of silicone, bamboo, glass, or earthenware) placed on the target skin area to create a vacuum or a suction to help treat a particular health condition.

What happens in a cupping therapy?
The cupping therapy can be Dry or Wet

In both the types, before using the cup, the cupping therapist uses a flammable substance such as herbs or alcohol (placed inside the cup) and sets it on fire. With the fire slowly going off, the therapist carefully puts the hot cup in the target area of the skin in an inverted (upside down) position (for around 3 minutes). This is done to create a suction inside the cup triggering an expansion of the blood vessels. Alternatively, a rubber pump can also be used to create a suction.
In Wet cupping therapy, the steps involved in creating the first suction (generally a mild one) is identical to those used in Dry Cupping. However, in wet cupping, following the first suction, small incisions or scratches are made in the target skin area. During the second section, it is through these cuts that the elimination of the toxic or impure blood takes place.
Soon after the therapy, the cuts are well bandaged along with the application of medicated creams or lotions to ensure a fast healing sans any complications.
For better lubrication and movement of the cups, the therapist may apply a herbal or medicated oil to the skin.
Some people may also opt for Needle Cupping. As indicative of the name, needle cupping involves the use of Acupuncture needles (inserted into the skin over which the cups are then placed to carry out the suction and the subsequent therapy).
Merits of a cupping therapy

The cupping therapy is a nonsurgical therapy that can be used to treat many health complications such as high blood pressure, varicose veins, gynecological problems (including infertility), anemia, dermatological conditions (such as eczema and acne), fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, hemophilia, to name a few.
The cupping therapy ensures a better pain management.
It works wonders in the case of stress and anxiety.
The cupping therapy goes a long way to restore the balance between the three Doshas.
It comes with negligible side effects (light bruises, mild burns, or minor skin infections).

Cupping Therapy - Know How It Works!

The pitta dosha can be balanced by consuming fresh and whole foods, both raw and cooked. These foods are energising, cooling, dry, and have high carbohydrate content. They can effectively deal with pitta by fighting inflammation, absorb excess oil and liquid, and reduce internal heat. Pitta is basically liquid that is light, hot, sharp, oily and tends to spread fast. In light of this, the diet should comprise food that is dense, cool, dry and mild. Due to pitta s substantive nature, a proper diet can help to strike the right balance. 

Here is an overview of achieving a pitta balance to get rid of digestive problems:

Cold food: Surprising as it may sound, food with a low temperature helps in balancing the pitta dosha compared to its hot counterparts. Raw foods tend to have a decreased temperature compared to the cooked ones. Having a good mix of raw fruits and vegetable is, therefore, part of a good a diet. Stay away from all types of caffeine and alcohol while following a pitta diet.
Dense, nourishing and grounding food: Although heavy food might sound ideal to tackle light weight pitta, Ayurveda is the view that heavy food does more harm than good. Food that fits the bill includes root vegetables, cooking oils, grains, milk, and seeds. Since these foods tend to be sweet, it is necessary to ensure that a portion size is kept in mind and one must not overindulge in order to refrain from putting on weight. Food that should be slashed from the regular diet includes processed fast foods, pastries, heavy snacks that comprise chemicals and preservatives, and sweet beverages.
Dry food instead of liquid: Between a semi-liquid and solid meal, the latter should be chosen since it helps in fighting pitta better. Some of the ideal food that fits the bill include pasta, potatoes, beans, oats, millet, corn and other leafy green vegetables. While cooking it is advised that a good quality ghee or oil is used. Some food stuff that needs to be totally slashed from the existing diet includes nuts, cheese, cream, olives eggs and nuts. Mild food:
In terms of food flavours, it makes sense to choose flavours that are gentler and milder in taste such as the ones found in apples, soft cheese, cucumbers and lime juice over sharp flavours such as vinegar, pineapple, old cheese, and pickles. Simultaneously stimulants such as hard alcohol, nicotine, drugs etc. should be completely eschewed in order to avoid indigestion. This is especially true during night-time when the level of indigestion is more due to reduced mobility of the body. 

Pitta - How It Affects Digestion?

Vertebroplasty means shaping the backbone i.e. vertebra for backbone and plasty is related to shape. This is an outpatient procedure done to treat compression fractures of the spinal cord. The backbone is made up of multiple small bones which are stacked one on top of the other with a filling material in between that is known as vertebrae. The stack of bones are held in place by the soft, elastic vertebral material. 

Vertebroplasty & similar procedure called kyphoplasty is a non-surgical procedure where collapsed vertebrae is brought back to shape by injecting medical bone cement under fluroscopy / image intensifier in OT, thereby relieving pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves with special canula directed to the core of vertebral body. Indicated in osteoporotic vertebrae, spinal fracture, metastatic tumour or primary tumour of spine. This technique has replaced major surgery done earlier to reshape & fix vertabrae.

Technique: Bone cement, in a semisolid state, is injected into the weakened or fractured bone space. Once this solidifies, it provides additional support to the spine, enabling normal movement. It also helps in reducing the pain significantly and improves the overall mobility.

Procedure:

In what takes about an hour, the following steps are done. Earlier, a few decades ago, this would be an open surgical procedure. However, with advance technology, now it is done using a small incision

Local anesthesia is given in the area that needs to be operated
A biopsy needle is inserted into the fractured space with the help of an X-ray
The acrylic bone cement is injected into the bone space with a needle to fill up the space, once it solidifies, it stabilizes the vertebral space
The needle is removed and the incision is covered with a bandage
Usually the patient is sent home in an hour s time unless the overall condition is really bad
There could be some soreness at the site where injection is given, but one can notice a significant reduction in pain from the day of the procedure
There is also improvement in mobility while doing daily chores
The pain relief can last up to 3 years after the procedure
Returning back to normal activities takes about 3 to 4 days after the procedure
When to use this procedure?

Vertebroplasty is usually done in case of non-radicular pain that is intractable. In most cases, they do not respond to traditional therapies including physiotherapy, pain medications and even surgery. The pain could be due to:

Osteoporosis
Cancer metastasis
Myeloma
Spinal hemangiomas
Traumatic fractures
Benefits of using vertebroplasty for managing pain 

Minimally invasive
Effective way to get relief
Improves mobility
Cost-effective
Reduces need for long-term use of painkillers
Stabilizes the spine and prevents further collapse

Vertebroplasty - How It Can Help Manage Pain?

Abdomen pain or abdominal pain is usually experienced in the area between the chest and the stomach. This kind of pain usually comes as a dull cramp that also produces shooting stabs of pains intermittently, or it may be a localised pain in one side of the stomach. This may also be accompanied by inflammation, and other diseases related to organs like intestines, kidneys, pancreas, liver, spleen and stomach.

So what are the causes of stomach or abdomen pain? read on to find out:

1. Food poisoning: food poisoning can be caused due to dirty water or contaminated food. This can give rise to various infections as well as conditions like traveller's diarrhoea or loose motions.

2. Gastro intestinal conditions: gerd or gastroesophaegal reflux disease and gastroenteritis, among various others can also lead to abdomen pain as a symptom along with severe acidity and nausea. Irritable bowel syndrome is another major ailment which can leave you with persistent abdominal pain. 

3. Generalised pain: this kind of pain occurs in the overall area all around the stomach and may point at the presence of conditions like crohn's disease, a traumatic injury, appendicitis, flu, or even a urinary tract infection. Further, when the gas settles and tightens the stomach due to the inability to pass a motion on a normal, regular basis, this may be termed as constipation. This also leads to abdomen pain. 

4. Localised lower abdomen pain: pain that is found specifically in the lower area of the abdomen can be caused due to appendicitis, obstruction or blockage in the intestine or colon, and other ailments. This pain can also be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. 

5. Localised upper abdomen pain: this kind of pain may emanate due to the presence of gallstones, liver inflammation or hepatitis, pneumonia, or even in the middle of a heart attack.

6. Localised centre abdomen pain: pain in the centre part of the stomach or abdomen may be caused due to gastroenteritis, an injury or even the accumulation of waste products in the body, otherwise known as uraemia.

7. Abdomen pain and women: for women, such localised pain may be caused due to pelvic inflammatory disease, urinary tract infection, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, menstrual cramps which are also called dysmenorrhoea, and fibroids. Miscarriages can also cause pain in this part of the abdomen, for women.

8. Renal stones: renal stones or stone in kidney is one of the most common cause of abdomen pain. The pain caused by kidney stone is such that it can make a patient roll in bed and this pain may radiate to toward the groin as well.

Persistent pain and nausea that come with vomiting and finally give rise to blood in the vomit or stool should be checked by the doctor immediately, so as to rule out any serious ailment. Imaging tests, ultrasound and an x-ray can help in diagnosis.



Abdomen Pain: Common Causes

The toes and heels are the most load bearing components within your feet which take most of the weight when walking, running, exercising or even standing up. The heels are an especially vulnerable part of the body which can become painful either due to injuries or excessive stress put on it. Pain in your heels can also be a sign of other problems in your body.

Causes for heel pain:

1. Sprains or straining the leg: Exercising is one of the most common culprits behind heel damage. Wearing the wrong shoes over prolonged periods, which can cause your balance to be shifted and will lead you to put strain on your heels and cause pain. Falling or spraining during exercising or training can also cause heel pain.

2. Fractures: Stress or hairline fractures can occur even without impacts or trauma and also cause pain. It will slowly build up over time. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor and take remedial action.

3. Achilles tendon: A common cause for heel pain, the Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel. If this is torn or damaged, it can cause pain in your heel.

4. Arthritis: The deposition of uric acid crystals in parts of your body may result in arthritis; this is a fairly common cause for heel pain as well.

Treatments available

1. Change in shoes: Shoes play a major role in the development of heel pain. You will either need to change the shoes or adjust the heels to ensure that they are at an equal and comfortable height and keep your posture natural and balanced.

2. Foot supports: There are specialized heel supports and wedges, which you can wear with the footwear. These supports help redistribute weight from the problem areas and uniformly distribute it among the other parts of the foot. Heel cups are also another form of supports you could try.

3. Pain relief medications: Sometimes aspirin or ibuprofen may be required to numb and dull the pain, if getting through the day becomes difficult or you are in the middle of work.

4. Resting: Sometimes resting is the only medication you can take to relieve the pain as it can only subside once the underlying conditions are corrected.

5. Ice packs: Cold compress and cold therapy would definitely help in numbing the area and providing temporary pain relief.

It is however, advisable to visit the doctor if the pain persists and take specialized medical care in more complicated cases wherein the pain is prolonged.

Heel Pain its Causes and Treatments

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