Shivam ortho & spine centre

Joint pains or muscles cramps are the usual suspects when it comes to leg pain. Joint pains are usually a symptom of arthritis, a common occurrence during old age. Leg muscles are mostly affected by muscle cramps. From an Ayurvedic point of view, all pains are caused by the vata dosha.

What are doshas?
The doshas define the natural inclination of the body and they comprise the three main energies that affect your health and well-being. The three doshas are Pitta, Vata and Kapha. Thus in Ayurveda, pain is caused when the doshas are vitiated. In Ayurveda, ama is the name given to the toxic materials in the body that are caused by improper indigestion. Therefore, pain occurs when there is too much ama build-up in your body.

Useful herbs for treating leg pain:

1. Clove: It provides instant relief from pain, especially if they are due to muscle cramps. Apply clove oil in a poultice over the affected area.
2. Ginger: Since ginger has great painkiller properties, it can be added to a regular diet to deal with chronic leg pain.
3. Liquorice: Muscle aches can be treated with liquorice roots infused in water overnight.
4. Madhuca: Applying madhuca oil over leg pains, especially if they are due to rheumatism, then it can give great results.
5. Pepper: Pepper aids in proper blood circulation by helping dilating the superficial blood vessels.

Dietary regulations for leg pain: To help with chronic leg pain, leafy vegetables, green vegetables, Vitamin C-rich foods, plantains that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium must be consumed. Coffee and chocolate must be avoided at all costs. The consumption of water cannot be stressed enough as one of the leading causes of leg pain is dehydration of insufficient fluids in the body. Water helps flush out the toxins in the body, thus getting rid of the vitiated doshas.

Ayurvedic treatment for leg pain: For external use, Mahanarayana Tailam is extremely effective. Warming the oil before application will give best results. For internal use, Simhanada Guggulu, a mild laxative, Laxmi Vilas rasa and Pratapa Lankeshwara Rasa are prescribed.

potassium magnesium

Back pain is generally associated with problems related to bones at the back. The bones forming the back is known as vertebrae that form the human spine. The disc between the vertebrae absorbs shocks and allow spine flexibility. With advanced age and increasing wear and tear, the discs tend to become dry and break. The degeneration of the discs can lead to compressing of the nerve originating from the spinal cord. While disc prolapse can affect any part of the spine, the ones that are most vulnerable include lumbar disc and the cervical disc.

Common symptoms of this condition include lower back ache, sciatica etc. The pain from the back can get transported to arms, neck, leg etc. The homeopathic mode of treatment can be extremely beneficial for fixing disc prolapse. Since there are no side effects of homeopathy, this is the perfect choice for many patients.

Some typical symptoms that homeopathy can address:
Some of the typical symptoms that homeopathy can address include the following:

• A person suffering from lower back pain that increases while sitting but normalizes while in motion.
• The back pain increases while lifting weight.
• Stiffness is experienced around the lower back area.
• A person finding difficulty in bending the body.
• Increased thrust for water resulting in a more than required consumption of water.
• Dull pain in the lower back area leading to numbness.
• Sharp pain while getting up from a sitting position.

What are the possible causes of this condition?
There is no single reason for disc prolapse. It can occur due to wear and tear of the vertebrae, a nasty accident, aging, water limitation in the disc, weight lifting, prolonged wear and tear of the disc etc. The lumbar is the most vulnerable area that gets affected because of disc prolapse.

Advantages of homeopathic treatment

• The biggest advantage is the fact that there are no side effects of this mode of treatment.
• Homeopathy can repair the lumbar area from advanced level degradation.
• Homeopathy can treat the most stubborn disc prolapse irrespective of the condition.
• Chronic back pain can be treated with homeopathy better than any form of medicines.

What are the few important medicines of homeopathy to treat this condition?

1. Rhus tox is prescribed to those patients who suffer from back ache or disc prolapse but get relief while in motion.
2. Bryonia is referred to those patients whose pain gets normalized after sitting.
3. Colocynth and Magnesium Phos are given to those who suffer from bulging of the disc leading to sciatica.
4. Gnaphalium is referred to those patients who suffer from sciatica along with numbness.

You know it’s time for a knee replacement surgery when you can’t walk, move or get up from a chair without pain in spite of taking medications, physiotherapy and following a pain management therapy for a long time. Knee replacement surgery is also known as arthroplasty, and it’s one of the most common bone surgeries around.

Causes of Knee Pain
Most people suffering from arthritis of any kind- osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis are the ones who may require a knee replacement surgery when their condiition becomes severe.
It helps ease pain and helps one move freely.

1. Osteoarthritis- This is mostly caused due to age-related ‘wear and tear’ of the knee joint and usually occurs in people who are older than 50 years. In this condition, the cartilage that cushions the three main bones of the knee wears away. This makes the bones rub against one another, causing stiffness and knee pain. Osteoarthritis is the main reason why people go for knee replacement surgery.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis- In this type of arthritis, the synovial membrane that surrounds the knee joint becomes inflamed. This chronic inflammation then damages the knee cartilage and leads its loss and attendant pain, and stiffness.
3. Post-traumatic arthritis- This happens after a serious knee injury. It can lead to tears of the knee ligaments and bones which leads to damage to the knee cartilage.
4. Loss of blood flow to the bones – osteonecrosis – also may require knee replacement surgery.
5. Those with deformities like knock knees and bowed legs also may require knee replacement.

Knee Replacement Surgery
During this surgery, an orthopedic surgeon removes the damaged part of the knee and replaces it with an artificial metal or plastic joint. This artificial joint is then attached to the thigh bone, the shin, and the kneecap with a special cement-like material.

Different Types of Knee Replacement Surgery

There are four main types of knee replacement surgery-

1. Total knee replacement- This is the most common type of surgery. In this, your surgeon replaces the entire knee including the thigh bone and shin bone that connect to the knee.
2. Partial knee replacement- This type of surgery is performed if arthritis affects only one side of your knee. However, this type of surgery is done only if you have strong knee ligaments. This is performed through a smaller cut than is needed for total knee replacement.
3. Kneecap replacement- This type of surgery replaces only the under-surface of your kneecap.
4. Revision knee replacement- This is a complex surgery which is performed in case you have very severe arthritis.

A knee replacement is actually a knee "resurfacing" because only the surface of the knee bones is actually replaced during the procedure. It is a relatively safe procedure and the patient does not have any side effects. All a patient is required to do is take proper rest and follow the instructions of your doctor.

Human bones are continuously being removed and formed which is necessary for its proper maintenance. However, in certain cases, especially with aging, some bones and joints will be worn down to an extent where the body will not be able to reform them. This is especially true in the case of hips which may become worn due to age or other problems within the body. 

Hip replacement surgery 
When this happens, a hip replacement surgery can be performed to replace the original joints with a prosthesis or artificial hip which is usually made out of metal or a specially formed composite material or even a combination of the two. Along with other parts, it replaces the natural hip with an artificial hip to restore mobility and other related functions.

Benefits of hip replacement surgery:

1. Lessening hip pain - This is one of the major factors as well as symptoms of requiring hip replacement surgery. Due to the grinding down of the bones, even the slightest movement causes pain and after the surgery and the recovery period, the pain is lessened.
2. Correction of bone deformity - When the bones grind down and are abnormally reformed, deformities may occur reducing mobility. Artificial hips will ensure that deformities are corrected and resulting problems are thus eliminated.
3. Return to normal activities and resumption of normal activities - This is possibly one of the primary advantages of this surgery, although it entails a long recovery period. However, most patients can get back to their normal activities and are able to resume a pain free life.
4. Ability to have painless sleep - Many people who suffer from hip displacements or bone deformities are not able to sleep properly due to pain. After the surgery and the recovery period, they can return to normal functions and habits, thus are able to sleep properly.
5. Leg strength increase - Many patients tend to have an increase in their leg strength as one side of the hip tends to become very weak due to bone problems before surgery. After surgery and recovery, the same side tends to have an increased strength due to the implant.
6. In most cases a lifelong solution to hip problems - As the hip replacement prosthesis is made out of metal and if the operation is successful, it usually tends to last till the end of a person's life and this area usually doesn't tend to have problems again. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.

Leg cramps is a very common condition which is characterized by tight and painful leg muscles. The calf muscles are the most commonly affected; it can spread further down to your thighs and feet. Once the cramping gets better, you might experience a tender leg coupled with a numbing feeling for a few minutes.

The causes of leg cramps are varied. If it is caused due to an underlying condition, it is known as secondary leg cramps. The causes of secondary leg cramps include vigorous exercises, pregnancy and usage of certain medications. The cramps cause the muscles of the leg to shorten and contract, thus making you lose control of the affected muscle.

How can homeopathy help?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which is very holistic in nature. The goal of homeopathy is to focus on the causes of a disorder rather than just curing the symptoms. Homeopathic remedies do not yield any side effect unlike the conventional treatments. Apart from treating the symptoms, homeopathic remedies also help improve your overall wellbeing.

There are many homeopathic remedies that can be used to treat leg cramps. The remedies are focused on treating any underlying condition that may be causing these leg cramps, apart from relieving the symptoms. The first step of the treatment is to diagnose the condition, which is done by a trained practitioner. You will be asked questions pertaining to the cramps and your diet. Once the diagnosis is complete, the medications are prescribed based on the diagnosis.

There may be certain dietary restrictions that you may have to follow for the medicines to work at their optimum best. This system of medicine might also require you to not carry out any form of heavy work that involves the legs as rest is required to boost the process of recovery. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Homeopath.