Top Health Tips on Treating Body Numbness

Calcium Deficiency - 3 Signs You are Suffering from it

MBBS
General Physician, Delhi
Calcium Deficiency - 3 Signs You are Suffering from it
Calcium is known for its role in maintaining the bone health, from keeping your teeth stronger to normal functioning of the cells. But there are various factors, which lead to a deficiency of calcium in the human body and paves the way for several complications.

Here are the top three signs that indicate you are suffering from calcium deficiency.

Difficulty in sleeping: Sleep is essential for your bone health and calcium is directly associated with your sleep cycle. The level of calcium in your bones rises and falls when you are asleep and it reaches its peak when you are in deep slumber. This indicates that when you are unable to sleep properly, it is a warning sign of calcium deficiency. There are various researches that have confirmed, that by increasing the level of calcium, it is possible to restore the normal sleep cycle of an individual. This is also related to the role that calcium plays in the production of a sleep hormone called melatonin. When the calcium content in the body is really low, this hormone is not produced, thus, making it difficult for a person to sleep.
Difficulty in losing extra pounds: Yet another frustrating aspect of any individual s life is the inability to shed off excess pounds. This issue is also linked with the lack of calcium supply in the body. The calcium that s stored in the cells assists in the processing and storage of fat. So the fat cells with high calcium content burn faster, making you lose weight. Thus, if you have trouble losing weight in spite of having a well-regulated diet and regular workout, it s a sign that you are suffering from low calcium.
Paresthesia: Though this ailment is not much heard of, it could be a sign of calcium deficiency. Paresthesia is a nervous disorder, which causes tingling sensation, tremors, numbness and loss of sensitivity. It could also lead to poor concentration, amnesia, confusion, hearing impairment, twitches and other physical as well as neurological impairment. This is because low calcium in the blood is connected with the health of your nerves.
The deficiency of calcium can manifest itself in different intensity, ranging from the non-existent to minimal to severe levels. Chronic calcium deficiency can lead to life-threatening diseases like rickets, osteopenia, and even osteoporosis. Therefore, you shouldn t ignore these signs and consult an expert without delay.
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Camphor Oil (Kapoor Ka Tel) - 7 Surprising Benefits!

Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)
Ayurvedic Doctor,
Camphor Oil (Kapoor Ka Tel) - 7 Surprising Benefits!
Mosquito bites are a common occurrence but do you know, at least 1 million people die every year due to diseases spread by these mosquitoes, as per World Health Organization (WHO). So what should you do to prevent mosquito breeding at home?

Using Camphor or camphor oil is the best solution, as it is a natural repellent. Camphor oil or commonly known as Kapoor ka Tel offers a number of health benefits that most of us are not aware of. It is a popular sedative, stimulant, antiseptic, antispasmodic and decongestant. It is extracted from the camphor tree, the scientific name of which is Cinnamomum camphora. Other common Ayurvedic names of camphor are Ghanasara, Sheetabhra, Himavaluka and Sphatika. Additionally, apart from the cooling effect, camphor oil also has a strong aroma.

Following are the benefits of camphor oil-

1. Camphor oil as a stimulant: Camphor oil actively boosts the functioning of the various organs of the body including circulatory, excretory, digestive system and the overall metabolism. Camphor oil has a scraping nature which helps in maintaining Kapha dosha, level of cholesterol and prevents clotting in blood vessels.

2. Camphor oil as an antiseptic: Camphor oil is an excellent disinfectant and is mixed with other herbal oils before it is applied. In many households, it is used as a water disinfectant, especially during the rainy season. A cloth soaked in camphor oil, when kept in a room, drives away all the insects and germs. A few drops of camphor oil when poured into a container of grains keeps it safe from the insects. Camphor oil lotions are used for treating various forms of infections. It disinfects the body and also has the power to keep lice away.

3. Camphor oil as a remedy for cough: If anyone of you is suffering from chronic cough, then camphor is a very good remedy. Just put a few drops of it in boiling water and inhale the vapor.

4. Camphor oil as an anesthetic: Camphor oil is an excellent agent for local anesthesia, as you will feel a numbness after applying it. Further, it can soothe nerve disorders and convulsions. Camphor oil when applied with a carrier oil is very beneficial for controlling Parkinson s disease, nervousness and epileptic attacks.

5. Camphor oil as an aphrodisiac: Consumption of camphor oil can boost your libido as it can stimulate that portion of your brain, which controls the sexual desire. External application of camphor oil can treat erectile problems, by enhancing the circulation of blood.

6. Camphor oil as an antineuralgic: Neuralgia is related to swelling of the blood vessels and camphor oil is an excellent cure for it. It decreases the pressure caused by the blood vessels thus reducing pressure on Ninth Cranial Nerve.

7. Camphor oil as an antirheumatic: Camphor oil can easily stimulate the circulatory system because of its stimulating properties, which is a crucial factor in managing arthritis, gout and other rheumatic problems. Mix it with olive or sesame oil and then apply it on your skin, but make sure the concentration of camphor should not cross 11%.

Apart from these properties, camphor oil is used in treating hysteria, epilepsy, food poisoning, whooping cough and many other problems. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
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The Science Of Orgasm - Why Orgasms Feel So Good?

MD-Pharmacology, MBBS
Sexologist, Delhi
The Science Of Orgasm - Why Orgasms Feel So Good?
The mention of the word orgasm is enough to numb your senses. It is like a pleasure trip that nobody wants to end. It gives a person an inexplicable eternal feeling, a climax that most couples wait for with bated breath. As known to all, an orgasm is a zenith of a sexual interaction or intercourse. You will seldom come across a person who doesn't enjoy an orgasm.

Sex without an orgasm can be quite dull and boring.
Have you ever been intrigued as to why an orgasm feels so good? What is it that makes an orgasm such an enjoyable experience? This article is an attempt to unravel this simple yet important query that has been baffling people for long.

An orgasm is a way our body reacts physiologically on being sexually aroused. Though the level of excitement and its impact may vary from person to person, most people (both men and women) feel good and euphoric on reaching an orgasm. There is an interesting science behind this. It is important to mention that the brain plays a pivotal role in an orgasm. As in any other organ of the body, there are numerous nerve endings present in the genitalia. These nerve endings are in turn connected to the brain and the spinal cord via the large nerves.

In this regard, the nerves that are instrumental in sending the signals and the stimulation to the brain (different regions of the brain) on being aroused or excited sexually include

The Pelvic nerve is responsible for sending signals from the rectum (in both the sexes) and also from the vagina and cervix (women).
The Hypogastric nerve is responsible for sending signals from the prostate (men) and also from the uterus and the cervix (women).
The Vagus nerve (the longest of the 12 cranial nerve) is only involved in sending the signals from the cervix, uterus, and vagina in women.
The Pudendal nerve transmits the signals from the scrotum and penis in men. In women, it transmits the signals from the clitoris.
The signals sent to the brain during an orgasm results in its activation, especially the reward circuits or the pleasure center. The pleasure center is responsible for all kinds of pleasurable feelings in a person. The areas mainly affected by the sexual excitement include

Amygdala: It is mainly involved in the regulation of emotions like sweating, increased heart rate, and blood pressure. Ventral tegmental area (VTA): It is responsible for the release of the neurotransmitter, Dopamine.
Nucleus accumbens: The nucleus accumbens is an important part that controls or regulates the release of dopamine.
Others: Cerebellum (maintains and coordinates the muscular activities in the body) and the Pituitary gland (responsible for the release of vasopressin, oxytocin, and beta-endorphins).
The arousal, followed by activation, acts as a catalyst which further results in release of neurotransmitters and hormones. The more these neurotransmitters and hormones are released, more pleasure and excitement is experienced during the act.
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Sciatica - Things To Know About It

Bachelor in TCM, Diploma in Acupuncture, Diploma in Naturopathy & Yogic Science (DNYS)
Acupuncturist, Mumbai
Play video
Namaskaar,

I am Santosh Kumar Pandey. So today I'm in front of you to share something very special and which is very common nowadays I'm seeing lots of patients suffering from sciatica. Sciatica mostly app logo ko pata hai ki sciatica kya cheez hoti hai, lekin fir bhi I would like to just give you a brief about that and what we can help into that. So you know most of the problems are due to our lifestyle, so what is that and why it is? sometimes it's common, sometime it's uncommon, but it's still what I'm seeing at my clinic right from youngest to very old ages patients are coming for the lower back pain. The pain, it travels towards the knee, some time till the ankle from the mid of the back to side-ward of the legs, knees and it's reaching to the toes also, sometimes small toes. I'm seeing that patients are suffering from sciatica, so why is it so common?

First, what I do understand is due to our lifestyle, why lifestyle? we are not exercising properly, we are not taking care of the health properly or our working style, working hours, sitting longer hours. So most of the patients they are like in the 30s and 40s, 45s and sometimes 50s also and I would say it is the unbearable type of pain they are suffering. Most commonly what I have seen are the girls after the pregnancy, they are coming to us for the pain and people who are actually working on the computer all the time or sitting for longer hours or carrying weight. Jo log bahut jyada wajan dhote hain, proper stretches nhi karte hain, so sabse badi baat hai ki yadi unhone ne dhyaan nhi diya aur ye puraana hota gya, it becomes chronic then and it's really very difficult and then there they had it. So at our clinic we are taking a lot of care for that and we are getting lots of wonderful results and I would say within ten to twenty days they're out of the problem.

So what do we do? first we check a lot of things and then we check their muscles with piriformis assist, very tight, very stiff and then of course along with that we avoid their lifestyle problems and whatever they are suffering. So what we do normally? we start with checking SLR(straight leg raise), if SLR is positive, of many cases SLR is positive of course, so we do acupuncture for them, we do physiotherapy exercises for them and the third part is their diet. So in diet we suggest what is avoidable for them it's like khatta-teekha, people are having lots of sour and spice and all these things, so mostly we avoid their bad eating habits and acupuncture is one of the magical treatment from what I am seeing at my clinic and this month I think I have seen more than 30 sciatic patients and why I am talking eagerly about this case?

because if they are not taking care of sciatica or back pain, if it becomes very chronic then it is very difficult to handle. Log 10-15 saal suffer karte hain aur bahut saare cases mein kuch din ke liye dard kuch kam ho jata hai, subside ho jata hai and again it comes back and if it remains for a longer period, it is very difficult to deal with. so friends agar kabhi bhi yadi agar kisi ko bhi aapne dekha ki is tarah ka pain ho raha hai, sciatic nerve compress ho rahi hai. It is almost a disc like cell, open the reports or MRI scan and you will see their is a herniation of the disc. So acupuncture along with exercise, physiotherapy exercises and postural awareness and with the diet, it is very much curable very much treatable.

Thanks a lot!
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Benefits of Botox Is Not Just Limited to Wrinkles

Benefits of Botox Is Not Just Limited to Wrinkles
The quest to look and feel young is never ending. Almost everybody feels they could look a couple of years younger with a few wrinkles less and firmer skin. While this was within access of only celebrities who could afford the various plastic surgical procedures a few decades ago, times have changed now. Scientists and doctors are doing researches to find more affordable and non-surgical ways of getting to look younger.

Botox was one of the wonderful results of this search. Clostridium botulinum causes food poisoning and produces a toxin known as botulinum. In extremely minor amounts, this toxin can paralyze muscles and this property of it is used to treat facial wrinkles and fine lines.
How Botox works
The muscles react when they receive a message from the nerve through chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Acetylcholine is one such chemical, which is present in the face and sends messages to the facial skin from the nerves. What Botox does is prevent the release of acetylcholine and so the muscle does not receive any message, and so does not contract. This reduces the amount of wrinkles and fine lines.

Medical Indications
Botox is one of the most powerful toxins identified to date. About 2 kg of the toxin is sufficient to wipe out the entire human race from Earth. That being its potency, the dosage and administration should be done only under experienced medical supervision.

For cosmetic purposes, they are most frequently used to reduce wrinkles on face and fine lines under the eyes and on the forehead. The wrinkles appear softened after the use of Botox, producing a younger, firmer skin. Aside from its cosmetic use, there are various other conditions for which Botox is medically approved for a number of medical ailments like

1. Chronic migraines
2. Blepharospasm (spasm of the eyelids)
3. Chronic neck spasms
4. Excessive sweating
5. Overactive bladder (resulting in frequent urination)
6. Spasticity resulting from stroke
7. Crow's feet (outer corner of the eyes)
8. Urinary incontinence
9. Lazy eye (strabismus)
10. Bruxism (tooth grinding)
11. Esophageal motility disorders

The list is only set to get longer as more indications for Botox are identified. However, as mentioned, being an extremely toxic substance, it should be used only under complete medical supervision.

Side effects: Needless to say, there are side effects to this too, but when administered properly, it is an extremely safe procedure.

1. Allergic reaction: Very few people might have an allergic reaction to the toxin
2. Mild pain or redness at the injection site
3. Temporary numbness
However, these are very transient and will subside in a couple of days, by which time the effect of Botox will be visible. Have a thorough discussion with your doctor before going for it.
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HIV/AIDS - Diet, Nutrition & Food Safety You Must Follow!

FHM Fellowship In HIV Medicine, MD, MBBS
HIV Specialist, Hyderabad
HIV/AIDS - Diet, Nutrition & Food Safety You Must Follow!
HIV/AIDS is a type of sexually transmitted disease which is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system and makes the body vulnerable to other diseases. AIDS is the last stage of the HIV infection; HIV takes about 10 to 12 years to fully culminate into AIDS. AIDS completely destroys the immune system and leads to fatal health conditions and diseases such as cancers and other infections because of AIDS.

Causes-

HIV is a retrovirus that infects the vital organs of the human immune system. The virus progresses in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. The rate of virus progression varies widely between individuals and depends on many factors (age of the patient, body s ability to defend against HIV, access to healthcare, existence of coexisting infections, the infected person s genetic inheritance, resistance to certain strains of HIV).

HIV can be transmitted through:

Sexual Transmission. It can happen when there is contact with infected sexual secretions. This can happen while having unprotected sex, including vaginal, oral and anal sex or sharing sex toys with someone infected with HIV.
Perinatal Transmission. The mother can pass the infection on to her child during childbirth, pregnancy, and also through breastfeeding.
Blood Transmission. The risk of transmitting HIV through blood transfusion is nowadays extremely low in developed countries, thanks to meticulous screening and precautions. Among drug users, sharing and reusing syringes contaminated with HIV-infected blood is extremely hazardous.
Contrary to popular belief, HIV can never spread by means of kissing as the virus cannot survive outside the body.

Symptoms-

The early symptoms of HIV appear within a few weeks of contamination by the virus. The early symptoms include headache, pain in the muscles and the joints, rashes and inflated lymph nodes. These symptoms tend to disappear within 2 to 3 weeks.
The next set of symptoms might appear after a few years and these are persistent. The symptoms include, but are not limited to fatigue, loss of body weight, inflated lymph nodes, fever, a sensation of numbness near the limbs, pain when you try to swallow, sores in the mouth and sweating at night.
If you are diagnosed with HIV, you should:

Try to maintain a daily diet containing vegetables, legumes, and fruits which provide you energy.
Try to include a little bit of fat, carbohydrates (at least 3 servings of vegetable per day), calcium (dairy products) and low-fat protein sources (generally 80-150 gram per day of fish, skinned chicken, low-fat cheese etc.) in your everyday meal.
Maintain a daily calorie intake of 17-25 calories per pound depending on whether the person is losing weight.
Vitamins and minerals are particularly necessary to repair the cells damaged by the HIV virus.
So, it is necessary to intake foods such as eggs, milk, peanuts, green vegetables, meat, beans and broccolis on a regular basis, if you have been diagnosed with HIV.

If you are suffering from HIV, you must maintain the following food safety measures:

You should try to restrict the intake of fat
Restrict your alcohol intake
You should try to avoid fast foods
You should also limit your regular sugar intake and should avoid foods with extra sugar
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Know The Procedure Of Epidurals!

MD, FIPP
Pain Management Specialist, Kolkata
Know The Procedure Of Epidurals!
Are you worried about the labour pain? It is perhaps the most difficult phase of a woman's life. But today, there is no reason to worry for. Thanks to epidurals, you can give birth to your baby without experiencing the pain involved.

Epidural is the new age anaesthesia. It is used to block pain in a specific region of the body. A patient is not made unconscious fully at the time of any surgery. He or she is given epidural for regional anaesthesia. Its use has become popular during childbirth. A pregnant woman is given epidural at the time of labour or c-section. It provides relief from the pain rather than cutting off the patient's feelings or senses.

Although it has become a widely accepted technique, women worry about the safety of epidurals. They are concerned about the safety of the baby and their health. But it is absolutely safe.

How do these work?
There are nerves in our body, which carry the pain signals to the brain. These nerves pass through epidural spaces. Therefore, anaesthesia is injected into these spaces to stop the pain signal from reaching the brain. This blocks the pain. If you are pregnant and thinking whether to go for epidural or not, you will have a lot of questions in mind. Here's all that you need to know about epidurals:

Effect on baby's and mother's health
Use of epidurals tends to increase the time of labour by 20 minutes approximately. The mother may develop fever. However, it blocks the pain. This is some relief to the mother. As there is no pain, stress hormones are not released. Thus, blood will not be diverted from uterus and placenta. Baby's supply of nutrients and oxygen will remain intact.

How painful it is?
Women mostly worry about the painful insertion of the epidural needle. However, this will not hurt you. A small needle is first inserted to make the area numb. Thereafter the bigger needle is inserted. You may feel the discomfort for five seconds. The epidural medicine starts functioning just after 5 minutes of insertion.

Procedure
First the patient is made to take the suitable position. While some may be asked to lie sideways, others may be asked to sit straight. The area is cleaned with a solution. The small needle is first inserted to create numbness in the area. Once the area is numb, the bigger needle is inserted. You might feel a pinching sensation. Thereafter, a catheter is threaded to the epidural space, where the nerve carrying signal of pain passes through. Epidural medicines are pushed into the region via the catheter. Epidurals don't affect your nerve endings or spinal cord. They are pushed into the epidural space.
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Yoga - Practice It Daily For A Stress Free Life!

MD
Yoga & Naturopathy Specialist, Delhi
Yoga - Practice It Daily For A Stress Free Life!
The entire humanity is now used to a fast paced, stressful life without time to think about their physical and mental health. Your body can adapt to this kind of lifestyle for a while. After which, one fine day, it might breakdown, with or without warning. Emotional stability is lost, and physical trauma is felt, and everyday activities may seem to be scary. Yoga comes to the rescue for all your problems. Be they physical or mental.

The real essence of Yoga lies around improving the life force at the base of the backbone. It attempts to achieve holistic goodness through various physical and mental workouts. Coming to the physical level, the procedures comprise of several postures or yogic asanas which can keep the body healthy, while on the mental level, there are some breathing techniques which helps in disciplining the mind. The benefits of Yoga are almost endless, and this is the reason why it has received international acclamation even when it had originated in India centuries ago.

How can Yoga aid you to live a better life?
No matter whether you are from the West or East, regular practice of Yoga can will offer tons of benefits which include:

Improvement of flexibility: This is the most significant benefit of Yoga where you can improve your posture with each practice sessions. Inflexibility can bring about a lot of movement issues; tight hamstrings can flatten the lumbar spine while tight hips can cause strain to the knee. Daily Yoga can relieve the connective tissues while improving posture.
Builds muscle strength: Strong muscles are not just meant for making you look good; it can protect you from conditions such as back pain, arthritis and falls among aged people. With regular practice of Yoga, you can see your muscles becoming stronger and flexible within a short span.
Prevention of joint and cartilage breakdown: While practicing Yoga, all the major joints of the body runs through a roller coaster of motion. This can prevent degenerative arthritis and squeeze the parts of the cartilage which are not usually used.
Improve the health of the bone: Several postures of Yoga demand you to bear your own weight such as the downward and the upward facing dog which also helps in making the bones in the arms stronger. Plus, Yoga is known to lower the cortisol levels which can boost the level of calcium in the bones.
Protection of the spine: The spinal disks which help in absorbing shock crave for movement through which they get the nutrition. Yoga can get you optimum backbends, twists and forward bends to keep the disks in a supple condition.
How has Yoga helped in improving health condition?
Timothy McCall, MD, wanted to come to India to research and investigate on the benefits of Yoga in 2002. Weeks before that he developed tingling sensation along with numbness in his right hand. He was scared and thought that it was something serious like multiple sclerosis or a brain disease but found that he had a nerve blockage in the neck and chest.

Even though it was incapacitating to some extent, this ailment was a blessing in disguise as he could allow Yoga experts to evaluate the cause of the problem and treat it and his experiment reaped benefits. He practiced Pranayama which is a breathing exercise, different moves and chanting to restore vital energy to the affected parts. This had not only helped him to get rid of these problems but also made his body even more flexible, improved his postures and relieved him of various symptoms.

Basic Yoga asanas that can help maintain health

Sukhasana
Shavasana
Balasana
Vajrasana
Bhujangasana
Trikonasana
Uttanasana
Pashcimottanasana
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Ushtrasana
More real life examples can be cited where people suffering from chronic illness have gotten a complete relief by practicing Yoga. Across the world, this ancient Indian therapy has been acknowledged as an effective alternative therapy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor.
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Foot Care & Eye Care In Diabetes

MBBS
General Physician, Mumbai
Foot Care & Eye Care In Diabetes
Diabetes can wreak havoc on the eye and the foot. Proper care is necessary in order to refrain from any serious consequences. It can damage the blood vessels and the nerves of the feet resulting in numbness and permanent disability. Some of the alarming foot symptoms include bruises, cuts, cracked skin and hard spots. Some of the common measures that need to be taken for foot include checking the temperature sensation of the foot by immersing it in hot water, drying the feet gently in between the toes and using agents such as lotion, lanolin, and petroleum jelly.

Some of the other preventive measure includes cutting the nails when they are young and straight to ensure no injury to the foot takes place. It should be ensured the toe is not touched by the nail of the toe. A pumice stone can be used to get rid of the corns immediately after a bath. No medicated pads or sharp razors should be utilised to cut corns. The feet should be soaked in warm water before trimming nails.

A shoe should be put on at all times to save the feet. The shoe sole should be thoroughly checked for foreign objects such as stones and nails to ensure that the foot is not hurt. Tight shoes should be strictly avoided in order to refrain from soreness and blisters. Dry and clean socks should be put up to ensure the foot is clean. For people living in cold area, wearing thick socks should be practised. This will help the foot protect from cold. Finally, a doctor should be called in case there are any visible signs of swelling, redness, cracks, pain or sensation of burning.

Too much blood sugar can cause harm to the eye in four ways: It can cause damage to the retina, lens, optic nerve and vitreous gel. There could be serious repercussions of diabetes to the eye including low vision and complete loss of vision. Diabetes blocks the retina and is capable of cutting off the total supply of oxygen.

Some of the common symptoms of retina related problems include double vision, a pressure in one eye, problems in corner vision, flashing lights, pain in the eye, blank spots etc. A simple check up by an oculist can reveal any eye problems related to diabetes.

An ophthalmologist can treat the diabetes-related eye problem by medicine that blocks the protein responsible for fluid leakage and blood vessel growth. He can also go for laser treatment to treat macular edema. Even scatter laser treatments are also used for this purpose. If all else fails a doctor chooses to perform a procedure known as vitrectomy.
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Ongoing Pain: How to Use Heat and Cold Therapy to Treat It?

MD, FIPP
Pain Management Specialist, Kolkata
Ongoing Pain: How to Use Heat and Cold Therapy to Treat It?
Most diseases, small or big, acute or chronic, accident or infection, have one common factor - pain. In most cases, in addition to reducing the severity of the infection or the impact to various structures from the trauma, managing pain assumes a bigger role. It is only when the pain is controlled can the bigger picture of disease management be done, as the patient would be inconsolable.

To this effect, in addition to pain killers, the most inexpensive and easily available modes of pain management are heat and cold. Though all are not aware, there are specific instances where heat and cold should be used as listed below.

Heat: Some of the common modes to heat therapy include heat pads, warm baths, paraffin wax system, hot water bottles, air-activated heat pack, or warm oils. Heat acts by improving blood circulation and nutritional supply to the body parts and is best suited for stiff joints and muscle soreness.

Some common ways to heat therapy include:

A warm shower or bath in the morning - this will ease morning stiffness and get you ready for exercise.
Apply a heating pad on the sore/stiff areas for up to 20 minutes - Use optimal, bearable temperature to avoid skin burns.
Wrap the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes with a moist heat pad. A wet towel can be put in the freezer and then warmed up in the microwave. Moist heat pads are also available with local pharmacies.
Warm mineral oils can be applied to the stiff joints of hands and legs. Leave it in place for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off.
For sore hand and foot joints, warm paraffin wax can be applied using the equipment available at drug stores. This will help ease the pain and soreness. Soak in a warm whirlpool.
Contrary to heat therapy, cold therapy acts by reducing blood flow to the affected area and numbing the nerve endings, thereby reducing the perception of pain. It works well for acute pain cases like fresh injuries and post-exercise inflammation.

A cold wrap with ice cubes can be applied to the painful area for about 15 to 20 minutes. This can be repeated if required after a break.
Alternately, a wet towel can be put in a plastic bag and kept in the freezer for 15 minutes and then used as a cold pack.
The affected joint can be submerged in a container of ice and water.
Cold gel packs are available at stores - these won't leak, will stay cold longer and can be easily wrapped around a joint.
Cryotherapy, as cold therapy is also called, is not as effective as heat therapy, though it does provide immediate relief.
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