Did you know that in addition to your diet, exercise is one of the best ways to make sure that you never lie on a hospital bed with a surgeon treating you for a bone disorder? Medical expertise has constantly pointed out to the fact that regular exercise makes your bones less likely to suffer from wear and tear during old age.

As you exercise, your muscles become stronger, your bone density increases and your balance improves. Of course, it goes without saying that you need to follow certain precautions before you exercise to avoid certain injuries.

Before starting any exercise program, make sure that you prepare your body for exercise. A brief warm up helps you to get your muscles ready for exercise. It also makes sure that your chances of injury are drastically reduced.

Here are some tips to keep your bones healthy:

Weight lifting: Weight lifting is a type of exercise that, if done correctly, will be extremely beneficial for your bones. You can opt for simple bodyweight exercises such as pushups and squats, which build muscle as well as strength. Avoid using very heavy weights as it causes back-related problems such as slipped disk.

Yoga: Yoga is another method of exercise which is very beneficial for bones and joints. The premise of yoga is static strength building wherein you hold a pose or an exercise for a certain period of time; this helps in strengthening your muscles. Along with your muscles, your bones also become stronger as you get fitter. Yoga is repetitive stress which is good for flexibility and hence keeps your joints supple and muscles in good shape. There are certain asanas which are weight bearing and anti-gravity postures can strengthen your bones. 

Swimming: Swimming again is a good aerobic exercise and is good for back and over all fitness but doesn't strengthen bone per se. It is a way to keep you healthy. Swimming is a cardiovascular exercise, which is also known for its calorie burning capabilities. It is also very effective is incinerating fat and keeping your skeletal system healthy. Whereas walking and jogging and running certainly build your bones as they are weight bearing exercises.

Pilates: Pilates is a new form of exercise that has been gaining a lot of steam lately. It does not require much equipment, as you can get started with just a mat. It is very effective in working your spine and the hips, thus keeping your lower back strong. A weak lower back increases the chances of bone disorders drastically.

How Exercise Can Help In Keeping Your Bones Healthy?

The hand is one of the most commonly used parts of our body and is susceptible to damage, wear and tear as well as injury. Pain in the hand can be attributed to numerous causes, including damage and other conditions that can affect the joints, cartilage, nerves and other parts of the hand.

Causes

De Quervain's tendinitis: This is also known as de Quervain's tendinosis. It causes pain on the thumb side of the wrist. The pain may grow slowly or suddenly. It can also spread to every part of the thumb and up the lower arm. On the off chance that you have de Quervain's tendinitis, you may experience pain while performing the following actions:

- Clenching The fist

- Handling on or holding objects

- Turning the wrist

Treatment for this includes the following:

- Wearing a prop to rest the thumb and wrist

- Calming drugs

- Cortisone infusions

Carpal tunnel disorder: This is common amongst the well-known nerve issues. It can cause pain in the following parts of the hand:

- Palm and a few fingers

- Wrist

- Lower arm


The treatment methods includes the following:

- Resting the hand and wrist

- Painkillers

- Wrist support

- Steroid infusions

- Active recuperation

- Breaks

Fracture: It's a crack or break in a bone that can cause immense pain in the hand. Other than this, the hand may also experience the following:

- Stiffness

- Swelling

- Loss of proper motion and movement

The kind of treatment depends on the kind of fracture. Braces are usually used for small fractures. Sticks, wires, or plates might be used to treat severe fractures. Likewise, surgery may also be recommended to set the broken bone properly.

Arthritis: This is a disease causing joint inflammation and stiffness of the joints. It causes the joints to lose the ligament that permits them to move easily against each other. This tears the ligament, giving rise to crippling pain and swelling.

In the hand, the regions where this regularly happens are as follows:

- Base of the thumb

- Center joint of one or more fingers

- End joint, which is nearest to the fingertip

The treatment depends on the seriousness of the injury and the following may be used:

- Painkillers

- Props for the fingers or wrist

- Heat

- Non-intrusive treatment

Trigger finger: Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, this defect causes the fingers or the thumb to bend. It can be difficult, particularly when bowing or fixing the influenced finger or thumb.

Knobs may form on the influenced ligaments. Also, the sheath itself may thicken. In the long run, the ligament may get to be adhered when you attempt to fix a twisted finger or thumb.

Resting now and again while wearing a support may help resolve the issue. Over-the-counter torment pharmaceuticals can facilitate the agony. Corticosteroid infusions can mitigate side effects. Surgery might be recommended for extreme cases.

Causes of Common Hand Pain and How to Find Relief

Hot and Cold therapy is one of the most popular home remedies for any kind of joint pain or muscle sprain. In some cases applying heat therapy and cold therapy alternatively, can help relieve the pain while for others only one form of therapy is necessary. To understand what to use when, one should first understand the effect of heat and cooling on the body.

Applying a heat pack or immersing the affected limb in hot water improves blood circulation and makes the muscles more flexible. Thus, it can help relax a muscle and fasten the healing of damaged tissues. On the other hand, cold therapy or cryotherapy reduces blood flow to the affected site. This helps relieve inflammation and pain caused by it. It can also make the area feel numb by reducing nerve activity temporarily.

Types of Heat Therapy
Heat therapy can be categorized as dry heat and moist heat. Dry heat involves using saunas or dry heating packs to relieve pain. This is also known as conducted heat therapy. As the name suggests, moist heat involves the use of steamed towels, hot baths and moist heating packs. This is also known as convection heat therapy. Moist heat is usually considered more effective than dry heat.

Types of Cold Therapy
Cold therapy may be applied to a part of the body or to the entire body. This includes ice packs, coolant sprays, ice baths, ice massages and whole body, cold therapy chambers.

How to use heat and cold therapy?
The sooner heat and cold therapy is given to a person, the faster they will recover from their pains. Heat therapy can be given to a person for extended periods of time but when giving cold therapy, a person should not be exposed to a cold pack or ice bath for more than 10-15 minutes. Care should also be taken no to apply ice or a frozen pack directly on the skin as it can damage the skin and nerves.

When not to use Heat Therapy?
If the injury site is swollen or bruised, cold therapy is better than heat therapy. Heat therapy should also not be applied to an open wound. People suffering from conditions such as diabetes, dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis, vascular diseases and multiple sclerosis should also avoid heat therapy as these conditions can increase the risk of burns and other such complications. Pregnant women should also consult a doctor before using a hot tub or sauna.

When not to use Cold Therapy?
Cold therapy is avoidable for treating stiff joints and muscles. People suffering from poor circulation and sensory disorders should also avoid using cold therapy without a doctor s supervision. 

Hot & Cold Therapy - How It Can Treat Pain?

Calcium is known for its role in maintaining the bone health, from keeping your teeth stronger to normal functioning of the cells.  But there are various factors, which lead to a deficiency of calcium in the human body and paves the way for several complications.

Here are the top three signs that indicate you are suffering from calcium deficiency.

Difficulty in sleeping: Sleep is essential for your bone health and calcium is directly associated with your sleep cycle. The level of calcium in your bones rises and falls when you are asleep and it reaches its peak when you are in deep slumber. This indicates that when you are unable to sleep properly, it is a warning sign of calcium deficiency. There are various researches that have confirmed, that by increasing the level of calcium, it is possible to restore the normal sleep cycle of an individual. This is also related to the role that calcium plays in the production of a sleep hormone called melatonin. When the calcium content in the body is really low, this hormone is not produced, thus, making it difficult for a person to sleep.
Difficulty in losing extra pounds: Yet another frustrating aspect of any individual s life is the inability to shed off excess pounds. This issue is also linked with the lack of calcium supply in the body. The calcium that s stored in the cells assists in the processing and storage of fat. So the fat cells with high calcium content burn faster, making you lose weight. Thus, if you have trouble losing weight in spite of having a well-regulated diet and regular workout, it s a sign that you are suffering from low calcium.
Paresthesia: Though this ailment is not much heard of, it could be a sign of calcium deficiency. Paresthesia is a nervous disorder, which causes tingling sensation, tremors, numbness and loss of sensitivity. It could also lead to poor concentration, amnesia, confusion, hearing impairment, twitches and other physical as well as neurological impairment. This is because low calcium in the blood is connected with the health of your nerves.
The deficiency of calcium can manifest itself in different intensity, ranging from the non-existent to minimal to severe levels. Chronic calcium deficiency can lead to life-threatening diseases like rickets, osteopenia, and even osteoporosis. Therefore, you shouldn t ignore these signs and consult an expert without delay.

Calcium Deficiency - 3 Signs You are Suffering from it

Stress is sometimes good for you. When you stretch yourself beyond your capacity, your body accepts challenge and increase the capacity to cope up with challenge. To a certain extent, it is good for body. But when the stress crosses the limits, it starts hurting you. That's the bad stress for you. Moderate stress for too long a time also is bad for you. Most of the hormonal diseases like diabetes, thyroid etc. Occur because of long standing underlying moderate stress. 

Stress can be physical or mental. Physical stress is due to long and continuous physical activities like walking, jogging, travelling, cycling. Mental stress is mainly because of financial tension or relationship distress. Both types of stress cause similar damages to body. Stress is the main underlying cause behind diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid, diabetes, kidney disease, peptic ulcer, bleeding disorders, cancer, recurrent infections etc. 

Finding out the reason of stress and removal of cause of stress should be the main line of treatment of such diseases.

Stress - Good and Bad

The bones are the bits and pieces which form the framework of the body. Each bone is placed in the correct position to give your body the structure it has. It is of utmost importance for you to have healthy bones so that the structure or frame of your body is maintained. A lot of times, due to the stress of your daily life, you tend to neglect the health of your bones. But remember that if you want to have a fit body, you will have to keep your skeletal system fit as well. Here are a few tips on how to keep your bones healthy:

1. Family history: Having a knowledge of your family history is extremely important as there may be cases where you might suffer from a particular disease which is hereditary. If your family has a history of osteoporosis, there is a high chance of you suffering from it. 

2. Increase your regular calcium and vitamin D intake: Calcium is extremely essential for your bone health. If you want your bones to be healthy and strong, you need to take a regular calcium dose in order to achieve that. But there is a catch to this. Although you might have food containing calcium every day or take calcium tablets, it won't be helpful until you also get a supply of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the bones to absorb the calcium.

3. Maintain a healthy bone density: To do this you need to eat food which will supply you with vitamin K. Vitamin K boosts bone density by enabling the body to make proteins required for healthy bones. Vitamin K also helps the bones absorb calcium just like vitamin D although this function is not predominant for vitamin K.

4. Exercise: The secret to healthy bones is exercise. The more you exercise regularly, the fitter your bones and muscles will be. Regular exercise helps to keep bone problems at bay. Leading a sedentary lifestyle heightens the risk of suffering from osteoporosis. It can also mess with your bone density and weaken your bones. Hence, exercise regularly for healthy bones.

5. Cut down on your caffeine intake: Too much of caffeine can mess up the calcium absorbing power of your bones. If you have more than two cups of coffee every day, your bones will gradually become weak.

So, if you want to remain as fit as a fiddle, then try these tips out, and you will not complain.

Tips And Tricks To Keep Your Bones Healthy!

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