Dr. Akshay N. Divecha

What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a medical condition wherein the bone becomes fragile and breaks easily even with a minor fall. The bones of spine, wrists and hips get affected the most. These fractured bones lead to severe pain and can force a person to become immobile. A spine fracture can even lead to a loss of height.

What is parathyroid hormone?
Parathyroid is a naturally occurring hormone that regulates the amount of calcium present in the body. They mitigate the risk of bone breakage in the body for a patient suffering with osteoporosis. These hormones are injected into the body on a daily basis to maintain the normal flow of calcium in the body.

How does the treatment work?
Treatments are available in the form of drugs and injections. A doctor can prescribe drugs, if the patient is at an increased rate of bone breakage. The parathyroid hormone helps to protect the bone from breaking, but have no role when the bone actually breaks. The body has a natural process of breaking a bone and rebuilding it by itself. Osteoporosis sets in motion when this process of bone formation is disturbed.

When does a doctor prescribe hormonal treatment?
If a patient has undergone a number of vertebral compression fractures and the condition has not improved, a doctor might suggest to undergo parathyroid hormone treatment. The treatment requires nursing support due to a patient’s delicate bone condition. A maximum dosage of 20 micro grams of parathyroid can be injected for a time duration not exceeding 2 years.

Things to know about the treatment:

1. Be informed: It is good to be well informed about the course of the treatment, treatment duration, plausible problems etc. This will help a patient to be on top of the decision making process. The helpline of the 'National Osteoporosis Society' can be reached to understand the preparation required for a patient to undergo the treatment.
2. Take the right dosage at the right time: Parathyroid injections should be injected on a daily basis for a maximum time period of 2 years. These injections are taken daily at the same time. It should be ensured that none of the injections are skipped without the prior approval of a doctor. The injection, which lasts for 28 days, needs to be stored in a refrigerator. In case a patient is travelling, special bags are available that has space for storing gel packs.
3. Side effects: Most patients do not report any side effects, but they do exist. Possible side effects include dizziness, arthralgia, depression and headache. These symptoms often suggest that your body is reacting to the parathyroid hormone treatment. A doctor may or may not prescribe any further drugs to address these symptoms.

Best Exercises for Knee Pain Relief in Osteoarthritis

The quadriceps (or quads) describe the four muscles located on the front of the thigh. They contract together to help flex (or lift up) the hip and extend (or straighten) the knee. The quads often become weak after injury is sustained or surgery is performed on the lower leg or thigh. For this reason, it is important to learn how to strengthen this muscle group for a complete recovery.

People with certain conditions often exhibit quadriceps weakness. These conditions may include:

• Patellofemoral stress syndrome
• Iliotibial band friction syndrome
• Patellar tendonitis or tendinosis

Typically, a specific area of your quad called the vastus medialis obliqus (VMO) may be weak or inhibited from contracting properly in these conditions. Your PT can show you how to perform these quad exercises with a special focus on the VMO for maximal effect.

Some quad strengthening exercises place significant stress on your knee joint. Your physical therapist can show you ways to minimize joint stress while still strengthening your quadriceps. Be sure to check in with your doctor before starting these - or any other - exercises.

Reveiw these exercises for quad strengthening and get started on the road to stronger thighs.

2 Straight Leg Raises

 Place a cuff weight around your ankle to add full resistance to your straight leg raising exercise.

The straight leg raising (SLR) exercise is a simple way to get your quad muscles working properly. Here is how the SLR is done.

• Lie on your back on a flat surface.
• Bend the knee of your uninvolved leg (the one that wasn't operated on) to a 90-degree angle, and keep your foot flat on the surface. Keep your involved leg straight without the knee bent.
• Slowly lift the involved leg 12 inches off the floor (by contracting the front thigh muscles). Hold for five seconds.
• Slowly lower your leg to the floor. Relax and repeat 10 to 15 times.

The knee of the raised leg should remain straight throughout this exercise. Focus on lifting by using the muscles on the front of your hip joint. This exercise can be made more challenging by placing a 2 or 3 pound cuff weight on your ankle before you lift.

3 Short Arc Quads

The short arc quad (SAQ) exercise is a great way to really focus in on properly contracting your quadriceps muscles. Here is how you do it:

• Lie on your back and use a small coffee can (or paper towel roll) to prop your knee up.
• Slowly straighten your bent knee until it is all the way straight.
• Tighten your quad muscle and hold it tight for 5 seconds.
• Slowly lower your leg down.
• Repeat for 15 repetitions.

4 Wall Slides

• Stand upright with your back against a wall and feet shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly bend your knees, sliding your back down the wall for a count of five until your knees are bent at a 45-degree angle. (Do not bend too much further than this, as it will cause increased strain on your knees.) Hold this position for 5 seconds.
• Straightening your knees by slowly sliding up the wall until you are fully upright with knees straight.
• Repeat the above steps 10 more times.

5 Terminal Knee Extension

Terminal knee extension (TKE) is a simple, yet effective, way to strengthen your quads in a standing position. The TKE is considered a functional exercise, as you quads will be working while supporting your body weight.

To perform the terminal knee extension exercise, you must first obtain a resistance band, like a Theraband, from your physical therapist. Once you have a band, you should be ready to start the exercise. Here's how you do it:

• Tie your resistance band around a stable object so it is anchored around the height of your knee. (The leg of a table is a good place.)
• Step into the loop with the leg you wish to exercise.
• Face the anchor point with the resistance band looped around your knee and your knee slightly bent.
• Slowly straighten your knee, placing tension on the band. The resistance band should provide some resistance as your try to fully straighten your knee.
• Once your knee is straight and the band has tension on it, hold the position for 3 seconds.
• Slowly allow your knee to bend slightly once again.
• Repeat the exercise for 15 repetitions.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects the various bone and joints health, leading to painful movement and thereby limiting the patient's mobility.  Knees, hips, joints of hands and legs are affected.

Symptoms of OA

The symptoms revolve around the bones and joints including:

1. Pain and stiffness of the joints
2. Swelling of the joints
3. Inability to form a clench
4. Difficulty holding things 
5. Stooped posture 
6. Weakness of legs and hands
7. Reduced height over time

Treatment options in allopathy are limited to nonsteroidal analgesics to control pain and in severe cases, surgical correction, in case of OA.  However, homeopathy takes into account the triggering symptoms, the associated symptoms, and the status of the immune system before deciding on a treatment regimen.

With this holistic approach, homeopathy achieve the following:

1. Reduce the pain, swelling and stiffness
2. Slows the pace of further degeneration
3. Improves mobility of the affected joint(s)
4. Improves the body's overall immune system, thereby allow the body to promote healing on its own
5. Homeopathic intervention in the early phases is particularly helpful, as it will arrest disease progression
6. It also enable better absorption of minerals and nutrients essential for bone health. This allows healing of existing bone fractures and avoids further bone damage by strengthening the bones
7. Homeopathic treatment also enables the body's chemical state to withstand stress and illnesses better
8. It vitalizes the body's natural healing and ability to repair itself, to create a better state of health and well-being

Homeopathy For Osteoarthritis

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat osteoarthritis but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved remedies are available for osteoarthritis which can be selected on the basis of cause, location, sensation, modalities and extension of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person.