Three Ways to Protect Your Knees

The knee is known as the largest and one of the most complex joints in the human body, and also one of the most vulnerable, as it supports the weight of the entire body. The knee joint is made up of several elements including the knee cap, meniscus, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles. Damage to any part of the knee can cause chronic pain. So how can you protect your knee from damage and injury? Take a look at these three points!

Dealing with Load: Weight is a big one. Carrying around extra pounds and kilograms can be detrimental for your knees in the long run. Your knee is not equipped to handle the excessive weight. It already supports three to five times your weight when you get up and walk around or indulge in some mild jogging. One must be careful of those extra pounds to take the load off the knee and keep it from falling prey to damage.

Exercise: Moderate to intense exercise is prescribed for one and all. This, of course, depends on one's overall health and age. If you are already suffering from joint pain, then you may want to go easy on the exercise with a focus on building muscle strength and foundation. If you are healthy, then some amount of daily exercise as a routine will keep those knees in prime working condition and well lubricated as well. Inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can affect the knees very badly.

Do not Ignore: Warning signals such as chronic or acute knee pain should not be ignored. Remember to see a doctor or an orthopaedic specialist to find out if you have contracted an infection or if you may have suffered a fracture due to an injury. Also, it is important to take a bone density test regularly, especially after the age of 40 or for women going through menopause, as this will point to any deficiencies and even warn you in case there is any trace of osteoporosis.

Rest, exercise, and food should be kept in fine balance for a healthy body. These are a few measures that one can take to keep knee pain at bay. Yet, it is also advisable to speak with a doctor at length regarding measures to protect your knees.

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Three Ways to Protect Your Knees

Mobility for a person is very important, and when you look through, the hip is a very important component to this. It connects the upper and lower parts of the body and helps in movement. It is a ball and socket joint, where the hip bone provides a socket, into which the upper part of the thighbone (femur) sits into, allowing for free movement.

Like any other human organ, the hip also is prone to damage. Be it natural ageing, infection, injury, or diseases, hip movement can be affected, leading to limited movement and increased pain and stiffness. For these people, being able to get back a hip which will allow them to be back on their feet is a boon for sure. It helps in relieving pain and improving mobility, almost giving people a second lease of life.

Reasons for hip replacement:

With natural ageing, the hip joint can lose its ability to move, due to normal wear and tear of the hip and thigh bones
Diseases of the hips (infectious or autoimmune) can also lead to hip replacement
Injury or trauma is another major cause that requires hip replacement
Joint problems, leading to repeated dislocations
Tumours of the relevant bones
Understanding the procedure in detail

The affected bones (whether diseases or worn out) are replaced with a prosthesis which is compatible with the normal body tissue.
While some materials fuse to the natural bone, others do not and are simply placed as a separate unit
This is a surgery which requires hospitalisation and stays for up to 5 days depending on patient s overall health condition
The entire procedure may take a couple of hours and is usually done under general anaesthesia
An incision is made through the side of the hip
Both the hip and the thigh joints are prepared, diseased tissue removed, re-shaped, etc. to make way for the prosthesis
The prosthesis is introduced through the same incision and positioned into place
As noted earlier, there are two types. The ones which fuse to the bone have pores in them into which normal bone eventually grows.
The other variety is the cemented version, and a glue is used to keep it in place
Most doctors now use a combination, that is cement a porous prosthesis, into which bone will grow, and the incisions are closed
The patient stays in the hospital for 1 to 4 days depending on overall health
Once discharged, infection and pain control are continued
Exercise and physiotherapy play a major role in restoring normal function
Weight management is also very important

Hip Replacement - Understanding The Procedure In Detail!

Pain in the joint is an eventuality that only few can escape. It is an ailment that comes with age and promises to stay despite continued attempts at eradicating it. Being a problem that many are battling, it has provoked attempts at treating it. Various disciplines of medicines have tried in their own ways in dealing with this problem, but ayurveda with its strict reliance on natural products and aversion to chemicals has been most preferred. The various ways by which ayurveda treats joint pains are:
1. Massage: ayurveda focuses on massages as a remedial measure. Using few herbal oils and using them to massage regularly on the affected joints has been an accepted remedy for joint pains. A massage promotes blood circulation and creates a calming effect.

2. Hot and cold compresses: the effectiveness of this form of treatment has remained prevalent through generations. Extremely convenient and easy to use, you can use hot and cold compresses alternatively to ease the pain.

3. Fenugreek: fenugreek seeds have a long standing reputation of relieving you of pain. Boasting of antioxidant properties and the ability to reduce swelling, they must be finely grounded and swallowed with lukewarm water to enjoy best results.

4. Turmeric: in the hierarchy of ayurvedic medications, turmeric probably ranks the highest. It is packed with multiple benefits. Not only does it take care of the skin, it also helps in reducing joint pains. The most common way of having it is by mixing turmeric in a glass of warm milk and honey.

5. Apple cider vinegar: apple cider vinegar reduces joint pains by effectively eliminating the accumulated toxins. It is rich in magnesium and phosphorus and owing to its alkalizing effect, it has the ability to cure rheumatism.

Ayurveda and Joint Pain Remedies

Non-inflammatory pain and tenderness in joints, muscles and ligaments can lead to a chronic condition called Fibromyalgia. It is estimated that it affects 5 % of the population annually. Though there are many conventional medications available to address this situation, none of them focuses on healing the disease from the root. This is precisely where Ayurvedic techniques differ. Let us look at a time tested way to address Fibromyalgia through ancient Ayurveda.

Ayurveda for Fibromyalgia
There are some common symptoms of Fibromyalgia. These include aches and stiffness of the body, generalized fatigue, chronic headaches and migraines, swelling and numbing sensations in the joints. Ayurveda treats a particular disease on the basis of the  vata  imbalance. The condition also affects the central nervous system thus leading to pain and tenderness. Accumulation of Ama or toxins is also the other major factor for Fibromyalgia.

Ayurveda focuses mainly on these two factors and creates a balance in suppressing them. The famed panchakarma therapy and the herbal oil massage can help in reducing the toxin levels. They also work additionally as a detox thus helping in eradicating the harmful by-products. Along with it, a diet plan should also be followed for stimulating the growth naturally. These include vegetables, fibers, and juices of carrot, cucumber, beetroot, spices like cumin, coriander, ginger asafetida and coconut milk.

Also, some limitations are needed, and a person should avoid spicy foods and reduce the intake of caffeine products. Alcohol should be curbed when a person is under the treatment plan. Few herbs like "Dashamula quath" and 'Triphala choorna' are recommended for cleansing the colon. Mental stress is also one of the major factors, and hence a relaxed attitude should be followed along with certain lifestyle changes. Ayurveda wants the body to get the necessary sleep and rest in its treatment plan. In the treatment of Fibromyalgia too, it is no different. The Ayurvedic physician would lay out the entire cycle of the treatment procedure, and they have to be followed religiously. A person can see the reduction in the pain within a few weeks of following the treatment.

Ayurveda is safe
The biggest advantage of an Ayurvedic treatment is that it is extremely safe and that there are no side effects. They effectively act as a detox thus getting rid of the harmful substances from the body along with curing of the symptoms. Ayurveda not only takes care of the pain but identifies the problem from the root. Hence it effectively curbs the chances of Fibromyalgia from reoccurring.

Fibromyalgia - How Ayurveda Is Safe For It?

One part of the human body is essential for the efficient functioning of another. The hip joint provides support to your overall body weight while you are at ease or in motion. Suffering from medical problems pertaining to the hip can impede free movement; walking, running, stooping, sitting or even lying down will cause immense pain and discomfort in such a situation. While certain bodily disabilities come with old age and are in most cases unavoidable; some others can actually be controlled through physical exercise.

Take a look at a few stretches to improve your hip mobility:-

Stretch like a pigeon- this yoga loosens up muscle tension in and around a person's hip. Your right leg must be stretched behind while the upper part of your body bends over a folded left leg in front. Your head rests on your coupled hands. This stretch improves the shape of your hip as well.
Try to be an eagle for hip firmness- to align your body in the perfect eagle pose; you probably need to be a conjurer; that is the kind of flexibility the posture requires. Be a half chair making your hands intersect above your head while your left leg crosses the right one. The pressure is on your hip making it strong. Your body has to be in one single line.
Sit in the chair pose- crouching on your haunches with your torso inclined to the front is a good way to better hip mobility. This exercise also relieves you of back pain. It adds potency to the muscles of your upper thighs thus giving a well- rounded hip extra support.
Stoop in the downward doggy pose- the downward doggy pose helps you concentrate on the fullness of your hips. The back muscles are stretched and the problem of a small, rickety hip is dealt with through this yoga. Your legs should be erect at the knees and should be stretched apart depending upon the width of your hip. The rest of your body should bend in a forward arch while your spread hands touch the ground.
Try out the benefits of world's greatest stretch- world's greatest stretch involves a series of stretches that not only accentuates your hipline making your hip muscles adaptable to stress but also tones muscles in other parts of your body. It is a three- fold exercise. The second step is the most difficult where your body is balanced on a half folded right leg and you're required to touch the ground with your right elbow.

Tips to Improve Hip Mobility

The sciatic nerve is one of the largest nerves in the body. It goes from the lower back all the way down to the base of the leg. When there is a disorder associated with the sciatic nerve, it is known as Sciatica. 

Sciatica, however, does not necessarily need a surgery or a very elaborate procedure to fix the problem. Most commonly, it is treated simply by practicing a number of simple exercises. Here are some of the most common exercises prescribed to treat Sciatica:

1. Reclining Pigeon Pose:
There are three main forms of the pigeon pose. These are sitting, reclining and then forwarding. It is recommended that if you have very recently started your treatment for Sciatica, then certainly you should go for the reclining pose. In this pose, you are supposed to hold your left leg in the air at a right angle to your back. Then, hold your ankle against the knee. Finally, repeat this stretch with the right leg as well.

2. Knee to Opposite Shoulder:
In this stretch, the starting position is on your back side. You have to have your legs out and feet upwards. From this position, try to bring your right leg towards your left shoulder. Hold this for 30 seconds and then release and relax. Repeat this activity three times and repeat the whole procedure with your other leg. Only take your leg as far as it goes.

3. Sitting Spinal Stretch:
At the start of this exercise, sit on the ground with your legs going straight outwards and your feet flexed in the upward direction. Pull your left knee and put it on the outside of your right knee. Finally, place your right elbow on the left knee, so that your body turns to the left. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax. Repeat the procedure with the other knee.

4. Standing Hamstring Stretch:
Put your foot on an elevated surface such that it is above the floor, but not above hip level. Flex your toes forward such that your feet and legs are nearly in a straight line. Bend as far towards the foot as possible. However, do not stretch so far that you feel pain. Finally, repeat this procedure on the other side after release.

Exercises For Sciatica

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