Kulkarni Hospital

Human bones are continuously being removed and formed, which is necessary for its proper maintenance. However, in certain cases, especially with aging, some bones and joints will be worn down to an extent where the body will not be able to reform them. This is especially true in the case of hips, which may become worn due to age or other problems within the body. 

Hip replacement surgery: 
When this happens, a hip replacement surgery can be performed to replace the original joints with a prosthesis or artificial hip, which is usually made out of metal or a specially formed composite material or even a combination of the two. Along with other parts, it replaces the natural hip with an artificial hip to restore mobility and other related functions.

Benefits of hip replacement surgery:

1. Lessening hip pain: This is one of the major factors as well as symptoms of requiring hip replacement surgery. Due to the grinding down of the bones, even the slightest movement causes pain and after the surgery and the recovery period, the pain is lessened.
2. Correction of bone deformity: When the bones grind down and are abnormally reformed, deformities may occur reducing mobility. Artificial hips will ensure that deformities are corrected and resulting problems are thus eliminated.
3. Return to normal activities: This is possibly one of the primary advantages of this surgery, although it entails a long recovery period. However, most patients can get back to their normal activities and are able to resume a pain free life.
4. Ability to have painless sleep: Many people who suffer from hip displacements or bone deformities are not able to sleep properly due to pain. After the surgery and the recovery period, they can return to normal functions and habits, thus are able to sleep properly.
5. Leg strength increase: Many patients tend to have an increase in their leg strength as one side of the hip tends to become very weak due to bone problems before surgery. After surgery and recovery, the same side tends to have an increased strength due to the implant.
6. In most cases a lifelong solution to hip problems: As the hip replacement prosthesis is made out of metal and if the operation is successful, it usually tends to last till the end of a person's life and this area usually doesn't tend to have problems again.

The stabbing pain that you experience around the neck and shoulder region should never be ignored as they may indicate health problems that require medical attention. There are certain points that you need to keep in mind the if you experience prolonged pain in these areas of the body.

1. Neck injury - Your neck and shoulder pain should be seen as a warning sign that you need to take a look at the neck injury you may have sustained during a rear-end automobile accident. More specifically, whiplash injuries that happen when the head experiences a sudden backward and forward jerk, straining the tissues of the neck. 

2. Pain in these areas of the body could indicate abnormalities in the vertebrae of your neck such as herniated disc, causing added pressure on the nerves of the spinal cord.

3. Your neck and shoulder pain complaint may also point towards muscle strains. Lifestyle factors like working long hours in front of laptops or desktops leave you with no time and zero energy to exercise, resulting in serious neck and shoulder pains.

4. Your neck and shoulder pain may also indicate the problem of cervical spondylosis. This is a degenerative disc disease, which is characterised by severe pain that originates from the neck and radiates till the shoulders.

5. Even heart problems, such as a heart attack can cause pain in the shoulder and the neck. When this happens, the condition is known as referred pain.

6. Adopting an improper body posture during lifting of heavy materials can induce pain in your body parts, with neck and shoulders being the most vulnerable areas.

7. You may be suffering from a condition known as rotator cuff injury in which the group of ligaments and muscles that support the shoulder get injured during lifting or playing any sport.

To avoid aggravating the pain from becoming more severe, you shouldn't ignore any ache that arises from these areas.

Did you know that yoga poses help you in achieving greater flexibility rather than develop it? If you are suffering from stiff hamstrings, painful lower back and locked-up hips and tried many yoga poses without any help, then you may not have tried the right poses. When the body is stiff, it feels like you are trapped within your own body. Flexibility exercises can help in alleviating joint stiffness that may have developed due to a wide array of reasons. Here are the main asanas that are great for joint flexibility.

1. Big toe pose or Padangusthasana: This yogic pose can calm the nervous system and relieve stress and anxiety and stimulate your kidney and liver to optimize their functions. With regular practice, your calf muscles and hamstrings would stretch and your thighs would become stronger. If you are suffering from indigestion and insomnia, then big toe pose is a must try and it also helps in alleviating the symptoms of menopause.
2. Bound angle pose or Baddha Konasana: This pose offers a host of benefits that include stimulating your abdominal organs, prostate glands, ovaries, kidneys and bladder. It also stimulates blood and oxygen circulation throughout the body and improves the heart condition. It is a therapeutic treatment for high blood pressure, anxiety, mild depression, fatigue flat feet, asthma and infertility. With consistent practice, you will be able to stretch your knees, groin and inner thigh.
3. Child's pose or Balasana: This resting pose calms the mind and improves digestion to a great extent. It helps in elongation of the lower back by opening up and stretching this part of the body where all the weight is dumped while you sit and work all day long. This pose is perfect for opening up the hip and reducing hip pains and improving their flexibility.
4. Cow face pose or Gomukhasana: When performed regularly, this pose helps in deep stretching the hips, thighs, ankles, armpit, shoulders, triceps, chest and deltoid. If you had been suffering from a chronic knee pain, this pose can help relieving it. It also aids in strengthening the spine and abdominals, and its folded variations are a great way of decompressing lower spine and clearing the hip joint.

Increased flexibility is one of the topmost benefits of yoga that would surely equip you with the freedom of movement and relaxation. However, it is always important to consult an expert before you try these poses, as they can evaluate your medical history and select the ideal yogic postures that would work best for you.

Gone are the days when back pain affected a person only in their old age. Nowadays, almost every second person suffers from some kind of a backache. From sedentary lifestyle to certain diseases and ailments, the back pain can result from the amalgamation of various factors, making the condition painful (mild to chronic) and uncomfortable to the hilt. In this article, we will mainly stress upon the factors responsible for a back pain.

Underlying factors that often triggers a back pain

More than often, prolonged and chronic back pain interferes with the daily activities of a person, thereby jeopardizing their lives. For a proper treatment and management, one should first identify the factors responsible for the back pain. Some of the common and critical triggers include

Medical conditions:

• Sciatica: Sciatica is a neurological disorder whereby an inflammation or injury of the sciatic nerve (considered the largest nerve in the body) triggers numbness and a shooting pain that moves downwards, often from the lower back (the lumbar region) through the buttocks and hips into the back of one leg. Sometimes, a person may experience a pain down both the legs.
• Osteoarthritis of the spine: This is a painful degenerative disorder of the spine that mainly affects the neck and the lower back. Here, the cartilage of the discs and joints (lower back and neck) are damaged causing pain and weakness. In some people, the pain is so severe that it limits their motion to a great extent.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis: Stenosis of the lumbar spine results in severe back pain, especially in the lower half (lumbar area), triggered by narrowing down of the spinal canal.
• Osteoporosis of the spine: This is a bone disorder where the bones become so porous, thin and weak that they start to crack and break (including those of the spine), a condition known as vertebral compression fractures. These fractures are a common cause of weakness and back pain.
• Shingles: This is a viral infection (varicella-zoster virus) characterized by the appearance of a rash which is often painful. Shingles can occur in any part of the body including the spine. The viral infection in the spine is what triggers the back pain.
• Spinal Cancer, muscle spasm or ligament tear and strain on the back can give rise to back pain.
• Back pain can also be an outcome of rupture or disorder of the discs that act as a defensive shield between the spinal vertebrae.

Lifestyle practices:

1. Leading a sedentary life can be dangerous, often causing back pain.
2. People who are overweight or obese (especially the lower half) are known to suffer from a back pain.
3. In many people, rigorous exercise and physical activities can be a major contributing factor, triggering a back pain.
4. Women who wear high heels are more susceptible to developing a back pain.
5. In addition to these, bad posture, stress, a poor quality mattress can equally contribute to back pain.
6. Do not neglect the condition if the pain persists for more than a week. Get medical assistance to avoid further deterioration and complication.

A cervical smear test is often known as a Pap test and is done to establish the changes that might have occurred in cells of the cervix. A small sample of cells is taken from the surface of the cervix and is tested for any abnormalities. The sample is spread on a slide or in some cases mixed with a liquid fixative and studied under a microscope. It is one of the most popular methods to test the abnormalities in your cells and can pinpoint point cervical cancers.

About the test
A typical cervical smear or Pap test is done to identify the changes that have happened to the cells of the cervix. Diagnosing them early can be beneficial in many ways and can lower your chance of cervical cancer. PAP smear or a cervical smear is a screening test for cervical cancer. For other cases, once the results of the cell growth are identified it is safe to seek other tests and medical options for diagnosis.

The procedure of typical Pap smear
The test is mostly recommended when you do not have the periods as the blood can interfere with the results. Also, before taking the test discuss with your doctor about the medications you are taking and in case you are under any birth control pills. No other special preparations are needed for the Pap test. Feel free to discuss with your doctor about the impact the test will have on you or on the pain levels, etc.The test is done by inserting a speculum into the vagina, which spreads it further. Later, a cotton swab is inserted to get the samples of cells from your cervix. The cells from the vagina are also collected in some cases and tested accordingly.

The risks involved
There no chances of risks when you go for such tests. You might feel a bit of pressure in your vaginal region and may experience a small bleeding after the testing. However, this is extremely normal. Also, there is no pain involved. If you experience heavy period and blood loss, you might experience minor discomfort when the test is being done.

The final result
Once the test is done, the results would be available usually within a week. The results can be categorized into normal and abnormal. If your cells are normal and no abnormality is found then the condition is termed as a normal result. In the case of abnormality in the cell structure, then it requires further evaluation and diagnosis to rule out cancer.

Joint pains or muscles cramps are the usual suspects when it comes to leg pain. Joint pains are usually a symptom of arthritis, a common occurrence during old age. Leg muscles are mostly affected by muscle cramps. From an Ayurvedic point of view, all pains are caused by the vata dosha.

What are doshas?
The doshas define the natural inclination of the body and they comprise the three main energies that affect your health and well-being. The three doshas are Pitta, Vata and Kapha. Thus in Ayurveda, pain is caused when the doshas are vitiated. In Ayurveda, ama is the name given to the toxic materials in the body that are caused by improper indigestion. Therefore, pain occurs when there is too much ama build-up in your body.

Useful herbs for treating leg pain:

1. Clove: It provides instant relief from pain, especially if they are due to muscle cramps. Apply clove oil in a poultice over the affected area.
2. Ginger: Since ginger has great painkiller properties, it can be added to a regular diet to deal with chronic leg pain.
3. Liquorice: Muscle aches can be treated with liquorice roots infused in water overnight.
4. Madhuca: Applying madhuca oil over leg pains, especially if they are due to rheumatism, then it can give great results.
5. Pepper: Pepper aids in proper blood circulation by helping dilating the superficial blood vessels.

Dietary regulations for leg pain: To help with chronic leg pain, leafy vegetables, green vegetables, Vitamin C-rich foods, plantains that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium must be consumed. Coffee and chocolate must be avoided at all costs. The consumption of water cannot be stressed enough as one of the leading causes of leg pain is dehydration of insufficient fluids in the body. Water helps flush out the toxins in the body, thus getting rid of the vitiated doshas.

Ayurvedic treatment for leg pain: For external use, Mahanarayana Tailam is extremely effective. Warming the oil before application will give best results. For internal use, Simhanada Guggulu, a mild laxative, Laxmi Vilas rasa and Pratapa Lankeshwara Rasa are prescribed.

The lower back or the lumbar area is the region that lies right below the rib cage. Pain in the lower back is usually a result of persistent muscle spasms that make it a chronic pain. While many people suffer from this kind of pain at some point at the other, there are few who actually take up exercise as a long-term solution to deal with the pain. A proper exercise schedule and regular yoga can actually strengthen your lower back and help it support the spinal cord in a better manner. Also, most orthopedic specialists recommend constant movement to alleviate the painful symptoms of lower back pain. Do go through this list of exercises to find one that suits you.

• Partial Crunches: This one requires you to lie down, prop your knees up with your feet firmly on the ground and your hands behind your head. Now bring your body partially up and stop shy of doing a full on sit up. This will help in relaxing the muscles in the lower back, to a great extent.
• Hamstring Stretches: Get on your back and prop up one knee. Take a towel and loop it under the ball of your other foot. Now lift and hold as you press your foot into the towel, to gradually relieve some of that stress as it plays on your lower back.
• Ankle and heels: The classic ankle pump involves lying flat on your back and stretching your feet before you begin to move your ankles in an up and down motion. Repeat it ten times for each set. You can combine this exercise with the heel slide where you have bend and straighten your knee ten times each, in the same position as you lie flat on your back.
• Wall Squats: While actual squats can be painful if you are suffering from lower back pain, you can take the support of a nearby wall for squats that will work the muscles in a more soothing manner and give you a good workout at the same time.

Touching your toes, running on the treadmill, sit-ups and other forms of intense exercise that make the back work too hard should be avoided if you are suffering from lower back pain.