Dr. Nithin Kumar Bejjanki

 A knee sprain is a disorder that is characterized by tearing of the ligaments of the knee. The ligaments are tissues in the knee, whose function is to keep the bones together. They also help in keeping the bones and the knee joint in their proper position. In terms of function, they help you walk, turn and twist. Usually ligaments get sprained due to sports or exercise related injuries.

Causes

1. If the knee is directly hit: Sprains occur when the knee is hit directly by a strong force on the sides, front or back of the knee. It may also occur, if you trip or fall on your knees. Car accidents and football tackles are other instances where the knee may be impacted in this manner.
2. A sudden twist to the knee joint: If the knee joint is suddenly twisted, then it may result in knee sprain. This usually occurs in situations wherein you plant your foot and then suddenly turn from the knee. This can occur in various sports such as football or hockey where you run and change direction suddenly.

Symptoms
The symptoms of knee sprain are pain in the knee joint, impaired movement and swelling. You will have difficulty while walking as the knee may give out or buckle. In some cases, you may also hear a painful pop from the knee joint.

Treatment
The treatment of a knee sprain begins with a proper diagnosis wherein you may have to undergo various tests such as X-rays or MRI. Once the diagnosis confirms that it is a knee sprain, treatment will begin. The various modes of treatment include:

1. Acetaminophen: This medication is used to reduce fever and pain resulting from knee sprain.
2. NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen also reduce swelling and pain.
3. Physical support devices: You may also use splint or an elastic bandage to provide support to the knee joint so as to allow the area to heal faster.
4. Surgery: Severe ligament tears in young patients will require surgery to regain full and normal function to carry on playing regular sports in future.

In addition to the treatment, plenty of rest is required. Do not carry out tasks that require you to move your knee excessively as it may damage it further. Perform stretches and strengthening exercises to keep the joints strong and mobile. Sometimes ligament injuries are serious and do not settle down with the above measures.

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

Are you experiencing pain in your feet? Are you having difficulty with mobility because of it? Feet pain is a very common form of pain affecting people of different age groups. This type of pain may occur anywhere in the foot such as the heel, toe, sole, arch or ankle. Several factors like old age, wearing defective shoe, certain fractures, mineral deficiency, diabetes and other conditions lead to feet pain.

Here are some tips you should follow to get the feet pain under control:

1. Hot and cold water therapy: Hot and cold water therapy is quite effective in treating feet pain. The hot water treatment promotes blood flow while the cold water treatment reduces inflammation. Fill a bucket with cold water and another one with hot water. Dip your feet in hot water for three minutes and then dip it in cold water. Repeat this process three to four times and end with a cold water dip. You can also opt for a heat pad and ice pack, to be used alternately.
2. Epsom salt: Epsom salt soothes the feet and gives instant relief from several types of feet pain. Epsom salt is made of magnesium and helps in relaxing the feet by reducing pain. Add three spoons of Epsom salt in a warm water tub and soak your feet in it for at least 20 minutes.
3. Ice: Ice therapy is very effective in reducing pain and swelling in the feet. Add crushed ice in a plastic bag and massage the affected area of your feet with it in a circular motion. A bag of frozen vegetables in a plastic bag can be used as well. The cold temperature numbs the nerve endings in the affected area, thereby giving relief. Swelling is also reduced because of this.
4. Footwear modifications: Footwear modifications make a huge difference in the pain. You may need custom made footwear or sometimes ready made insoles. Regular stretches of the foot and calf muscles are also helpful.

Feet pain can also be treated by medications of several types prescribed by a doctor. However, the natural remedies are quite effective as they do not cause any side effect or extra risk to the body. Consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Sports Injuries are very common and often results from using improper gear or poor training practices and refers to all those injuries that are faced by an individual while playing a sport. It is essential to understand the preventive measures as well as the therapeutic methods at a basic level.

Types of Sports Injuries
Sports injuries can be categorized as an Acute Injury and a Chronic Injury. Acute Sports Injury occurs suddenly during playing or exercising. Sudden pain, fracture, and strained back are some examples of acute injury. Acute injuries don’t possess any serious threats to one’s life and can be easily healed over a period of time, depending on the injury and the physical conditions of the individual. Chronic Sports Injuries, on the other hand, are those injuries which occur for a long time and is also termed as an overuse injury. Examples include Achilles tendinitis, runner's knee, and swimmer's shoulder.

Steps to follow after an injury
If you have encountered a sports injury, then it is advisable to follow four simple steps.

1. The first step involves taking adequate rest. One should reduce their regular activities and take as much rest as possible to regain normal condition.
2. The second step comprises of using ice packs on the affected area for 15-20 minutes. This should be followed at least three times a day. But don’t exceed the limit of 20 minutes, as over application might result in worsening the situation.
3. The third step involves compression, i.e., exerting even pressure on the affected area, which might help in reducing swelling.
4. The last step comprises of elevation. Always try to have the affected area at an elevated level to stimulate speedy recovery. Suppose you have hurt your foot badly, then always place your foot on a pillow and then take rest.

If you follow these steps, then you can expect to heal your injuries gradually. But make sure, that in the case of chronic sports injury, you immediately visit a doctor and follow his prescribed medication and measures. The stated steps can help in case of minor acute sports injuries only.

Precautionary measures for sports injuries
If you want to reduce the risk of sports injuries, then include warm up as a mandatory activity before starting off with any sport or exercise. It is believed that proper warm up can reduce the chances of injuries that can occur during playing sports or exercising. Apart from warm up, you can keep few points in mind to avoid sports injuries like never twist your knees while stretching, don’t do overstretching, know your body limits and act accordingly.

Adhering to established standard best practices while involved in sports can minimize the occurrence of an injury to a great extent.

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

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis in relation to the different affected areas?

An osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis which means unexpected inflammation of the joints/muscles, which is usually very painful. This form of arthritis is not curable, and the only thing that you can do is to take measures to reduce the painful effects of the condition. The symptoms of the medical condition often occur gradually and are chronic and long lasting in nature. Some of the body parts that get affected easily are:

• Hips- pain is felt in the groin area or buttocks at the hips joint.
• Fingers- bony growths at the edge of joints can cause fingers to become swollen, tender and red. There may be a pain at the base of the thumb.
• Knees- a 'grating' or 'scraping' sensation occurs when moving the knee.
• Feet- pain and tenderness are felt in the large joint at the base of the big toe. There may be swelling in ankles or toes.

Some of the most common symptoms which are more common to all body parts are as follows:

• Chronic pain - The arthritis related pain is very intense and chronic in nature, and it has an ever increasing trend if proper care is not taken. This pain can appear in any body joint of a person and it can cause visible inflammation or swelling in and around the muscles of that particular joint.
• Body stiffness - Another characteristic feature of this medical disorder is that there is stiffness in the normal movement of the joints and muscles. This symptom also results in a lack of flexibility of the concerned person.
• Inflammation and tenderness - Osteoarthritis is such a condition which is observable by the naked eye, as it shows signs like inflammation and tenderness. Inflammation can be noticed if a joint has a considerable amount of swelling. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Are you experiencing pain and tenderness in your hand bones? Hand pain can occur due to several causes that may include diseases and injuries. Most of the causes of pain in the hand bones are treatable, and the symptoms can be eased. The most common conditions that cause pain and tenderness in your hand bones include the following:

De Quervain’s tendinitis

1. This condition causes pain on your wrist on the side of your thumb. The pain develops gradually or suddenly and may travel the length of your thumb and forearm.
2. Movements such as making a fist, turning the wrist, and holding objects may be painful.
3. The pain occurs because of swelling of your wrist tendons that are present at the base of your thumb. This happens on the account of inflammation and irritation.
4. Overuse and repetitive activities lead to this condition.
5. New mothers are at a higher risk of getting this condition because of the position in which they have to hold their babies, and due to fluctuating hormone levels.
6. Wrist fracture increases the chances of D e Quervain’s tendinitis.

Arthritis

1. Arthritis is a very common condition that is associated with hand pain or pain in the hand bones.
2. It causes your joints to lose the cartilage, slowing them to move against each other slowly.
3. The deterioration of the cartilage causes pain and swellings.
4. The areas in your hand that get affected by this condition include the base of your thumb, end joint located near your fingertip, and the middle joint of your fingers.
5. The most common form of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis, which leads to the progressive degeneration of the cartilage. It occurs because of ageing, and because of injuries such as dislocation and fractures. It causes swelling, stiffness, and swelling in your hands.
6. Another form of arthritis that affects your hand bones is called rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease in which the cells lining your joints get attacked by mistake by your own immune system. It leads to stiff, swollen, and painful joints. Hand pain associated with this condition is aching and throbbing in nature. The pain worsens in the morning and after a period of being immobile.

A Ganglion

1. This is a fluid-filled swelling which develops around a tendon or joint. A ganglion resembles a soft and smooth lump.
2. It is made of synovial fluid which surrounds your tendons and joints for lubrication during movement.
3. These are most likely to occur in your wrists, fingers, and hands.
4. It is recommended for you to consult a doctor on experiencing hand pain of any form, and at any location on the hands. This will allow proper diagnosis so that you can follow specific treatment measures.

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.

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

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disorder that primarily affects elderly and middle aged people. It affects the cartilage and the entire joint as well as the ligaments, bones and the lining of the joints. The cartilage breaks down gradually and the ligaments and tendons deteriorate. Inflammation of the joint lining or the synovial membrane is also very common. Most patients won’t need replacement surgery for their joins despite the changes being irreversible in the joints. Symptoms can differ greatly among patients of osteoarthritis. Proper treatment is required and a orthopaedic can prescribe the appropriate course of actions after detecting this condition. Improved functionality and pain reduction is the treatment goal in OA. If undetected, it can be quite debilitating.

No treatment is available as of now for reversing the damage done. For reversing or slowing the damage on the joints, research is being done. Exercise is essential for improving function and reducing pain. The big toe, knees, hips, spine and joints get affected in this kind of arthritis.

Causes for Osteoarthritis
Older people are the worst hit by OA. Some treatments aim at slowing the progression of the disease even though there hasn’t been any cure for it so far. Both sexes and races are equally affected by OA. People over the age of 40 are more susceptible to this condition. Other risk factors that might bring an earlier onset of OA are:
1. Obesity
2. Hereditary factors
3. Deformed joints such as bow legs and unequal length of legs
4. Repetitive use of joints
5. Trauma. 

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.

When athletes begin training for sports and events and put themselves under the pre-requisite training for such an event, they might experience pain as a result of bone mass increase in areas of maximum stress. If however, the training and exertion is too rapid, the bone might begin to fail and the stress reaction might cause the bone to pain and eventually it can cause fracture in extreme cases.

The athlete will experience unbearable pain at night before such a stress fracture happens. An X-ray is needed to determine, if such a stress fracture has developed and the extent of the fracture. Prior to the fracture, the areas affected will develop black or blue bruising.

Hip bone is often the site of injury and many different factors may cause trauma to it. Stress fractures are caused by prolonged and repetitive injury and are common in long distance running athletes. Hip impingement might result from abnormally shaped hip bones wherein the bones grind against each other and deteriorate the connecting joint. The iliac crest (present in the greater pelvic part) of the hip bone impacting the muscle overhead, can lead to hip pointer injuries.

1. Osgood Schlatter Disease is a condition affecting children, mostly boys who participate in athletics, due to overuse of muscles. The patellar tendon and surrounding tissues get inflamed and with proper rest, ice compression, and elevation of the knee, it can be treated.
2. Premature osteoporosis is a condition that affects female athletes in particular due to low calcium levels and menstrual dysfunction which hamper the body’s bone building process.
3. Over training in male athletes may lead to osteoporosis due to reduced testosterone levels.
4. Osteopenia or the loss of bone in athletes may result due to over training and psychological stress. The calcium is mainly reabsorbed from the ‘cancellous bone’ (bone tissue that has a structure similar to a mesh, containing many pores) in the femur.
5. Most athletes suffer from low bone density and in extreme cases, this might lead to osteopenia. Cyclists are found to have the highest loss of bone density amongst athletes. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.

When it comes to athletes and sportsmen, merely having a balanced meal is not enough. Athletes burn much more energy than an average person and hence need to consume additional calories. Getting the right nutrition can make a big difference to an athlete’s performance. To calculate the required calorie consumption, one must take into account the individual’s height, weight, gender and level of physical activity. An athlete must pay special attention to three categories of foods; carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the most important fuel source for sportsmen. When the body ingests carbohydrates, the sugar and starch in it is converted to glucose and stored as glycogen. If the body does not have enough glycogen while working out, it will begin to burn fats and proteins to get its energy. This can make your performance levels drop. Breads, cereals, rice, high fibre fruits and vegetables and pasta are some food items that are rich sources of carbohydrates.

Along with eating the right food, it is also important to eat at the right time. On a normal day, an athlete should consume 1-4grams of carbohydrates per kilo of body weight 1-4 hours before exercising to give the body the necessary energy for your workout. However, if your exercise lasts for more than an hour, you should eat additional carbohydrates during the session. Your body also needs carbohydrates within half an hour of completing an activity to help the muscles recover.

Proteins: Proteins help build muscles and thus are essential for body builders and endurance athletes. It should account for 12-15% of your daily calorie intake. However, the actual amount of protein required depends on the athlete’s growth rate, rate of healing and physical activity level. The human body cannot store protein and hence it is not advisable to eat an excessive amount of this nutrient as it will simply be stored as fat. Proteins can be found in many food items including meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and beans.

Fats: There are two types of fats needed by the human body; saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Combined, they should account for not more than 20-30% of your daily calorie intake. For low to moderate intensity exercises, fats are the primary source of energy but for workouts of a higher intensity, fats become a secondary source of energy to be used only when the body runs out of glycogen. Meat, milk, eggs and cheese are good sources of saturated fats while vegetable oils are rich in unsaturated fats.

Along with eating right, athletes also need to pay special attention to hydrating their bodies. Drinking cool water is the best way to stay hydrated. Water is lost while exercising through sweat and hence must be consumed before, during and after exercising. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.

Tennis elbow is a condition which is characterized by a sharp pain on the outer portion of the elbow. This condition is also called ‘lateral epicondylitis’ and it occurs when the muscles of the elbow are overused. The symptoms of pain tend to occur near the forearm when you bend your elbow or try to grip an object.

Causes
The elbow joint comprises of muscles which facilitate movement of the wrist, elbows and the fingers. There are tendons present in the elbow which join the muscles and bones, thus regulating the forearm muscles. When the muscles of the elbow are overused, then it can lead to inflammation and tears in the muscles.

This condition is so called as it is usually caused by playing certain sports, primarily tennis. It may also be caused by activities that put repetitive stress on the elbow. If the same pain occurs around the inner portion of the elbow, it is called a ‘golfer’s elbow’.

Prevention
The best treatment method to prevent tennis elbow is to strengthen your elbow muscles. You need to follow a regulated strength and stretching program directed at strengthening the muscles of the body, including the elbows.

Here are some tips to prevent tennis elbow:

1. Try to stay in good shape physically.
2. Use proper technique when you are carrying out any activity that involves the elbow.
3. Avoid overstressing the elbow joint with repetitive movements as it can cause injury to the tendon.
4. The muscles of the shoulder, arm and the upper back should be strengthened to prevent tennis elbow.
5. For movements that require you to twist your arm or grasp things, you can use a counter force brace to protect your elbow. This brace is worn on the forearm which redistributes pressure on the muscle. A counter force brace is recommended for people who are at an increased risk of tennis elbow. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.