Dr. Manoj Jain

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

Plantars Fasciitis is an orthopaedic problem that gives rise to pain in the foot and heel due to strain or pressure on the plantar fascia. This is a ligament or connective tissue which lies in a flat band, connecting your heel with the toes and effectively, providing a basis for motion of the feet in general. Inflammation, swelling and bruising of this tissue or ligament can lead to excessive pain in the heel.

Let us look at ways that can help you deal with this pain :

• Rest - Taking rest and giving your feet a break from all kinds of strain inducing activities can help in relieving the pain. Also, you can keep your feet elevated to help in reducing the pain in the area. 
• Supportive Footwear - Using pads within your shoes with gel built into them, or using specific foot wear that help in walking without feeling too much of pain is a good way of dealing with Plantars Fasciitis. The shoe inserts must be rubber, felt or plastic so that they are soft for the feet. These also give your heel and its arch good support, while Orthotics pull at the ligament so that there is less stress on the same. You can also pull on a pair of night flints which will keep the foot and this ligament stretched while you enjoy a good night of sleep.
• Exercise - Indulging in mild muscle strengthening exercise that also involves stretches and heel hooks can help in alleviating chronic pain that you may be suffering from. Lie flat on your back and take a towel. Lift your leg and hook your foot into it. Now press against the towel and pull down the towel simultaneously. Repeat at least ten times per foot. This will give you flexibility and strength in the area.
• Pain Killers - Use pain killers only when absolutely necessary and with due advice from the doctor or Orthopaedic specialist. The use of Ibuprofen and other pain relievers can help in numbing the pain inducing nerves in the brain and give you instant relief.
• Anti Inflammatory Drugs - Your doctor may prescribe anti inflammatory medication that can bring down the swelling for more comfortable functioning when you are on your feet. Naproxen is one such drug that helps in bringing down the inflammation. Also, corticosteroid injections can relieve severe pain.
• Surgery - Heel spur removal or plantar fascia release are some of the surgical options for chronic and severe cases.

Taking care of your feet is a matter of ensuring that you look into the slightest discomfort and report the same to a doctor.

Myelopathy refers to any neurological deficit in the spinal cord. The three most common types of myelopathy are cervical myelopathy, lumbar myelopathy and thoracic myelopathy.

Here are the causes and symptoms of myelopathy :

Causes

1. Injury

This is a very common cause of myelopathy. Any type of accident or even a traumatic event can cause myelopathy and perhaps even paralysis.

2. Spinal stenosis

This is a condition in which the spinal cord narrows. It is one of the leading causes of myelopathy.

3. Degenerative disc disorders

As you get older, these get more likely as well as other conditions which affect the spinal column such as osteoporosis.

4. Tumor

It is a little known fact that tumors very often do cause myelopathy.

5. Multiple sclerosis

There are many other diseases which may cause myelopathy and multiple sclerosis is one of them.

Symptoms

There are many indications that you are having a form of myelopathy and should consult a medical expert. Here are some of them.

1. Changes in coordination

What this means is that all of a sudden you may find it harder to move certain limbs the way you want to. Sometimes, this can affect the whole body.

2. Sudden muscle weakness

It is highly likely that if you have myelopathy then you will have sudden weakness in your muscles.

3. Decreased hand-eye coordination

This is perhaps the biggest indicator of myelopathy since hand eye coordination is directly linked to your spinal cord and brain and if they are not functioning properly then hand-eye coordination will be worse.
These are just some of the symptoms of myelopathy, however the doctor cannot diagnose myelopathy until he does certain tests. These tests include MRI scans and other tests as well as a regular physical check-up in addition to a look at your medical history.

Arthritis is a very painful disease. It restricts you from doing a lot of the activities you would love to engage in.

However, there are steps you could take to reduce the chances of it happening to you. Here are some of them :

1. Take Omega-3 fatty acids

Research proves that the regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish, result in decreased risks of rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in foods such as olive oil and walnuts.

2. Take Vitamins and olive oil

Vitamins are crucial, especially A, C and D. Vitamin A can be found in carrots. Vitamin D can yet again be found in fish while Vitamin C can be found in strawberries, mangoes, pineapples and oranges. Olive oil is also useful because it contains polyphenols which reduce the chances of developing arthritis.

3. Eat ginger and broccoli

Ginger and broccoli are two of the most therapeutic foods for various reasons and the chances of getting arthritis are also proven to reduce due to these foods.

4. Avoid injury

Although this is very hard to do sometimes, avoiding injuries do reduce your chances of getting arthritis.

5. Control your weight

This is very important, especially for your knees. It has been proven by researchers at Johns Hopkins University that if you are 10 kg overweight, then 30 to 60 extra kilograms of weight fall on your knees.

6. Exercise

Strengthening your muscles around your joint decrease the pressure on the joint. If there is less pressure on the joint, then the chances of arthritis are reduced. The best way to decrease pressure on the joint and strengthen your muscles is to exercise.

A blood clot in the leg is termed as Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT. This blood clot can be fatal because it usually blocks the passage of blood to the heart by damaging the one way valves of the veins. This can also reach other organs like the lungs in which situation the case becomes complicated and may also lead to death.

There are various ways of preventing the onset of these clots. Follow these points to know more :

*  Blood Thinners: Prolonged hospital stay and a major surgery like joint replacement can lead to blood clots in the legs or DVT. Therefore, it is imperative to ask your doctor about a prescription for blood thinners which can help in better blood flow despite minimal motion in the legs or stiffness. 

*  Compressions Stockings: If you have been in the hospital for a prolonged period or suffering from leg paralysis, then the risk of blood clots is greater than most others. You can make use of compression stockings which will help in preventing clots by holding the area tight so that the blood is forced to pump and flow. These should be used every time you are admitted to the hospital. 

*  Exercise: It is important to keep moving in case you are travelling in a long flight that is over four hours long. Also, you can try certain mild exercises in case you have a long standing condition of pain or cramping in the leg muscles and joints. From simple toe flexes to muscle strengthening exercises like the heel or towel hook, you can ensure that the tightening action makes your muscle firm so that the blood clots do not have a chance to form. You may also need to lose weight in case you are overweight so that you can alleviate the risk of these clots.

*  Water: Staying hydrated is something that we all need to follow in any case, but it is especially important if you are risk of developing blood clots in the legs. Drinking plenty of fluids is a natural way of thinning the blood, especially if you have been in bed or travelling for prolonged periods. 

*  Loose Fitting Clothing: You may want to wear loose fitting clothing when you are travelling or in the hospital so that you do not end up unnecessarily compressing an area in a way that will be detrimental for the blood flow there. Wearing loose clothing ensures that the blood flow carries on as per its normal routine without any blockages.

It is important to remember the above points so that you keep blood clots in the legs at bay.