Dr. Nitin Goyal

एंकिलॉज़िंग स्पॉन्डिलाइटिस (Ankylosing spondylitis – AS) क्या है ?

एंकिलॉज़िंग (Ankylosing) का अर्थ होता है – जुड़ाव (फ्यूज़न) (Fusion ) |

स्पॉन्डिलाइटिस (spondylitis) का अर्थ होता है – स्पाइन (Spine) या रीड क़ी हडडी के मनकों की सूजन (inflammation) |

एंकिलॉज़िंग स्पॉन्डिलाइटिस एक ऐसा रोग है जो पीठ, गर्दन, और कभी कभी कूल्हों और एड़ी में दर्द और जकडन का कारण बनता है | यह एक प्रकार का वात या गठिया रोग है (Gathiya / vaat rog), जिसे आर्थराइटिस (arthritis)भी कहा जाता है। 

अमूमन यह मान्यता होती है की गठिया रोग बुढापे का रोग है | रहेयूमेटोलोजी (Rheumatology) एक ऐसा मेडिकल फिल्ड है जिसमे अनेक प्रकार के गठिया रोगों का समावेश होता है | रह्युमेटोलॉजिस्ट (Rheumatologist) एक ऐसा डॉक्टर होता है, जो इन गठिया रोगों के प्रकार का पता लगाकर इनका इलाज (treatment) करते हैं। ऐसे बहुत सारे गठिया रोग या वात रोग हैं जो किसी को अल्पायु में ही ग्रसित कर सकते हैं। AS ऐसा रोग है। 

एंकिलॉज़िंग स्पॉन्डिलाइटिस वात रीढ़ की हड्डी ( spine vertebra) के आसपास या कुछ जोड़ों (joint) में सूजन के साथ शुरू होता है  । यह किशोर या वयस्क अवस्था के युवक या युवतियों (ज्यादात्तर युवको) को ग्रसित करता है । इस रोग की शुरुआत बचपन में भी हो सकती है। कभी कभी, इस बिमारी से रीढ़ की हड्डियों का एक साथ फ्यूज़न (fusion) या जुड़ाव हो सकता है  |

The toes and heels are the most load bearing components within your feet which take most of the weight when walking, running, exercising or even standing up. The heels are an especially vulnerable part of the body which can become painful either due to injuries or excessive stress put on it. Pain in your heels can also be a sign of other problems in your body.

Causes for heel pain:

1. Sprains or straining the leg: Exercising is one of the most common culprits behind heel damage. Wearing the wrong shoes over prolonged periods, which can cause your balance to be shifted and will lead you to put strain on your heels and cause pain. Falling or spraining during exercising or training can also cause heel pain.

2. Fractures: Stress or hairline fractures can occur even without impacts or trauma and also cause pain. It will slowly build up over time. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor and take remedial action.

3. Achilles tendon: A common cause for heel pain, the Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel. If this is torn or damaged, it can cause pain in your heel.

4. Arthritis: The deposition of uric acid crystals in parts of your body may result in arthritis; this is a fairly common cause for heel pain as well.

Treatments available

1. Change in shoes: Shoes play a major role in the development of heel pain. You will either need to change the shoes or adjust the heels to ensure that they are at an equal and comfortable height and keep your posture natural and balanced.

2. Foot supports: There are specialized heel supports and wedges, which you can wear with the footwear. These supports help redistribute weight from the problem areas and uniformly distribute it among the other parts of the foot. Heel cups are also another form of supports you could try.

3. Pain relief medications: Sometimes aspirin or ibuprofen may be required to numb and dull the pain, if getting through the day becomes difficult or you are in the middle of work.

4. Resting: Sometimes resting is the only medication you can take to relieve the pain as it can only subside once the underlying conditions are corrected.

5. Ice packs: Cold compress and cold therapy would definitely help in numbing the area and providing temporary pain relief.

It is however, advisable to visit the doctor if the pain persists and take specialized medical care in more complicated cases wherein the pain is prolonged.

Knee pain is a common phenomenon that plagues most of the people irrespective of their age. It can be the outcome of a torn cartilage or a ruptured ligament. Medical complications, such as infections, gout or arthritis (painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints) can also give way to knee pain. Minor knee pain can be eased by self-care remedies such as physical therapy or by putting on knee braces. However, few complications might demand surgical repair. Pain can be managed by the pain management specialists.

Tips to manage knee pain:

1. Medications such as naproxen, ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be administered to help remedy knee pain.
2. You can seek relief by massaging your knees with ointments constituting of a number of agents such as capsaicin or lidocaine.
3. Keep away from your usual chores to prevent repetitive strains on the knees, thus, allowing the injury to heal as well as to stay safe from further damage.
4. Applying an ice pack in a towel can ease the inflammation and pain. But do not extend its usage for more than 20 minutes because that might harm the skin and nerves.
5. Compression bandages can inhibit fluid accumulation in the damaged tissues aiding knee alignment stability. Ensure that it is tight enough to render support to your knees without actually obstructing blood circulation.
6. To pacify the swelling, try resting your sore leg on a pillow (the idea here is to keep the affected leg elevated to reduce further pain).
7. Shed off your extra pounds as being overweight increases chances of other disorders such as osteoarthritis problem.
8. Go for regular work outs to enhance and maintain the flexibility of your muscles as excessively weak or abnormally tight muscles can contribute to injuries. Be smart while choosing your method of exercise based on the condition you are suffering from. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.