Dr. S.S Sanyal

Achilles Tendon pain is an orthopedic condition that can originate from tears and ruptures to the AchillesTendon, which is known as one of the strongest and also the longest tendon in the human body. It is a band of tissues that decides the quality of your movements and motions to a great extent, as it connects the heel with the calf. Therefore, any injury to this tendon can decrease the strength and support to the muscles and create a painful situation. So how can you deal with this pain? Read on to know more.

• Rice Therapy: Rice is a commonly used term by orthopedic specialist. It refers to Rest, Ice, Compression with a bandage, and finally Elevation. The patient must take lots of rest as well as use ice packs to deal with the injury and acute pain. Finally, the area must be compressed with a bandage and kept elevated on cushions.
• Surgery: For very severe cases, the orthopedic specialist can recommend surgery as well. This kind of surgery aims at reattaching the displaced or ruptured tendon which may have reached such a fate through a sports or any other kind of injury. The doctor may also place your leg in a cast for a few weeks to keep it at complete rest. 
• Pain Medication: The doctor can also prescribe pain relievers that contain Ibuprofen as well as acetaminophen or even naproxen. These medicines should be taken in moderation as per the doctor's prescription. Usually, this kind of medication is taken only when unbearable pain is experienced by the patient.
• Thermotherapy or Heat Treatment: The use of heat for chronic pain or even pain that has been ailing for over 48 hours is known as thermotherapy. This therapy uses heating pads and hot water bottles to help relieve the pain. One must be careful while applying anything hot to the site of the injury. Use a towel to wrap the hot water bottle or heating pad so that there is no scalding or leaking on to the skin.
• Footwear: It is important to prevent continuous injury and pain to the already injured Achilles tendon. To do this, you must wear supportive and comfortable footwear that has heel lifts and other customized orthotics built into the shoes. 

Taking care of Achilles Tendon pain is a matter of taking various precautions and supportive actions that lead to better healing.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

The human body experiences various types of aches and pains from time to time depending on injuries and other kinds of joint, muscle and nerve pain and various types of these pains include somatic pain, visceral pain, and neuropathic pain.

While somatic pain refers to the pain that comes from injuries caused to muscles, connective tissues and joints; visceral pain happens due to inflammation and excessive stretching of organs. Finally, neuropathic pain is a more long lasting kind, which can be caused by conditions like cancer, HIV or Shingles. The pain can be acute or chronic. Read on to find out more about pain management.

• Somatic Pain: This type of bone pain is usually localised and can increase with movement, becoming sharper with increased motion. Somatic pain can usually be treated with the help of analgesics, which treats the area suffering from pain, especially for pain that takes place due to surgical incisions and other dull aches or sharp pains that are localised. This kind of pain can also be treated with physiotherapy, acupressure and other exercises based on the area of pain.
• Visceral Pain: While this kind of pain can be treated with the help of medication, it also usually improves and fades with time. The medication for this kind of pain usually alters the neurotransmitters of the brain that convey pain signals and trigger pain in the body. This medication also helps in bringing down the inflammation for pain improvement.
• Neuropathic Pain: This kind of pain is usually accompanied by irregular limb movements and discomfort as well as motions like twitching. It is a more permanent kind of pain that lasts long and causes greater discomfort than the above two kinds of pain. Neuropathic pain can be treated with the help of anticonvulsants, which usually help in preventing the nerve pain and irregular movements that can trigger from this kind of pain. It also impacts the serotonin level and other chemicals in the brain for better nerve pain management and act as an anti-depressant as well.

The various kinds of pain discussed above can be treated in different ways, both  in medicated and non-medicated ways, however, the method will depend upon whether the pain is acute or chronic.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Knee pain used to afflict the elderly till some years back, but now even those who are as young as 25 could also be seen jostling with it. Sedentary lifestyle and almost no physical activity are the primary reasons why even youngsters are not untouched with it.

There are multiple reasons which can cause knee pain. It might be due to some injury, infection or disease that could lead to discomfiture in your knee and pain. If the pain does not subside in some time, it should be enough to ring an alarm bell to consult an orthopedician, who will tell you in the nick of the time what might be causing the pain and the best treatment procedure to fix it.

Signs and symptoms of knee pain

Human knee is not a stable joint. It is a complex joint having bone, cartilage and ligaments and its movement is aided by muscles and tendons. While disease or light damage in any of the structure can cause knee pain, any serious damage can leave a person impaired for life. So what are the symptoms you must be careful about:

• Not being able to place weight on impacted leg

• Swelling and redness of the knee or on the calf beneath the affected knee

• Can’t bend or straighten the knee

• Knee painfully locks or clicks when bending or sitting

Don’t ignore knee pain

Any knee pain should not be taken lightly and medical assistance must be sought. And if the pain has been there for a long time, it needs to be taken seriously and requires medical care. In fact, any pain that persists for more than three days must be brought to the notice of an experienced orthopedician.

Knee diseases that cause knee pain

The most common disease that has become the leading cause of disability in India is arthritis. In this disease, the cartilage, which is the connective tissue that protects the joints, break down. This allows bones to rub together, causing pain and swelling.

1. Osteoarthritis

It is one the most common form of arthritis, in which there is loss of bone density and deterioration

In its quality.

2. Rheumatoid arthritis

It happens due to inflammation of joints and surrounding tissues. Pathological infections, genetic predisposition and hormonal imbalance trigger it.

Knee arthritis in its severe form hampers a person’s normal day-to-day activity, crippling all movement, even simple ones like walking or even standing. It not only restricts a person’s movement but could also lead to problems like avascular necrosis (AVN) wherein blood supply to bones get disrupted.

Knee Replacement

Knee surgery is not for everyone as it’s still a major procedure and isn’t something that has to be done unless your pain can't be controlled with simpler measures.

But it may really be time for you to consider knee replacement if the pain, swelling, and knee stiffness is so much that it curtails most of your daily activities or if you suffer pain even at night or when you are resting. A knee deformity also signals that it’s time to make the move towards knee replacement surgery.

The Procedure

During knee replacement, the surgeon removes damaged bone and cartilage from thighbone, shinbone and kneecap.

Cartilage is soft, gel-like padding between the thighbone (upper portion of knee joint towards thigh) and shinbone (lower portion of knee joint towards the feet) that protects the knee joints and allows for movement.

After the removal of diseased portions, artificial joint made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers are inserted.

With technological advancements, knee replacement surgery has become very safe and stays now for longer durations. With proper care after surgery, patients can resume most of their daily activities and functionalities like walking, sitting, bending and climbing stairs.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It affects millions of people around the world and is caused due to the gradual wear and tear of the protective cartilage at the end of your bones. The condition most commonly affects the joints in the hands, knees, hips and spine although it can damage any joint in the body.

The symptoms of osteoarthritis develop slowly and get worse with time, and include pain during and after physical activities like movement. The joints may become tender and may pain even with the application of light pressure. Stiffness and loss of flexibility are some of the other symptoms. The loss of cartilage due to gradual wear and tear causes the condition. It causes the smooth surface of the cartilage to become rough, giving rise to friction.

Some of the risk factors involved that can increase your chances of developing the condition are:

• Old age - The chance of osteoarthritis increases with a person's age.
• Sex - A study concluded that women are more likely to develop the condition. Although there isn't an established reason, lesser physical activity is attributed as a possible cause.
• Obesity - Having excessive body weight can be a contributing factor. This is because it puts added pressure on the weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and the knees.
• Joint injuries - Joint injuries contracted due to sports activities, accidents or other such factors can increase the likelihood of this condition.
• Genetics - In some of the cases, the condition is observed to be passed from generation to generation.
• Bone deformities - Some people who are born with bone deformities and defects can have greater chances of having this condition.
• Other diseases - Having diseases like diabetes and gout can increase the risk of the condition.

Some of the complications of this disease are:

- Joint pain and stiffness may cause hurdles in daily activities. Daily activities like changing clothes can be painful.
- Some people are unable to work any longer. Joint replacement surgeries are advised by doctors in these cases. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.