BONE & JOINT CARE

Are you experiencing knee pain and seek ideal treatment for your condition? Knee pain is a very common issue which may develop in any bony structure of your body, comprising your kneecap, the knee joint, ligaments, and cartilages of your knee. Knee pain is common in people of all ages, and simple home remedies can be used to treat knee pain effectively. In severe cases, professional treatment or help is required.

Symptoms
• The location of your knee pain varies based on the structure that is involved.
• Your whole knee may swell up and seem painful in the case of infections and inflammatory processes. On the other hand, a bone fracture may show symptoms in one specific area.
• The severity of knee pain may vary from acute to serious and disabling.

Other common symptoms associated with knee pain include the following:
• Difficulty in walking because of knee instability.
• Limping because of discomfort.
• Difficulty in going up and down the staircase because of ligament damage.
• Swelling and redness.
• The inability of extending the knee.

Causes
Knee pain may occur because of several reasons and factors that include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinitis
• Bursitis
• Chondromalacia patella
• Gout
• Baker’s cyst
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Dislocation
• Meniscus tear
• Torn ligament
• Bone tumors

Factors that may make the situation worst are:

• Severe injury
• Sprains and strains
• Overuse
• Infection
• Bad posture
• Imporper stretching

Treatment
• There are several treatment measures for knee pain, based on the cause, your condition, and severity.
• The most common treatment procedures include the following:

Medications
• Several medications are used for the treatment of an underlying medical condition that causes knee pain, for effective pain relief.

Physical therapy
• Strengthening of the muscles surrounding the ankle makes it stable and helps in achieving the best mechanical movements.
• This is effective in avoiding injuries and preventing an existing injury from worsening.

Injections
• Several injectable medications are injected into your knee directly.
• Corticosteroids and lubricants are commonly used for dealing with inflammation in the knee, and for improving movement and pain.

Surgery
• In case of severe and persistent knee pain, a surgery may be required. Knee operations include arthroscopic surgeries, total knee replacement and much more.
• Arthroscopic surgery is the most common procedure in which injuries in your knee are repaired and pieces of loose cartilage and bone are removed.
• During partial knee replacement, the damaged parts of your knee are replaced with metal and plastic parts. Only a part of the knee joint gets replaced.

There are several other therapies that are also beneficial for the treatment of knee pain. You can opt for acupuncture, which is ideal for osteoarthritis patients. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are also prescribed in some cases.

Introduction Scoliosis is the abnormal twisting and curvature of the spine. It is usually first noticed by a change in appearance of the back. There are several types of scoliosis based on the cause and age when the curve develops; the majority of patients have no known cause.

Typical signs include:

1. Visibly curved spine
2. One shoulder being higher than the other
3. One shoulder or hip being more prominent than the other
4. Clothes not hanging properly
5. A prominent ribcage
6. A difference in leg lengths

Back pain is common in adults with scoliosis. Young people with scoliosis may also experience some discomfort, but it's less likely to be severe. Seeking medical advice If you or your child has signs of scoliosis, make an appointment to see your spine specialist. They can examine your back and can refer you for an X-ray for confirmation. If you or your child are diagnosed with scoliosis, it is important to see a scoliosis specialist to talk about treatment options.

What causes scoliosis?

In around eight out of every 10 cases, a cause for scoliosis is not found. This is known as idiopathic scoliosis. A small number of cases are caused by other medical conditions, including:
1. Congenital scoliosis: Caused by birth defects.
2. Neuromuscular scoliosis: Common conditions are
- cerebral palsy
- a condition associated with brain damage
- muscular dystrophy
- a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness
- Marfan syndrome
- a disorder of the connective tissues
3. Idiopathic Scoliosis: Reason not known.
4. Adult scoliosis: In adults, age related changes in the discs and joints of the spine and a reduction in bone density may cause scoliosis. Adults can also experience worsening over time of previously undiagnosed or untreated scoliosis.

Diagnosing scoliosis

Scoliosis can usually be diagnosed after a physical examination of the spine, ribs, hips and shoulders. You may be asked to bend forward to see if any areas are particularly prominent. For example, one of your shoulders may be higher than the other or there may be a bulge in your back. Scans The specialist will take an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis of scoliosis.The X-ray images will also help determine the shape, direction, location and angle of the curve. The medical name for the angle the spine curves is known as the Cobb angle.In some cases, scans such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or a computerised tomography (CT) scan may also be recommended. Treating scoliosis in children If your child has scoliosis, their treatment will depend on their age and how severe it is. The main treatment options are:
- observation
- casting
- bracing
- surgery

Observation treatment is not always necessary for very young children because their condition often corrects itself as they grow. However, if the curve does not correct itself, it can reduce the space for the internal organs to develop in, so careful monitoring by a specialist is important. Casting in some cases affecting young children, the spine may need to be guided during growth in an attempt to correct the curve.

In a child aged under two years of age, this can sometimes be achieved by using a cast. A cast is an external brace to the trunk made out of a lightweight combination of plaster and modern casting materials. The cast is worn constantly and cannot be removed, but is changed regularly to allow for growth and remodelling. Bracing If the curve of your child's spine is getting worse, your specialist may recommend they wear a back brace while they are growing.

A brace cannot cure scoliosis or correct the curve, but it may stop the curve from getting worse. If a brace is used, it will need to be carefully fitted to your child's spine. Braces are often made of rigid plastic, although flexible braces are sometimes available. In general, modern back braces are designed so they are difficult to see under loose fitting clothing. It's usually recommended that the brace is worn for 23 hours a day, and is only removed for baths and showers.

However, it should be removed during contact sports and swimming. Regular exercise is important for children wearing a brace.The brace will usually have to be worn for as long as your child's body is still growing. For most children, this will mean they can stop wearing it when they are around 16 or 17 years old. Surgery is recommended, if your child scoliosis is severe and in case, other treatments have been unsuccessful, corrective surgery may be recommended. They type of surgery will depend on your child's age.

Surgery in children for younger children, generally those under the age of 8 to 9, an operation may be carried out to insert growing rods. These rods aim to allow for continued controlled growth of the spine while partially correcting the scoliosis. After surgery to insert the rods, your child will need to return to their specialist every 4 to 6 months to have the rods lengthened to keep up with the child's growth. In some cases, rods that can be lengthened using external magnets during an outpatient appointment may be used.

Surgery in teenagers and young adults operation where the spine is straightened using metal rods attached with screws, hooks, and/or wires, and bone grafts are used to fuse the spine in place. This metalwork will usually be left in place permanently, unless they cause any problems. After the operation, most children can return to school after a few weeks and can play sports after a few months. Possible complications of scoliosis Physical complications of scoliosis are rare, although serious problems can develop if it's left untreated.

Emotional issues having a visibly curved spine or wearing a back brace may cause problems related to body image Lung and heart problems In particularly severe cases of scoliosis the rib cage can be pushed against the heart and lungs, causing breathing problems and making it difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body. Nerve compression In some cases of scoliosis, particularly those affecting adults, the bones in the spine compress nearby.

The shoulders are the most mobile joints in your body. Shoulder joints undergo wear and a tear over time and hence become unstable. Shoulder arthritis is one of the painful conditions affecting the shoulder joints. Arthritis not only takes a toll on the tendons and muscles, but also affects the ligaments and joints too. They usually cause symptoms such as joint pain, resulting in limited mobility.

Treatment:

Nonsurgical or Lifestyle treatments:

1. Take rest or avoid the activities that provoke pain or change the way of your arm movements.
2. Physical therapy boosts shoulder mobility.
3. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin alleviate pain and inflammation.
4. Corticosteroid injections in the shoulders can also help to ease the pain and inflammation, although temporarily.
5. Applying moist heat or ice packs over the shoulders for about half an hour at least thrice a day brings relief.
6. Drugs such as methotrexate can be administered in case one is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic disease attacking multiple joints of the body).
7. Dietary supplements such as chondroitin and glucosamine may help reduce pain.

Surgical treatments (if your pain results in disability and does not lessen with nonsurgical options)

1. Join replacement surgery or arthroplasty involves replacing the damaged parts of the shoulder with a prosthetic (artificial) joint.
2. Few mild forms of arthritis may be treated using the Arthroscopic procedure (minimally invasive surgery). It requires a surgeon to ease the joint pain by making small incisions to “clean out” the joint. A tiny camera fitted into the joint guides the surgeon through the surgery.
3. Resection arthroplasty is a method that involves the surgical removal of the bone from the collar bone and substituting it with a scar tissue to treat arthritis of particular joints.

Ayurveda is an ancient healing technique that is very effective for today's lifestyle ailments. For many people a low back ache can be quite a pain. While strong pills and capsules may give you temporary relief they do not address the core issue and have a number of side effects. Ayurveda on the other hand, addresses the trigger to the back ache and has no side effects. Intrigued; take a look at these ayurvedic techniques to cure low back pain.

Cut out on spices

We may think it unrelated, but low back pain is often accompanied by indigestion. Spinal cord nerves connect to back muscles and digestive organs. Hence, a small change in your diet can have a great impact on your health. Spicy food aggravates the digestive system and has a drying effect on the body. By cutting back on spices and oil, the digestive system can work better and there will be less stress on the nerves connecting the spinal cord and back muscles and thus lesser back aches.

Warm your body

According to ayurveda, back pains are caused by an increase in vata dosha or the amount of air and ether elements in the body. Warming the body can help lower these levels. Apply a heat pack to the back as a way of keeping the external body surface warm. Additionally, add warm food to your diet. This opens out any blockages in your digestive system and in turn reduces low back pain.

Padahastasana

Ayurveda is very closely linked to yoga. Padahastasana is a yoga asana which addresses lower back pain by opening up the digestive channels and allowing the vata dosha to flow easily through the body. To practice this asana stand with your legs together and lift your arms straight above your head while inhaling. As you exhale, bend forward from the hips while keeping your back and legs straight. Try and touch your toes. Hold the position for as long as possible and come back to the starting position while inhaling.

Anuloma Viloma

Anuloma Viloma is a breathing exercise that balances the vata dosha. This is a technique that involves breathing from alternate nostrils. To begin, close the right nostril with your thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Close both nostrils and hold your breath for a few seconds. Then, release through the left nostril. Repeat this process, starting from the left nostril.

Bishop's weed seed tea

Tea made from the seeds of Bishop's weed is can provide instant pain relief from low back pains. This is suitable for men and women of all ages except those with heart problems.

The core principle of ayurveda is to listen to your body's messages. These techniques will help you become more tuned to your body's needs and keep you free from back aches.

Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis, where the bones in a joint are affected. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition affecting the bones and joints that causes the joints to become swollen and painful. Knee is most commonly affected by arthritis. It is most commonly seen in the ageing population, with females being affected twice more than the males. Knees can majorly be affected by either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Among the two, osteoarthritis has a greater prevalence.

Since the people affected with osteoarthritis are at a greater risk of damage to the bones, it is necessary to consult a physician before beginning any exercise routine. When the physician approves the bone condition for exercises, a physical therapist can be consulted to learn specific exercises from. The exercise routine should be initiated at a slower pace. If any discomfort is observed while performing the exercise, it should be immediately stopped.

While it is necessary to not exert oneself with too many movements due to the risk of pain, incorporation or movements in routine life is necessary. Staying inactive due to the fear of pain while moving does more harm to the knees. Exercises for osteoarthritis-affected individuals are targeted to build strength, improve the flexibility and stamina levels of a person. Routine exercise helps to reduce pain in the knees caused by osteoarthritis.

With the regular practice of exercises, knee pain can be reduced, stiffness of the joint can be decreased and the flexibility of joint can be improved as well. While practicing the exercises, it is necessary to pay attention to the body signals too. If a particular exercise causes pain, then it can be changed in accordance with the patient’s comfort.

Knee arthritis pain can be controlled by a routine exercise regime and a healthy diet.

Exercises:

1. Standing leg lifts –this exercise helps to improve the balance of the body. It also improves the strength of knees and maintains stability. Overall impact on the knees is reduced by practicing this exercise. This exercise is performed by lifting a leg to the side and then lowering it down. Repeat for around 20 times on each side.

2. Sit and stand exercise – this exercise targets the quadriceps muscles and helps to strengthen the knee joint. The range of knee movement is improved and overall strength of the length increases. The important benefit of this exercise is that it makes it easier for a person to stand up for a longer period of time without any pain.

3. Standing kick back – this exercise helps to improve the strength of the leg muscles and also reduce the stiffness of the knee joint. In this exercise, a person should stand straight and lift a foot off the floor and bend the knee. Heel of the foot should be brought towards the buttocks. This position should be held for a few seconds and then lowered down. Repeat the exercise 20 times.

4. Stretch of the quadriceps – this exercise helps to increase the strength of the quadriceps muscle and also improves the range of motion for the knee joint. To perform this exercise, a person has to lie down on the stomach, bend one knee and grab it with hands. Slightly lift the knee off the floor until a stretch is felt and hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat on both sides.

5. Stretch of the hamstrings – this exercise improves the flexibility of the hamstring muscles and improves the range of motion. In this exercise, one should lie down on the back with legs outstretched. The right knee should be bent and the back of the thigh should be grabbed with both hands. Slightly pull the leg towards the chest. Straighten the leg upwards and repeat the exercise for 10 times each on both legs.

Practicing these exercises routinely can help to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and also improve the range of motion of the knees. Regular practice ensures an increase in stability, stamina and flexibility of the body.

When joints get inflamed, it is known as arthritis. This causes swelling and pain in the joints of your body such as the hips and the knees. When the cartilage gets damaged at the ends of bones, a type of arthritis called osteoarthritis occurs.

There are two main types of osteoarthritis:

1. Primary: This type is more generalized. It affects the knees, fingers, hips, spine and thumb.
2. Secondary: This type can occur after injury or joint inflammation, or as a result of any disease that affects the ligament's composition, like hemochromatosis.

How is the hip affected by osteoarthritis?

Patients have difficulties walking if they have hip osteoarthritis. Diagnosing hip osteoarthritis is difficult. It is because the pain appears in varied locations, such as the groin, buttocks, knee or thigh. The pain can be a dull throb or can be sharp and stabbing. The hip is usually stiff.

What are the causes of hip osteoarthritis?

The causes of hip osteoarthritis are unknown. However, the factors that can lead to osteoarthritis are joint injury, excessive weight and rising age.

Along with the abovementioned factors, the following may contribute as well:

1. The joints may not have developed accurately
2. The cartilage may have inherited the defects
3. If the joints are too irritated due to added pressure on them, like excess body weight or stressful activities that include hip movement, osteoarthritis may develop.

What are the symptoms of hip osteoarthritis?

The symptoms of hip osteoarthritis are as follows:

1. Joints feel stiff when you get out of bed
2. Joints feel stiff if you have been sitting for some time
3. The joints feel painful, swollen or tender
4. You can hear (a "crunching" sound) or feel the bones rubbing against each other.
5. You find yourself unable to do certain things, like putting on socks, as it requires your hips to move.

How is hip osteoarthritis treated?

The main objective of treatment is to restore the patient's ability to move around. A part of this objective includes correcting the function of the hip and managing the pain. The treatment can include:

1. Joint care and rest
2. To take weight off the area affected, a cane is used
3. Pain relief that does not involve drugs
4. Shedding excess weight
5. Exercising
6. Surgery
7. Alternative and complementary therapies

If you are looking for Ayurvedic remedies for arthritis, you should opt for Ayurvedic treatment. Arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease causing damage to your joints and connective tissues. The knee gets commonly affected. There are three primary types of arthritis, which occur in your knees. Ayurveda is ideal for arthritis treatment, and there are several Ayurvedic remedies that you can opt for .

Arthritis is very common but is not well understood. Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. People of all ages, sexes and races can and do have arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older.

Common arthritis joint symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. Symptoms may come and go. They can be mild, moderate or severe. They may stay about the same for years, but may progress or get worse over time. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to do daily activities and make it difficult to walk or climb stairs. Arthritis can cause permanent joint changes. These changes may be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can only be seen on X-ray. Some types of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys and skin as well as the joints.

How does ayurveda approach arthritis?

Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis is based on the understanding of the various doshas or humors of the body. According to Ayurveda, there are four main humors in the body and it is these that govern our health, wellness and our proneness to disease. Arthritis, as per Ayurveda, is a condition caused due to the aggravation of vatadosha (air). The body produces ama a toxin that is released as a by product of improper digestion. When ama is produced, it circulates in the body and gets deposited at sites that have already weakened. So when the vata is already stirring up, ama finds the perfect place to build up. That is why you experience arthritis in fingers or knees. For most people, arthritis in the knee is more painful than in the fingers because knees are load bearing joints. If you have arthritis in your knees, you will have trouble moving and the range of motion in your joints will be severely restricted. You may have to depend on people or walking aids to make even the smallest of movements.

Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis aims at balancing and stabilising the Vata component of your body. This is done by strengthening your alimentary canal and metabolic pathway. This makes sure that your circulatory channels do not get blocked by impurities, and are functioning properly. You need to drink a lot of water in order to detoxify your body. There are several Ayurvedic home remedies for arthritis treatment as well, which help in improving your motion range.

Treatment tips:

1. You should start your day with a big glass of lukewarm water every day with Home Remedy ie. 100gm fried Methi (fenugreek) + 100gm Haldi + 10gm Piparamul Make it mixer. Take 1 Teaspoon every day morning & Evening

2. You should opt for fenugreek which is an ideal natural inhibitor of aama and corrects your Vata dosha. This natural arthritis remedy can be taken in various ways. You can take these seeds in your food. You can also grind them, mix mustard oil to it, and apply the mixture to your joints. This provides warmth and relief to your joints.

3. You can opt for an Ayurvedic hot oil massage of your joints. This is effective, especially during the winter. You can use ITIS OIL + castor oil + sesame seedoil for massaging your arthritis affected joints. Do not apply pressure while massaging your joints as applying pressure goes against the principles of Ayurveda.

4. It is recommended for you to meditate regularly for relieving stress and coping with anxiety. These factors are responsible for the development of ama in your body. Regular meditation makes your body relaxed and calm. You should practice yoga as it involves several breathing exercises which help in initiating you into meditation. Having effective control over your breath, your meditation will be more effective.

5. Take one teaspoon castor oil with one cup warm water once in a week.

6. It is important for you to sleep early and wake up early. The disruption of your sleep cycle causes aggravation of all your doshas and causes stress and fear. A healthy sleep cycle helps you in keeping away from obesity. This improves the health of your load bearing joints, as the chances of them getting extra load because of obesity are prevented.If you are looking for Ayurvedic remedies for arthritis, it is important for you to consult an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner. He will be able to prescribe you Ayurvedic remedies which suit your symptoms and stage of arthritis.

7. You start Unique Ayurvedic Panchkarma Treatment like abhyangam, Swedanam, Podikizi, and janu Basti along with basti treatment.