Injuries are an inherent part of sports. All athletes have sustained some injury or another during the span of their careers. No matter which sport you play, be it football, hockey, tennis or cricket, whether you are representing your country or your college, you are likely to get hurt at some time. An injury has the potential to end careers and ruin dreams. That is because the injury takes a toll not just on the body but the mind as well. It instils confusion and hesitation and sometimes after an especially traumatic accident, athletes find it difficult to return to practice because they are crippled by a sense of fear.

That is why along with treatment or surgery, a sportsperson also needs to undergo rehabilitation therapy.

Why Psychological Rehabilitation is Important? 

After suffering a serious injury that almost jeopardized their career, athletes suffer a wide range of psychological and physical challenges, which makes them retreat from the outside world. These are problems they would not be able to cope with unless they opt for rehabilitation programmes.

  It helps them accept that getting back to the game will be a mammoth task 

  Inspires in them the confidence to keep trying 

  Deal with the pain 

  Go about their practice sessions with as little discomfort as possible 

  Overcome feelings of fear or despair 

  Cope with depression 

  Prevents the person from sinking into a state of self-pity which hinders recovery 

  Look at the injury not as something that might put an end to their career but as a mere impediment in the path to success 

Psychological rehabilitation adopts a wholesome and expansive approach to healing the athlete. It takes into account several factors in chalking out a course to recovery that is individualistic   

  The personality- the toughness, determination, will power of the athlete, ability to deal with anxiety

  Medical history- past injuries or illnesses 

  Resources of coping- the athletes  support system, a network of friends and family, management of stress, treatment and medicines etc 

Psychological rehabilitation also takes into account the individual s response to therapy to ensure that it is as effective as possible. These are   

  Cognitive appraisal - Monitors a person s growth or decline in self-esteem or worth as well as confidence. The aim of rehabilitation is to restore the person s faith in his/her capabilities 

  Behavioural response - This ensures that the individual s behaviour shows traces of denial or avoidance because negativity will only delay recovery 

  Emotional response - The profile of Mood States (POMS) is utilized to analyze or gauge the person s emotional reaction to therapy. It is supposed to uplift the athlete mood and deal alleviate feelings of despair or hopelessness. Medicines and physiotherapy become more successful in treating a sports injury when coupled with psychological rehabilitation. 

Athletic Injuries - How Effective Is Psychological Rehabilitation As A Line Of Treatment?

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!

Gone are the days when bone ailments and damages were detected based on the experience and superficial conversations made by the physicians. These days with the advent of radio waves, medical science has made significant progress that has enabled a detailed overview of what exactly is going on inside your body and what should be the most relevant treatment in that regard. Magnetic Resonance Imaging or more commonly known as MRIs are a boon when it comes to diagnosing orthopedic and musculoskeletal complaints.

Common Uses of the Procedure:

MR imaging is usually the best choice for examining the:

body s major joints.
spine for back pain
soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) and bones of the extremities.
MR imaging is typically performed to diagnose or evaluate:

degenerative joint disorders such as arthritis.
tears of the menisci, ligaments and tendons (knee) or rotator cuff and labrum (shoulder and hip).
fractures (in selected patients).
spinal disk abnormalities (such as a herniated disk).
the integrity of the spinal cord after trauma.
sports-related injuries and work-related disorders caused by repeated strain, vibration or forceful impact.
infections (such as osteomyelitis).
tumors (primary tumors and metastases) involving soft tissues around the joints and extremities (such as muscles, bones and joints).
pain, swelling or bleeding in the tissues in and around the joints and extremities.
congenital malformations of the extremities in children and infants.
developmental abnormalities of the extremities in children and infants.
congenital and idiopathic (developing during adolescence) scoliosis prior to surgery.
tethered spinal cord (abnormal stretching in the spinal cord) in infants and children.
The Process:

In this process, X-rays and radio waves are subjected upon the affected region to examine the conditions of the bones, tissues, muscles and also detect the presence of tumours. This is majorly a non-invasive test and is painless. It does not use ionizing rays and therefore does not harm the body in any which way. The MRIs capture a detailed picture of the organs and the internal body structures and then transmit them onto a computer screen for the physician to monitor the inside story.

The Benefits: 

MRI is an imaging technique that does not require exposure to radiation.
MR images of the soft-tissue structures of the body (particularly muscles, bones and joints) are often clearer and more detailed than with other imaging methods. This detail makes MRI an invaluable tool in early diagnosis and evaluation of many conditions, including tumors.
MRI can distinguish abnormal tissues from normal tissues much more accurately than most other imaging tests (x-ray, CT, etc.).
MRI enables the discovery of abnormalities that might be obscured by bone with other imaging methods.
The contrast material used in MRI exams is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based contrast materials used for conventional x-rays and CT scanning.
MR images allow the physician to clearly see even very small tears and injuries to tendons, ligaments and muscles and some fractures that cannot be seen on x-rays and CT.

Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal MRI

Do you know you can suffer from a torn bicep accidentally? A bicep is a muscle which begins from your upper arm and is attached to the shoulder via bones and to the elbows by tendons. If you do heavy lifting in the gym or somehow put excessive pressure on that area, chances are you may suffer from torn biceps.

There are two kinds of bicep tears you may encounter:

Complete Tears where the tendons are split into two parts resulting in tremendous pain.
Partial Tears result when the biceps are hurt but the tendon is not completely severed.
Among the various types of torn biceps, the muscle that is attached to the shoulder experiences the maximum number of bicep ruptures. Suddenly, the bicep tendons get detached from the bone resulting in pain and numbness. You will find a number of sportspersons suffering from this kind of torn biceps.

But why do your biceps get torn?

One of the reasons why you suffer torn biceps is a prolonged period of ignorance. If you have been putting continuous pressure on your shoulder, the biceps muscle can weaken over time. Overuse of the muscles can give rise to conditions of tendinitis (inflammation of the bone to muscle connecting tissue) and injuries in rotator cuff which, in future, might result in torn biceps.
A sudden injury like falling over your arms or hurting your shoulder can result in torn biceps.
Aging is another reason why you can have this complication. Added to this are unusually heavy tasks and overuse of shoulder which can result in this problem.
Some steroids such as Corticosteroids are directly related to the weakening of muscles and tendons.
When you suffer from torn biceps, you encounter symptoms such as:

Weakening of the elbow and the shoulder. You will find it troublesome to move your hand.
Swelling of the elbow with bruises visible on the elbow and the forearm.
You find trouble in twisting your forearm
You will experience spasms in the muscles.
You can also hear a snapping sound of the muscles.
What should you do if you face this problem?

Continuous applications of ice packs are a must. Repeat the activity 4 times a day with a duration of 20 minutes. You may need to do it for 2 or 3 days.
Avoid activities which put pressure on your hands and shoulders.
Consult a doctor immediately and get some painkillers as recommended.
If you have complete tears, you may need to undergo surgery. Talk to your doctor regarding that.

How to Treat Torn Biceps - Types, Causes, Symptoms

Weakness of the muscles due to a genetically inherited condition is known as muscular dystrophy. This condition prevents the body from producing the required protein that can help in building muscles. This protein is also responsible for making the muscles strong and stable. This is most commonly seen in children who may seem clumsy as they begin to grow up and indulge in varied kinds of movements. Let us learn more about this condition and the ways in which it may be treated.

1. Symptoms: In order to better understand the ways of treating this condition, it is important to take stock of the varied signs and symptoms that are associated with the same. The main symptom of this condition includes difficulty in walking as well as constant slips and falls that may be endured by the child. Also, the children suffering from this condition will have trouble in lifting the leg and foot in a normal way.

2. Other Complications: This condition can also affect the heart and lungs by making the muscles in these regions weak. Also, this condition can lead to a number of serious breathing problems that will need immediate medical intervention so that it does not become fatal. It may also lead to accelerated heart beats and affect the hands and feet of the patient in an adverse manner. This condition can be found in different types, each of which will affect the patient in a different manner.

3. Physical and Occupational Therapy: One of the most effective ways of dealing with condition in the long run is to indulge in physical and occupational therapy. With the help of a physiotherapist and other specialists, the patient will be taught to move in a more deliberate and normal manner without falling too often. Also, the patient will be eventually trained to go about life and various functions with certain kinds of movements that will be limited to the issues that the patient may be facing. Bracing will also be required so as to help the child cope better in the physical sense.

4. Prednisone: This medicine may be prescribed by the Pediatrician to ensure that the progression of the heart issues may be slowed down. This will ensure that the heart may function in a more normal manner despite the muscle issues that it may be facing. The doctor will usually recommend that the medicine should be started when the child is around five or six years old.

5. Spinal Fusion: This surgery can lessen the pain and reduce the severity of the symptoms, which can lead to better chances of moving in a normal manner. This will also give the child better posture so that the child may breathe normally.

How Can Muscular Dystrophy Be Treated in Children?

The human body has a sophisticated system of bones, joints, muscles, cartilages, and tendons which coordinate marvellously to allow for various bodily movements. Due to various reasons, however, these get affected leading to inability to move, stiffness, painful movement and reduced range of motion.

Most of these are chronic conditions and require lifestyle changes with diet modifications, exercises, and weight management. This is where homoeopathy plays a significant role in these conditions, where the disease is controlled over a period of time with the restoration of improved quality of life.

Cervical or lumbar spondylosis: The neck and spine is a very important part of the musculoskeletal system. They also house the nerve and blood supply system to and from the brain and the rest of the body. The spondylosis leads to chronic neck pain and/or back pain and can be very limiting for the patient. Conium, Kalmia, Gelsemium, Silicea, and Calcarea Phos are some commonly used compounds which control the symptoms of spondylosis effectively in spondylosis affected people.
Backache: Backache is a symptom and the underlying cause could be multiple including sedentary lifestyle with prolonged sitting, stress, obesity, accidents, injury, trauma, etc. Whatever the cause, in most people, it turns out to be a chronic issue requiring repeated use of painkillers, which bring a host of side effects. Homeopathy has effective remedies which can be used safely for prolonged periods, including Arnica, Rhus Tox, Kali Carb, Bryonia, Mag Phos, etc. The doctor will ask for potential causes and associated symptoms before deciding on the right agent.
Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease that lead to generalised inflamed joints that are swollen and red, stiff in the morning, and get worse during cold weather. Causticum, Bryonia, Caulophyllum, Ledum Pal, and Colchicum are some effectively used remedies for managing symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis: This is inflammation of the joints associated with old age where degeneration of the cushioning cartilage affects joint movement leading to stiff joints and painful movements. Depending on whether the hip, knee, or finger is affected, the following compounds are used: Colcynthis, Antimonium Crudum, Bryonia Alba, Calcarea Carbonica, Sulphur, Rhus Toxicodendron, and Pulsatilla Nigricans.
Gout: Excessive uric acid in the body leads to accumulation of urate crystals in the joints, leading to painful swelling of the joints. The most affected part in the body is big toe followed by ankles, knees and wrists. Colchicum, Benzoic acid, Ledum Pal, Antim Crudum, and Sabina are some of the common ingredients used in managing gout.
Calcium deficiency: Calcium is extremely essential for healthy bones, and calcium deficiency can lead to weak/brittle bones and osteoporosis that are more prone to fracture. Especially in women over 40 years of age and growing children, calcium supplements are advised for good bone health. Calcarea carbonica, symphytum, calcium phosphate, and silica are useful in restoring calcium levels through homoeopathy.
In all these conditions, in addition to supplements, the doctor would also provide some dietary recommendations and exercises targeted at the affected joints to improve overall health.

Homeopathic Remedies For Musculoskeletal Problems!

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