Understanding The TMJ Disorder, Its Relief and Remedy Through Implant Dentistry

Malocclusion is a dental problem wherein the upper and lower teeth don't fit together in biting or chewing. In layman's term, it is called Bad bite. A bad bite is one of the reasons why one suffers TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder. TMJD affects the joint where the jaw and skull meet causing pain to radiate on face, neck, and shoulder areas. If malocclusion is the reason behind TMJ, Cosmetic dentistry may offer occlusal equilibration procedure. Occlusal equilibration is a procedure that modifies or corrects how the upper and lower teeth mesh. Through this, temporomandibular joint disorder can be eliminated.

It is easy to understand why the upper and lower teeth should work together. If only a few teeth engage in chewing or biting, those teeth will endure much force and subject to excessive weariness in an attempt to locate a position where the forces are more in balance. Teeth misalignment and teeth loss also subject the jaw muscles to fatigue due to its effort to achieve a balance force distribution on the teeth. The jaw joints may eventually develop popping, grating, clicking or pain from the unequal balance of forces due to the teeth's constant effort of grinding movement.

But, one must understand that a thorough medical examination is needed before submitting oneself to a dental procedure. Although cosmetic dentistry deals with correcting misaligned teeth, only an expert on TMJ can state what procedure is right on a certain case. Head or jaw trauma, loss of molars, scoliosis or even arthritis is some of the causes of TMJ disorder. If this is the case, additional neurological examinations is needed to be able to pinpoint the exact cause of TMJD. But, majority of TMJ cases are teeth related which can be usually treated with orthodontic procedure or through implant dentistry.

While treatment is still on its way, here are some TMJ relief techniques that can alleviate the pain and can be done at the comfort of your own home. First, you must relax yourself and make an effort to ease the tension in your jaw. Once relaxed, slowly start doing some jaw exercises by lightly pressing the jaw with your hands for five seconds. Do it a couple of times then move the jaw from side to side after. Hot and cold packs can also help. Do it alternately with a ten-minute interval. A good posture also helps give relief.

Avoid excessive chewing as well as teeth clenching as these may stress out the joint. Popping magnesium, according to recent studies, can also relieve the agonizing pain. Although not all cosmetic dentistry practitioners agree, there are doctors who recommend homeopathic remedies like arnica that helps speed up relief. Alternative treatment like acupressure is also suggested. Finding the right cure for TMJ disorder is important to an affected individual. If mistreated, further complication may arise. So, never rush yourself to be treated the way you wanted it to be. With a little patience, your TMJD will be cured in no time.

Is it Possible to Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis?

One of the reasons why it is difficult to prevent rheumatoid arthritis is that the medical community does not know what causes it. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic degeneration of the cartilage in the joints. It is caused by an autoimmune response that turns the body's white blood cells against that cartilage. It is characterized by swollen, tender joints that are stiff and painful to move. This is more so after periods of inactivity such as first thing in the morning. There is no known cure for this disease and only limited treatments.

It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis is a genetic disorder. The only known risk factors are being female and being between 40 and 60 years old. This is the group most likely to develop symptoms of RA. It does also affect men, though only about 1/3 as many as women and it has been seen to develop at earlier ages. It is also sometimes seen in children. Smoking may have a casual link to the onset of symptoms, but this is not entirely certain. If it is linked to the disease somehow, this would be the only risk factor over which a person can have any control.

While we can not prevent rheumatoid arthritis, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent joint damage. All of the current treatments are symptomatic and include anti -inflammatory medications, pain relievers, and in some cases the use of corticosteroids. Unfortunately, there is a balancing act that must take place. The goal is to slow or halt the progress of the disease while providing as much relief from pain as possible. These two goals often run counter to one another. The medications that reduce swelling and pain have side effects that can lead to more damage to the joints. The medications to prevent damaging the joint further can aggravate the pain level.

Untreated, rheumatoid arthritis is a highly degenerative disease that can progress to a point that leaves a person bedridden in later life. In addition to the medical treatments listed above, occupational and physical therapy is prescribed to improve or maintain range of motion and flexibility. Therapy can consist of exercises to strengthen the muscles around the joints. Other exercises will push the limits of mobility. The goal is to maintain the ability to function in daily life. This is literally a case of use it or lose it as allowing the joints to stiffen can lead to permanent and total disability.

Medical science is progressing rapidly with discoveries of new genetic markers for certain disorders and therapies designed to change certain genetic conditions. At the present time, there is no cure and no known method to prevent rheumatoid arthritis. The best one can hope for is to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms early and seek medical help to limit or prevent a portion of the joint damage caused by RA. Physical or occupational therapy and a mix of anti-inflammatory and pain medications are the best means available to treat the symptoms at this time.

TMJ And Chiropractic Treatment

The jaw is a hinge joint connecting the skull and the mandible and is enclosed by sixty eight pairs of muscles in front of the ear on each side of the head. They are in continuous use most of the time and helps in yawning, chewing, swallowing and speaking. This is the joint which is used the most in our body. You can find it by putting a finger in your ear and then pushing It forward when opening and closing your mouth. The condyle head of the mandible and the skull is separated by an articular disk. TMJ or temporal mandibular joint dysfunction takes place when this disk is misplaced. It has been observed that around thirty percent of the American population has the problem of TMJ disorder.

There are various symptoms in case of TMJ but a common one is range of motion and mobility being limited within the joint. If you are having the problem of TMJ and you open and close your mouth, the tissues of the joint may wear. If this problem is ignored, it can cause server problems. Therefore, it is advised to get diagnosis and treatment done from a chiropractor. You can test the range of motion of your jaw. This can be done by holding your palm vertically with your thumb facing the ceiling. You should flex your index finger so that it does not come in the way.

There are various cases of TMJ disorders. Missing or misaligned teeth can put the bone out of its right position. Even trauma from a car crash or fall can result in the same outcome. A very common reason for TMJ is whiplash. At times, it happens that stress causes clenching of the jaw and grinding of the teeth. This can cause a lot of pain and can strain the muscles. This pain can be in your neck, face and head resulting in discomfort and various symptoms. Like in case of a kidney infection, there are problems like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bladder infection and loss of appetite, TMJ can have various symptoms like headache and earache that can cause problem. You should consult your chiropractor in case you are suffering from the problem of TMJ. Chiropractic care is a natural way of treating TMJ. It does not have any side effects and hence is safe. TMJ is a condition which should be detected early for it to be treated properly.

Best Tip on How to Relieve TMJ Lockjaw

There are many ways to relieve TMJ lockjaw, but most dentists will tell you the best way to know how to relieve TMJ lockjaw is to listen to your body.

That's right! Your body is your best indicator of how your condition is doing. To experience TMJ lockjaw for the first time can be a scary and frustrating thing because you do not know what to expect, and also what to do to make the pain go away.

TMJ lockjaw happens when a person goes through a spasm and the shortening of the muscles of the jaw. You will know when you have a spasm or TMJ lockjaw if your lower jaw is able to slide from left to right, but you are not able to open your mouth. When this happens, most sufferers instinctively tense up their facial muscles to brace against the pain. This reflex has a damaging effect as it further tightens the jaw muscles causing more pain.

So, what's the best way to relieve TMJ lockjaw? Firstly, you have to relax. Relaxing your facial and body muscles is a crucial initial step as it paves the way for the consequent relieve techniques to work.

The next thing you want to do is to soothe the area with moist heat. Once you start to feel your jaw muscles start to loosen, then start doing some easy TMJ exercises to further stretch the muscles.

Before you start to stretch and loosen the jaw muscles, remember it is important to prep the jaw and help it relax using damp heat. When this is done, you are essentially directing blood flow to the sore muscles. To do this, soak a hand towel in a bowl of warm water (not too hot to the touch) and place it gently on the sore area for a few minutes.

Once you start to feel your muscles relax, then it's time to begin doing some jaw stretching exercises. Keep in mind that these exercises require a fair amount of patience as the best results come from slow and controlled movements.

Like any other medical condition, TMJ lockjaw affects sufferers in various ways, so a jaw exercise that is effective for one person may not work for someone else.

Having said that, there are some basic stretching exercises that everyone can do to begin the healing process. The following exercise is an easy technique that can be done whenever you feel your jaw starting to tense up:

1st Step: Open your mouth as wide and comfortably as you can (without feeling additional pain) and then close it slowly.

2nd Step: Open your mouth, moving the lower jaw to the left, as wide and comfortably as you can and then close it slowly.

3rd Step: Repeat the 2nd Step, but this time, move your lower jaw to the right.

Last Step: Repeat Steps 1-3 until you start to feel the pain slowly go away. It may take as little as 2 minutes, or as long as 5 minutes, so remember to be patient.

If this jaw exercise helps relieve your TMJ pain, then you can do other simple stretches to complement this exercise and enhance the healing process.

Getting TMJ relief is not as difficult as most people think it is. In fact, it can be incredibly simple and easy when you find the right set of jaw exercises that work for you. Remember, there is no need to feel stressed or tense if you have not found YOUR way to ease TMJ lockjaw. The best tip on how to relieve TMJ lockjaw is to RELAX!

Injuries to the Groin

All kinds of athletic activity carry the risk of suffering from a groin strain, being more usual in sporting activities which include common and forceful hip motion towards the centre of the body (hip adduction). Ice skating, hockey, swimming and soccer (football) are sports with higher incidences of groin injuries. Groin injuries may account for up to 5% of all muscular and tendinous injuries in soccer. If hip and groin pain presents in women, adolescents or children then particular and potentially more serious diagnoses should be considered.

Children with hip pain and a limp should be thoroughly investigated as the possible diagnoses include septic arthritis, a slipped epiphysis of the upper femur, Perthe's disease and avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Such conditions require the urgent attention of an orthopaedic surgical specialist. As pain can be referred from the hip to the knee region it is important for the surrounding joints to be assessed in the examination. In adolescent athletes the growth plate at the hip is a weaker area and may be involved in traumatic injuries.

The hip is the largest joint in the body and has an extensive range of motion. It is vulnerable to damage due to its weight bearing function and repetitive activities performed. Stiffness of the hip joint may be present some time before the incidence of a groin strain and a strain may occur more readily in the presence of reduced range. Acute groin injuries such as tears, strains or sprains of the muscles and tendons occur with forceful adduction of the hip, a movement towards the midline, or if the splits occurs accidentally. Chronic groin injuries present in activities which typically overuse the muscles, such as breaststroke and running.

A groin injury can be difficult to assess as the pain areas and the type of pain described vary and can be vague. There are many medical diagnoses which can be responsible for the symptom presentation of groin pain and these need to be kept in mind. Acute injuries are common and the most prevalent is the typical groin strain, a strain of one of the many muscles running from the pelvis to the femur, maintaining the femur in the centre line under movement. Likely injuring activities include sprinting, kicking, doing the splits, running and changing direction. Sharp groin pain with some thigh radiation is typical.

The junction of where the tendon and the muscle meet is the main region of injury with bleeding from the locally ruptured muscle fibres. The formation of fibrous tissue followed by scar is the method of healing, leaving the area vulnerable to repetitive injuries, with older sports people being at higher risk than younger athletes. If the injury is severe, part of the bone can come off with the tendon, causing an avulsion injury with surgical repair being required at times. Conservative treatment is the standard management with physiotherapists employing exercise, rest and ice.

The most commonly affected muscle in groin strains is one of the inner thigh muscles, the adductor longus. The injury can be in the belly of the muscle or at the junction of the tendon and the bone. Muscle belly injuries can be treated with gentle stretches once the acute period has settled, strengthening and getting back to activity as able. Tendon and bone injuries need a slower management programme with rest until the pain settles, gentle muscle work progressing to stretching and strengthening over a period of time and a gradual return to more stressful activities.

Other possibilities for the diagnosis of pain in the groin region include abdominal hernias, often not diagnosable by physical examination, managed conservatively to start with and then if necessary with surgical care. High energy physical events may cause fractures around the hip although older people may fracture with relatively trivial force. Severe pain and limitation of hip movements and gait should be noted and referral made if needed. Sporting activities which involve repeated impacts such as running can cause stress fractures of the pubic rami or the neck of the femur. Other conditions to consider are avulsion fractures if pain onset is quick and inflammation of a bursa.

Powerful Joint Muscle Pain Relief

There has been some recently published research signifying infrared light as successful treatment to aid in joint muscle pain relief. Studies indicate that directly applied infrared light therapy significantly reduces the instances of pain in the joints and the muscles that support them. Infrared light will increase circulation because it increases the formation of new capillaries. Capillaries speed up the healing process because they supply extra oxygen and nutrition needed for joint muscle pain relief and healing.

Infrared light can also stimulate the production of collagen, which is a protein found in the human body. This protein is vital for repairing damaged tissue in the joints. Collagen holds cells together and is highly elastic. If you can increase the production of collagen in an injured area, you will ultimately decrease the amount of scar tissue in said area. Scar tissue does not stretch and can exacerbate pain.

Light therapy can also help to stimulate the body to release adenosine triphosphate , also called ATP, which carries energy to the cells. Extra APT will help your cells to better absorb nutrition that can lead to joint muscle pain relief.

One major reason that infrared light is good for joint muscle pain relief is because it helps to increase lymphatic activity in the body. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing proteins that cause swelling from injured areas, including the joints. According to recent studies, infrared light therapies can potentially double the processes of the lymph system. This means swelling is more quickly reduced and joint muscle pain relief is discovered more quickly.

Light therapy will also reduce nerve tissue excitability. Light energy photons enter the human body as negative ions, requiring the body to compensate with positive ions. These positive ions flow to treated area, thus regulating nerves and relieving pain.

The list of benefits for infrared therapy goes on and on. If you're experiencing joint muscle pain and you're seeking relief, consider adding infrared light therapy to your arsenal of pain treatment!

Tooth Grinding - What Your Dentist Doesn't Know Can Hurt You

Over one million Americans wake up each morning with pain from nighttime tooth grinding and clenching (bruxism). Does the fact that these people remain in pain every day mean they all don't have dentists? No, actually most of these people have dentists. Unfortunately, while most dentists are expert at preventing tooth damage and repairing damaged teeth, they are taught little or nothing in dental school about the psychology of habits, and most long-term tooth grinding and clenching is a habit most people would very much like to kick.

So what does it take to kick the habit of tooth grinding and clenching? As you might suspect from thinking about other habits (like smoking, over-eating, drinking, or nail biting), the answer is different for different people. The "solution" that most dentists currently recommend is a custom-made mouth guard. Lots of people take their dentist's recommendation and plunk down between $500 and $800 for a custom-made mouth guard. Once you have paid for yours, you get to find out if you are someone whose nighttime clenching gets worse or better when you wear a mouth guard.

"Wait a minute..." you might say "did you say my clenching could get worse?" It certainly could. You see, the problem is that while mouth guards obviously protect your teeth, they don't necessarily make you bite less. The nature of the tooth grinding and clenching habit for some people is that a mouth guard is more of an annoyance to be chewed through than a signal to relax.

Fortunately, there are a lot more possible ways to interrupt a habit than just sticking a mouth guard in your mouth. Some people have success reducing tooth grinding and clenching through hypnosis. An EMG-measuring headband such as the SleepGuard biofeedback headband can be used to measure tooth grinding, and biofeedback can be used with or without hypnosis to kick the tooth grinding habit. Some people find that changing their sleep environment and avoiding foods they are allergic to also makes a difference. For a comprehensive list of the ways that different people have succeeded in kicking the habit of tooth grinding and clenching, check out the non-profit resource website http://StopGrinding.org.

Ease Shoulder Pain With All-Natural Glucosamine

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting the shoulder. This painful form of arthritis can affect anyone, but is most prevalent among patients over the age of 50. Prior shoulder injury can also predispose a person to developing osteoarthritis and research indicates that osteoarthritis in the shoulder may be genetically linked.

Also known as degenerative joint disease or wear-and-tear arthritis, osteoarthritis is characterized by a wearing away of the cartilage cushion in the joint. As this cartilage cushion degenerates, bare bones are exposed to each other resulting in inflammation and pain. The disease is progressive and there is no cure.

Although symptoms get progressively worse as the condition of the joint worsens, they do not always do so steadily. In other words, you may have a good month or a bad month... a good day or a bad week. The unpredictable nature of such pain can lead to great frustration, particularly for those who are more active.

Symptoms vary, but common indicators of osteoarthritis include pain in the joint, swelling, stiffness and limited range of motion, and a sense of "catching" in the joint - a pesky "trick" shoulder that "acts up" at the most inopportune time.

A trip to the doctor will commonly result in a physical examination and x-rays. Many, if not most, physicians then recommend a litany of treatments ranging from prescription pain relievers or cortisone injections to physical therapy or surgery.

While all of these options are viable, each comes with specific risks. Stomach upset, headaches and stroke are only a few of the risks associated with such treatments. With this in mind, many physicians may also recommend dietary modification and nutritional supplementation for relief without the risk.

The most common nutritional supplement physicians recommend for osteoarthritis relief is glucosamine and chondroitin. These two molecules occur naturally in the joints of all humans and are the foundation of healthy bones and joints. In a damaged joint, glucosamine and chondroitin are in short supply and the body doesn't have the raw materials necessary to build new cartilage. With regular supplementation, however, the body has an advantage and can actually repair the damage caused by osteoarthritis. This is in sharp contrast to commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that only reduce inflammation temporarily and do nothing to improve the condition of the damaged joint.

Hip Joint Pain

Hip joint pain is a common problem. It needs to be treated immediately and with great care, as hip joint pain reduces a patient's level of activity. There could be many causes for hip joint pain. Arthritis is one of the most common causes of hip joint pain. It can be treated with medicines, but in some cases one may require hip replacement surgery if conventional treatment fails.

Trochanteric bursitis, caused by inflammation of the bursa over the outside of the hip joint, is another common cause of hip joint pain. Tendonitis, in any of the tendons surrounding the hip joint, could also cause hip joint pain.

Apart from this, some of the other causes of hip joint pain include osteonecrosis, snapping hip syndrome, strained muscles or hip fractures, and other hip injuries. Sometimes, certain hip-related problems faced during childhood could also cause hip joint pain later in life. Take for example developmental dysplasia, in which hips are dislocated in infants. This could hamper the proper development of hip joints. During childhood it may not cause pain, but a few years later it could lead to arthritis, causing problems even in walking.

Another disease, called perthes, can permanently damage the hip joint during childhood. The treatment for hip joint pain depends on the cause of the problem. It is important to understand the cause before starting any treatment.

The treatment of hip joint pain often involves use of heating pads and ice packs. They are quite effective in reducing inflammation and providing relief from pain. In most of the hip joint pain cases, the patient is asked to rest the joint. This allows inflammation to subside. It also provides relief from acute pain. The patient may be asked to use crutches or a cane in some cases, to reduce the stress on the hip joints while walking.

Degenerative Arthritis - The Best Treatment Available

The majority of people seem to assume that arthritis refers to just one medical condition when in fact the word arthritis encompasses over one hundred different known diseases. Nearly every joint in the body can develop a distinct form of arthritis, sometimes resulting inflammation and related pain that is physically overwhelming.

Arthritis does not choose to attack only a certain age group or gender; everyone is potentially susceptible. Despite the widely held belief that arthritis is an old people disease, many children also suffer from arthritis, the number of them reaching well into the millions. In some cases, these children's forms of arthritis are worse than those that adults contract.

Although it is frequently diagnosed, degenerative arthritis is not at all easy to deal with. The pain and inflammation that this condition causes often stops people from carrying on their normal daily activities. It can vary from mild to severe problems, which can seriously impact day to day life.

You need to take the matter of finding effective treatment for your degenerative arthritis very seriously if you have developed this illness. Instead of simply allowing your doctor to worry about it, you need to proactively work to find a treatment for this arthritis condition, taking responsibility for your own health.

Finding a treatment for degenerative arthritis that is both effective and lacking in unpleasant side effects is not something that you can do all by yourself. You must avail yourself of the assistance that only a trained medical professional can offer you.

Even if your search for an effective treatment for degenerative arthritis lasts for years, do not give. Do all you can to be optimistic.

Available Treatments

Medications prescribed to you by your doctor are a good first step in your search for an effective treatment for degenerative arthritis, whether it be of the spine, hand, or anything else. Prescription drugs tend to have the best success rate when it comes to treating arthritis.

Using prescription drugs when you are first beginning to treat your arthritis is a wise choice even if you plan on switching to an all natural treatment method later. You will be better able to undergo natural treatments if you pain is under control.

Arthritis cannot yet be cured, but that does not mean that it cannot be treated effectively. Be positive and keep up the hunt for a successful treatment method so that you can enjoy your life to the fullest despite your arthritis.

Decreasing Inflammation Pain in Your Joints Can Be Helped With BluTack, Tape and Omega-3 DHA

If you are like me, you will have reached the age where you now suffer from a few pain issues. Therefore you will more than likely be interested in a simple way of decreasing inflammation, RSI, muscle, tendon, and medial nerve pain particularly in your hands, wrists and other joints.

For over 10 years now I have suffered from these problems particularly in my hands, wrists and right knee joint, which all become more inflamed when I play my favorite sport -- golf once a week.

Some years ago I came up with what I believe to be a pretty ingenious solution that enables me to cope with the pain when I play. There are about 14 points where I experience pain in my hands and wrists when I grip the club and take a swing. Sometimes it hurts so much I can barely grip the club at all.

My simple method is to place small circles of BluTack held in place by rigid tape at the points of pain, commonly where the finger joints form a V on top of your hand and sides of your wrists. This is then covered with an elastic pressure bandage. I guess you could possibly relate this method to some type of acupuncture, where you are applying pressure to a certain point. I don't really care about the theory -- all I know and care about is it works and I can continue playing golf.

10 years ago I could only play three painful holes of golf before the inside of my right knee would swell to the size of a tennis ball with inflammation, I either had to waddle on in severe pain or give up.

An old football friend of mine showed me how to do a kind of figure 8 bandage around my knee using rigid tape, which stabilized the joint and supported my kneecap. Walking up to 36 holes pain free became possible after mastering this simple taping technique.

Three years ago I started taking a cheap brand of fish oil capsules and noticed some minor improvements in my joints. However 18 months ago I stumbled across a superior brand of fish oil on the Internet with a high concentration of DHA omega-3 fatty acid in particular. There has been a marked improvement in reducing joint pain in my hands.

Think about trying natural alternative methods to control your joint, muscular, tendon and nerve pain, including stretching exercises. Taking painkilling pills or rubbing on these types of chemical ointments is not necessarily the most effective, safest or best long term solution.

What Is Lumbar Spondylosis?

Defination of Lumbar Sponylosis

This is the degenerative condition when the lower spine of a person is affected in way that it is troubled by a narrowing of the space between the spine bones.

Overview of Lumbar Spondylosis

Lumbar spondylosis is a degenerative joint disease which is common in aging individuals. This occurs due to wear and tear of the bones of the lower vertebrae. The degenerative nature of spondylosis makes it function with repetition, which causes another. This disorder commences with the discs when they become dry and less flexible. This makes them shrink in dimension and move about in an unusual way, which influences the joints and ligaments surrounding them. Lumbar spondylosis occurs as a consequence of new bone development in areas where the anular ligament is stressed. The lumbar spine is the region that carries most of the body's weight so the degenerative forces affect the most of this region of the spine. Spondylosis is normally described by slippage of one spine over the other. Symptoms associated with spondylosis of the lumbar vertebrae differ depending on the lifestyles of the individuals.

What are the symptoms of Lumbar Spondylosis?

In lumbar spondylosis, the spine is affected by a contraction of the spaces between the vertebrae causing many health concerns ranging from back pain to neurological issues. This starts becoming evident when the person gets older and the vertebrae undergo several changes. In lumbar spondylosis, the general effects are; stiffness in the spine and pain at the lower back. But sometimes symptoms of lumbar spondylosis occur slowly and in some cases the symptoms not at all develop. The individuals' lifestyle and activities such as weight Lifting, leaning, standing or sitting for long time can strengthen the lower back pain. However the Lower back arthritis may go downwards in the buttock area, thighs and legs. The patient can also face bowel and bladder malfunctioning. There may also be muscle spasms and a severe back pain. The symptoms usually commence after the age of forty and continue to increase in potency as the individual grows old.

How can Lumbar Spondylosis be caused?

Spondylosis is the condition of degenerative osteoarthritis of the joints between the center of the spinal vertebrae. The foremost basis of this degeneration is the aging progression in an individual. The lumbar spine comprise of most of the body weight, so when an individual reaches an older age, the spines experience aging as well which causes tightening of disc spaces. Thickening of ligaments, that surround the disc, takes place and it becomes calcified.

Other causes are the sitting or standing for long hours and injuries in the lower spine of an individual. Inheritance of this disease and obesity are also the factors identified for occurrence of this disease, if an individual has excessive body weight, it exerts more pressure to the spine which can subject it to the degenerative process. When the person is aging the capability of the body decreases and the spine is prone to the development of arthritis. Individual activity levels also predict the occurrence of this disorder.

How can Lumbar Spondylosis be treated?

The treatment of lumbar spondylosis is physiotherapy and other medicine practices. Patient awareness programs on his/her lifestyle are necessary. The changing of an individual's lifestyle predominantly work-related changes helps in controlling pain to some extent. A modification in in the diet and lifestyle, together with adequate exercise can also help to restrain the symptoms. The use of corset or brace, provides a support to the lower back region and help relieve the pressure and pain. However surgery is performed after a deep and careful diagnose and there is no surety for a permanent cure through surgical methods.

Living With Arthritis Pains and Its Complications

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is a chronic disease that comes with pain and loss of movement of the joints. It is a joint disorder caused by disease, infection, anomalies and other factors that affect the everyday activities. Arthritis affects the people of all ages, including children and young adults but generally people over 50years show more signs of arthritis because the joint naturally degrades overtime. Arthritis is not a single disease, but a term that covers over 100diseases and medical conditions that can affect many parts of the body. It is a long term disease that cannot be totally cured but can be managed with proper medical care, adequate therapy and by treating its symptoms.

However, it should be noted that arthritis is associated with diseases of other tissues and organs in the body and as a result it is considered as one of the major causes of disability in people who are over 50years and above. In the United States, arthritis is the leading cause of disability and researchers claimed that nearly 1 in every 5 adults has some form of arthritis.

We have various types of arthritis and for this article l would like to write on the most common types of arthritis and these are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis Arthritis - is a disease that can cause the breakdown of joint tissue which leads to joint pain and stiffness. It is normal inflammatory and at onset is subtle and gradually starting from one or few joints. It is also known as degenerative joint disease, resulting from wear and tear of cartilage usually associated with old age. The pressure of gravity causes damage to the joints and surrounding tissues leading to pain, tenderness and sometimes swelling at different parts of the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis - is a chronic disease potentially disabling type of arthritis that occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the synovium (cell lining the joint). It usually causes severe joint pain, loss of joint function, stiffness, swelling and sometimes leads to permanent deformity. Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose early because the symptoms can be deceptive. As a result no single test can conclusively establish its correct diagnosis. It is responsible for arthritis pain and inflammation joints that affects most joints of the body like fingers, wrists, kneels and toes.

Treatment of Arthritis

Over the years proper treatment have help to relieve arthritis symptoms and correct many serious joint problems. Sometimes physical and occupational therapy is used to control and maintain joint mobility and range of motion. The proper kind and amount of this therapy depends on the underlying cause and individual factors.

Arthritis cure largely depends on the type, the severity of the problem and previous response to treatment by the patients. As a result, medical supervision is a must because arthritis like rheumatoid can be crippling and can affect other organs in the body. Doses of aspirin or aspirin-like drugs are common prescription that effectively reduced arthritis pain and inflammation. In case of severe pains, drugs like DMARDS or SAARDS (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or slow-acting antirheumatic drugs) such as anti-malaria are administered.

Once again l would like to emphasize that all these drugs prescribed require close supervision and that most of them have hazardous effects, for example in some patients aspirin interferes with platelet function and this can cause serious bleeding.

Finally, in treating arthritis the major concern of the doctor is to provide the best treatment that will reduce the pains, or further damage to the joints and prevent any permanent deformity.

Be Warned - Processed Foods Are Poisoning Your Body!

The dangers of processed foods have been revealed. Numerous web pages and print pages are filled with how processed foods are killing the modern generation. Yet, Americans continue to spend about 90 percent of their food budget on such foods. They can't help it. Their hectic lifestyle and lack of awareness coerces them to stuff their refrigerators with all the edible junk they can find in the market.

There are 5 ingredients used in processed foods that make them a killer. Read them carefully so that next time you think twice before opening a box of ready-to-eat food.

Trans-Fats

This is the biggest killer and is found in ALL processed foods! Trans fat is associated with cancer, heart disease, digestive problems, and degeneration of tendons and joints. It leads to learning disabilities, skin problems, auto immune disorders, and stunted growth in kids.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

This substance raises triglyceride levels as well as bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. This happens within an hour of eating fast food that contains this ingredient! In 2005, most of the cases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and hypoglycemia were associated with this ingredient. The average per head consumption of this substance in America is 68 pounds per year.

White Sugar

Studies have shown sugar to be more addictive than cocaine! It gives you an instant "high" and a sudden "low" thereafter. This white slayer damages your defense mechanism against infections and suppresses your immune system. It has been found to promote cancer cells. It's also related to ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostrate cancer. Scared? And to think of it, you've being consuming the white crystals for so long, unaware of the dangers of processed food! The average annual per head consumption of white sugar in America is 197 pounds.

Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are NOT a safe and better alternative to sugar as they are thought to be. These sweeteners harm the ability of your body to control body weight; they activate your hunger, and promote more fat deposition and weight gain. They also tend to give you more carb cravings.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
This is a concentrated salt. It's also an excito-toxin, which activates your cells so much that they get damaged. In other words, MSG acts as a poison. This ingredient on food labels is often disguised as gelatin, casein, broth, hydrolyzed, autolyzed, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, malted barley, yeast extract, rice or brown rice syrup. MSG is associated with loss of vision and damage of nerves.

So, folks, now you realize that you're not feeding your kids with food, but are preparing them for a slow death! The dangers of processed foods are so deadly; it's high time you banished them from your refrigerator and your life.

Self Care Program For Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ)

Noises in the jaw joint are extremely common and do not automatically mean that something is wrong. Like your knee or shoulder, the TM joint and/or muscles in our jaw can be strained or injured. The injury can be the result of a specific trauma or can result from prolonged microtrauma due to oral habits. Once a joint or muscle is strained, it can be easily re-aggravated like a sprained ankle which is subsequently more prone to re-injury. Because we use the jaw for so many activities (talking, eating, yawning, and laughing etc), TOTAL relaxation of the jaw joint and surrounding muscles is difficult. However, holding the jaw muscles and joints in a relaxed position is very manageable with practice. This plus avoidance of activities that would overwork the area will be helpful to reduce pain and prevent additional strain. The following suggestions should help:

1. Eat a Pain-Free diet. Avoid hard foods, such as nuts or bagels. Avoid chewy foods such as steak or candy. Cut fruits into small pieces and steam vegetables. Chew with your back teeth rather than biting with your front teeth. Eat anything you want as long as it does not cause pain or locking in your jaw. If "normal" food causes pain, put any food you like in a blender and start on grind. Blend the food to the chewiest consistency that does not cause pain or locking in your jaw. Do not stay on a soft food diet too long and periodically increase the hardness/chewiness of your diet as tolerated. Discuss the details of your diet with your dentist or therapist. Chew your food on both sides at the same time to reduce strain on one side. Specifically, cut your food into its normal size, cut that in half and put one piece on both sides of your mouth and chew. This will take practice.

2. Tongue Up, Teeth Apart (Tatu), And Jaw Muscles Relaxed. The teeth should never be touching/resting together except occasionally they touch lightly with swallowing. We suggest that you closely monitor your jaw position during your waking hours so that you maintain your jaw in a relaxed, comfortable position. This involves placing the tongue lightly on the roof of your mouth while allowing the teeth to come apart, and relaxing the jaw muscles. Another option is to practice "clucking" your tongue.

3. Avoid nicotine and minimize caffeine. Caffeine is a "muscle tensing" drug and can make your muscles feel tighter. Caffeine or caffeine-like drugs are in coffee, tea, soda, "energy" drinks, chocolate and some aspirins. Decaffeinated coffee typically has half as much caffeine as regular.

4. Avoid oral habits that put strain on the jaw muscles and joints. These include teeth clenching, teeth grinding, touching or holding the teeth together, biting fingernails, cheeks, lips, pens or pencils etc. DO NOT CHEW GUM. Avoid resting your jaw on your hand and activities that involve wide opening of the jaw such as excessive yawning.

Prevention is One of the Best Cures For TMJ

The TMJ is an overworked joint in the body and there are many people who may not be aware of what a TMJ disorder and its symptoms are. Known as the Tempero Mandibular Joint disorder, this is a condition that causes pain that is brought about by the tenderness in the joint situated between the lower jaw that is also called the mandible and the temporal bone of the skull.

The TMJ is made up of bones that are used for chewing, biting, swallowing, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, spitting and other similar movements that involve the mandible. The symptoms of this problem are chronic headaches, severe facial pain, clicking jaws, inability to extend the mandible without experiencing excruciating pain.

Prevention, of course, is one of the best cures for TMJ. It makes sense to avoid any movements of an already overused joint, i.e., do not chew gum, avoid teeth grinding and jaw clenching, talk sparingly when you know you have been talking too much previously, and maintain a good posture that does not additionally tax this joint. These simple tips do not completely guarantee that you will be TMJ disorder-free, but they can certainly help.

There are simple cures for TMJ and you can follow them easily. Mild massaging and stretching helps alleviate much of the pain. A mouth guard that is soaked in hot water for some time should be placed in your mouth so that you bite on it instead of grinding your teeth. This cure helps you to steady your jaw to some extent.

Best Joint Supplement - Natural Joint Pain Relief

Many elderly people complain of joint pain. It can be so debilitating at times that it can restrict mobility, making a person completely invalid. An aching joint thus interferes much with day to day activities. The main cause of joint pain is damage to the joint. The phenomenon is also termed as arthritis. Knee, hip, shoulder, spinal joints etc are prone to easy damage for they bear the load of the body or support the body structure.

Wearing out and tearing of cartilage, exposing bone heads at a joint to friction is the basic cause of pain in joint. Friction between bone heads reduces them to spurs. This leads to pain at joints, tenderness, swelling, heat, stiffness, and redness of skin at the joints. The pain may be acute or chronic, making mobility quite impossible. Aging and cessation of cartilage repair process, obesity, bone infection, prior history of bone fracture or any other bone injury, auto-immune joint disorder, elevation of uric acid levels and crystallization of uric acid within joint, drying up of synovial fluid are factors leading to pain in joint.

It is necessary to timely manage joint pain. Light exercise, massage, heat compress, Epsom salt bath etc can minimize the negative impacts of joint pain to some extent. The market offers uncountable analgesics, steroid drugs to manage joint pain. But one must think twice before trying them out, keeping in mind their adverse side-effects on human body.

Therefore it is best to treat pain with supplements that are purely natural in formulation. Joint Advance is one such natural joint pain relief supplement, shielding your joints, making them healthy and nourishing them from within. Joint Advance is free from harmful side-effects, for it is composed of herbal ingredients. The supplement enjoys doctors' endorsement, and you will feel its amazing results within 30 days of intake. This stupendous product will make you feel strong at your joints like never before. The manufacturer of the product enjoys GMP or good manufacturing practicing status.

The ingredients of Joint Advance are Glucosamine complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, MSM, white willow barks extracts, ginger, and Vitamin C. These ingredients are easily metabolized in to the patient's system, providing nutritional strength to the weak joints. With Joint Advance you will throw away your walking stick and feel like dancing again! This is 100% herbal and natural, hence there is no side effects of using this for long time.

Is It Possible To Simply Rid Your Yard Of Ticks And Mosquitoes?

It was Christmas 2010 and I was completely incoherent, couldn't think straight and had excruciating hip joint pain, so much so that I wound up having emergency surgery, all due to Lyme disease. My sister Tina, who lives not far from Lyme, Connecticut, the epicenter of the Lyme epidemic, asked, "do you get your yard sprayed for ticks?" No, we had never heard of that. Didn't know it was even possible. Sure enough though, it is possible, and there is a new and growing industry built around spraying for ticks and mosquitoes.

The barrier spray business within the pest control world has blossomed into a growing field specialized in ridding yards of the ever increasing problem of ticks and mosquitoes. Ticks carry Lyme disease and other co-infections. Lyme has been called the great imitator and it is often misdiagnosed as Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, eye problems, hearing loss and sometimes even death. Mosquitoes are not only annoying but they can carry diseases including West Nile Virus. Both can be effectively eradicated.

Depending on the program offered, pest control companies will come out to your residence per a prescribed schedule and spray your yard for ticks and mosquitoes. The intervals of spraying generally are every three weeks during the "season". The season generally begins when the instances of these pests rise and when people start spending more time outside. Interesting to note, ticks do not hibernate, they are active all winter.

There are two methods of yard spraying. The first is the saturation method. Where pesticide is sprayed through a high powered hose on your grassy areas and fringe areas. The second and more common method is via a backpack sprayer. A backpack sprayer looks just like the leaf blower that the lawn service guys use. The difference being, instead of high powered blowing, the sprayer shoots out a very fine mist that will coat vegetation and with the correct pesticide, kill ticks and mosquitoes on contact and provide an invisible barrier that will last up to three weeks depending on the product.

There are many pesticide options for the professionals to use. The most common is pyrethroid based. Pyrethroids are comprised of the synthetic derivatives of the chrysanthemum flower. There are also organic options out there such as rosemary oil and to a lesser extent garlic. Who knew that a flower and herbs would kill ticks and mosquitoes?

This season it is possible to have a tick and mosquito free backyard.

Sore Jaw Bone - and the Top 4 TMJ Symptoms

Living with a sore jaw bone on a regular basis could mean that you suffer from a condition called TMJ. Over 12 million people in the world suffer from TMJ. TMJ, also known as Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome or TMD, is a condition involving the alignment of the jaw which causes pain and discomfort. Here are the top 4 TMJ Symptoms:

1. 
   Jaw Clicking and Popping - Misalignment of the jaw bone and other disorders associated with TMJ cause a fairly classic symptom, which is a popping of the jaw joint or clicking sound. This clicking and popping may or may not be painful.


2. 
   Migraines - Migraines or frequent tension headaches could be a symptom of TMJ. Individuals with TMJ often suffer from these types of headaches on a regular basis, sometimes making everyday life difficult.


3. 
   Lock Jaw - Lock jaw describes a limited to no ability to open the jaw or mouth. At this point, emergency intervention is sometimes needed in extremely severe cases.


4. 
   Neck and Shoulder Pain - TMJ places an extreme amount of stress on the entire head and neck area. Tension, stress, and pain in the neck and shoulders is often one of the first symptoms of TMJ, along with jaw pain.

TMJ can be a difficult disorder to live with because of the discomfort and sometimes excruciating pain that it brings. Therapeutic management of the condition is one of the keys to finding relief and even reversing the misalignment of the jaw. Don't let anyone tell you that you must undergo expensive and painful surgery to correct your TMJ.

Natural Methods to Help Ease TMJ Pain

TMJ or Temporomandibular joint disorder, is a very painful joint disorder that is caused when the joint between the jawbone and where it connects to the skull becomes "disjointed". The result can be as mild as a clicking sound when you eat to as chronic as a sharp pain similar to a cutting knife every time you open and shut your mouth.

To make matters worse, surgery is not a 100% effective in TMJ patients and can cost thousands of dollars. In this article, I am going to go over a couple natural methods to ease the pain that TMJ causes. I am also going to show some key vitamins that may help those who have to live with the pain.

To Reduce TMJ Pain, you must first reduce the inflammation that it causes.

Most people simply look for a cure rather than what is causing the symptoms. In a lot of cases when it comes to home remedies, discovering the catalyst can become the key to understanding how to treat the problem. Most people who have issues with TMJ have it because there is inflammation in the jawbone. This jaw pain can be caused by the grinding of the teeth at night or even by simply chewing gum.

And the good news is that there are certain plants as well as foods that can help eliminate the problem quickly. These plants will help to alleviate jaw pain by reducing the inflammation caused by TMJ.

• Magnesium will help to reduce jaw pain primarily because of what magnesium does for the body; it relaxes the nervous system. Ironically, magnesium's effects are directed squarely on the jawbone.


• MSM can help to reduce the muscle spasms of the jaw and is noted to help reduce inflammation as well.


• If you have cartilage damage due to TMJ then you will want to supplement your diet with Glucosamine Sulfate. While not clinically recognized as proven to work, thousands of people have attested to glucosamine for relieving joint pain.

Learning to Live With Degenerative Disc Disease and Back Arthritis

The lumbar spine is composed of five vertebrae; each one is connected to the next by the intervertebral disc and two facet joints. The discs between each vertebra are made up of a tough outer ring called an annulus and a soft inner core called the nucleus pulposis.

The annulus is a ligament like material that connects the vertebra together around the outer edge. It provides a tough strong connection between the vertebrae and holds the soft jelly like nucleus pulposis in place. The intervertebral disc acts as a shock absorber, and allows limited motion Each Level.

The facet joints are a zygapophyseal joint, which means that they have two smooth surfaces that glide across each other contained inside of a joint capsule. The joint capsule is filled with synovial fluid that lubricates the joint. These work with the intervertebral discs to control of the motion of the lumbar spine.

As we age, the annulus becomes dry and stiff, and the nucleus pulposis loses its water content becoming hard and fibrous. At the same time, the facet joints are getting worn and irregular, and possibly developing bone spurs. This makes your back stiff and painful when you try to move.

Trying to live your life in spite of this pain is not always easy, but there are some things you can do. Over the counter pain medicine, staying thin, and staying active and involved with your life can all help. Carefully avoiding bending and lifting will help to avoid exacerbations of pain.

Steroid injections are sometimes helpful when one specific pain generator can be identified, but in most cases the pain is widespread and the condition exists at multiple levels. There are some surgical options but none of them are very good. A lumbar fusion is possible, but it is usually very difficult to identify which level is causing the pain, and you can't fuse every level.

You should always check with your doctor before beginning any new medication, but over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs can provide relief of the arthritis in your back. There are other topical agents that will also help.

Staying thin and staying fit will help because any weight you carry in front pulls on your back. Exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles as well as exercises to strengthen your back will go a long ways toward relieving the pain of degenerative disc disease and arthritis in your back.

Staying active and choosing to be happy can also help relieve pain. Being involved at your church and with other activities can distract you from your pain and bring periods of relief. The pain of degenerative disc disease and back arthritis will likely never be relieved 100%, but with a little bit of help and a good attitude we can learn to live with it.

Understanding Arthritis in Dogs

One of the worst sicknesses that a dog can have in his years is dog arthritis, which is a degenerative disease that involves damage to the joints and cartilage and result in pain and having a hard time walking or running. This can strike on any dog, whether small or large, whatever the age and condition. As pet owners, you must have knowledge of the different types of dog arthritis so you can take care of your dog more:

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of dog arthritis where it is caused by a trauma to the joint, infection or age. It is a degenerative joint disease that is progressive and the cartilage breaks down. This results to the bones rubbing against each other, thus resulting to the joints being painful and stiff.

Another type is the hip dysplasia, which is a genetic joint disease. This is where hip sockets are deformed and there is inflammation of the joint and the tissues surrounding the area will begin to deteriorate and have a breakdown. Elbow Dysplasia is a degenerative hereditary disease where bones do not form well and chip. This is the common cause of lameness of the front legs and is usually seen on large breeds of dogs. There is also the knee dysplasia, which is the malformation of the leg bones and results the loosening of the kneecap bone.

Other types of dog arthritis are: hypertrophic dog arthritis where there is excessive bone growth and spurs in the joint; osteochondrosis, which is caused by poor diet and cartilage deterioration; and degeneration of the shoulders where a trauma or an unstable joint causes the breakdown of shoulder cartilage. As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to watch out for the signs and symptoms of dog arthritis so you can prevent it from happening. Some of the symptoms are: loss of appetite has a hard time walking and running, sleeps more/inactivity, stiffness and limping, usual urinating in the house, always irritable, and depressed or withdrawn. If more than two of these symptoms, it's time to bring your dog to your trusted veterinarian. You need to know what kind of treatment is best for your dog so as you can help in relieving their pain. One of the common treatments is physical therapy where exercise is encouraged. This preserves join flexibility and maintains the dog's muscles. One exercise that improves the muscles without making it tired is swimming.

Then there are medications that can relive the dog's pain, and one recommended is Nonsteroidal Anti Inflammation Drugs or NSAIDS. This medicine will not repair the whole dog arthritis, but instead relieve the pain to, at least, make your dog's everyday life normal. It will actually depend on the vet what medicines he or she will give base on the tests done on your dog. Last, but not the least treatment is supplements that contain glucosamine. Glucosamine promotes new cartilage growth and relieves pain, since this ingredient is always present on animal bones. It also improves mobility of the joint and can be used a dietary supplement.

A pet owner will always be responsible for his or her pet and taking care of dog arthritis is a number one priority. One of the things you can do is prevent dog arthritis by giving your dog exercise and proper diet. Watch their diet and give them food that are rich in vitamins and minerals, plus exercise for their bones to be strong and healthy.

Canine Hip Dysplasia - Symptoms, Treatment and Surgery

What is Hip Dysplasia?

The hip joint consists of a 'ball" on the femoral bone, and a "socket" on the hip bone. Canine hip dysplasia simply defined is when a dog's hips do not develop normally and the ball does not fit snugly into the socket.

What Causes Hip Dysplasia?

While there is no conclusive proof of the cause of hip dysplasia, there are 2 general schools of thought about its cause - 1) genetic or 2) environmental.

These two differing viewpoints often place the dog breeders at odds with the dog owners, causing each to blame the other for the problem.

Genetic: The puppy is born with the problem

Environmental: The puppy is too heavy resulting in excessive growth and/or over or under exercising a puppy during its growth phase resulting in developmental problems.

The most common theory is that hip dysplasia is indeed genetic. Most breeders have their breeding dogs' hips rated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (Penn-HIP), or various other international orthopedic groups. We could discuss the merits of both theories, but it doesn't change the facts. If your dog has hip dysplasia, you need to deal with it.

When Does a Dog Get Hip Dysplasia?

If you subscribe to the theory that it is genetic, they are born with it. Dogs that have severe hip dysplasia often begin to have problems as puppies. Sometimes, the hip dysplasia does not cause pain for the dog, so they do not show signs of it until they develop arthritis in their hip joints. Some dogs that are not as severe can live out their entire lives with few, if any symptoms.

What are the Symptoms of Hip Dysplasia?

There are a number of symptoms of hip dysplasia. Some dog owners only say that their dog didn't walk right. Others will say they saw no symptoms at all, or just that their dog began to limp. Following is a list of common symptoms, of which your dog may have a couple and not have hip dysplasia.

Bunny Hopping: The dog tends to use both hind legs together, rather than one at a time. This occurs when the dog is running, or going up stairs.

Side Sit: Also called lazy sit, slouch or frog sit. When the dog sits, its legs are not positioned bent and close to the body. They can be loose and off to one side, or one or both legs may be straight out in front.

Sway Walk: Also called a loose walk. When the dog is walking, the back end sways back and forth because the hips are loose.

Unusual Laying Position: Legs are straight out and off to the side when the dog is laying on its stomach or legs are straight out behind the dog. (All dogs lay with their legs behind them on occasion, many dogs with hip dysplasia lay like this all the time.)

Limping: The dog may favor one hind leg or the other, and may alternate legs that it is favoring.

Quiet Puppy: Puppies who are already in pain from hip dysplasia tend to be very good puppies. They do not rough house the way that normal puppies do. They also tend to sleep for a long time after playing or going for a walk. Some owners describe their puppy with hip dysplasia as the best puppy they've ever had.

Dog Doesn't Jump: Not only do they not jump on you, they seem to pull themselves up by their front end onto furniture as opposed to jumping up.

Underdeveloped Hind Quarters and Overdeveloped Chest: This is caused by the failure to use the hind legs normally and jump. The dog also may actually be shifting weight forward.

Diagnosing Hip Dysplasia

The only way to diagnose hip dysplasia is with x-rays. However, I must note here that you should treat the dog and not the x-rays. Some dogs with seemingly mild hip dysplasia are in a lot of pain, while other dogs with apparent severe hip dysplasia do not display symptoms.

What Can Be Done for My Dog?

If you have had x-rays taken of your dog's hips at your regular vet, you may have been referred to an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon is going to recommend various surgical options for your dog. I am going to give you a very brief overview of these surgeries. You will need to discuss your dog's options with the surgeon. They will provide the details of each surgical option. Some people are able to treat their dog with nutritional supplements and avoid surgery. Ultimately, it will be your decision to determine the best treatment for your dog.

Surgical Options:

Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis (JPS) - This surgery is performed on puppies under 20 weeks of age, generally when the puppy is neutered or spayed. It shows great promise as a preventive measure, by altering the pelvic growth. This surgery has a short recovery period, but is generally done before a puppy can be diagnosed. However, once you've lived with hip dysplasia, it may prove to be worthwhile for a puppy considered at risk for developing hip dysplasia.

Dorsal Acetabular Rim (DAR) - This surgery consists of bone grafts being taken from other areas of the pelvis to build up the rim on the hip socket (cup). The idea is for the femoral head to have a deeper socket to fit into. It's relatively new, so there is some question as to how a dog will do into old age - there aren't many older dogs that have had it done.
Triple Pelvic Ostectomy (TPO) - This surgery involves cutting the bone around the hip socket and repositioning the socket for a better fit with the femoral head. The bones are plated back together so they heal in the correct alignment. This surgery is performed on young dogs before they have finished growing.

Total Hip Replacement (THR) - This surgery consists of replacing the hip joint similar to a human hip replacement. A new cup is usually attached to the hip bone, and the femoral head is cut off the leg bone and an implant is inserted into the leg bone. This surgery is done on more mature dogs that have finished growing. Due to the size of the implants, this surgery is done on larger dogs. Previously, all artificial hip components were cemented in place. More recently, cementless hip replacements are being performed.

Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) - Also know as femoral head and neck excision. This surgery consists of removing the femoral head of the leg bone to eliminate the pain of hip dysplasia. The dog's body will then develop scar tissue to create an artificial hip joint. Long considered only appropriate for smaller dogs or as a salvage operation for a failed THR, it has become increasingly popular for larger dogs.

Non-Surgical or Conservative Management Option

Many people choose to have surgery performed on their dog only as a last resort. Some are able to manage their dog's hip dysplasia with supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic care, exercise and weight management. Sometimes, the puppy will show signs of pain from hip dysplasia, and once it is done growing and the muscles are fully developed, they seem to "go into remission", developing signs of hip problems again as the dog ages. Surgical options are still available to you if the conservative path is unsuccessful.

For additional information on hip dysplasia, please visit MyPoorDog.com.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Major Factor In Joint Pain

Rheumatoid Arthritis can commence at any age but generally begins between the ages of 20 and 45. This article examines some of its symptoms and causes.

The symptoms and signs: Joint stiffness, particularly in the hands and feet, in the mornings when getting up from bed. A telling sign can be that the stiffness is experienced in either both hands or both feet - not just one. Stiffness that lasts for over an hour, or pain and swelling that persists for more than a month or so may also be indicative of rheumatoid arthritis.

Early symptoms may also include fever, excessive tiredness or nodules under the skin - these feel like pea-size lumps. Other possible symptoms are anemia, fluid collecting on the ankles or behind the knee and loss of appetite. In children, a pink rash may follow the characteristic swollen joints and there may be shaking chills.

Why the condition is painful: Cartilage does not cause pain (it has no nerves to transmit pain signals), so it is thought that irritation of other tissues in and around the joint affected is the cause of the joint pain typical of rheumatoid arthritis. However,the relationship between joint pain and cartilage destruction is still not fully understood.

The irritation in the joint may be caused by 'chemical messengers' such as prostaglandin E2 that have been found to be associated with the disease process. For this reason, administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) helps as it inhibits production of prostaglandin.

Joint pain that is similar to that caused by rheumatoid arthritis can be caused by a number of other conditions. Among these are chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and even bunions. Only a doctor can identify the cause accurately, as similar symptoms can result from other autoimmune-related conditions from other kinds of arthritis to serious conditions such as cancer.

Other factors: The disease is more common in older people, though it can occur at any age, even in children (Still's disease). Studies have suggested that a high body mass index, particularly in women, may increase the risk of contracting the disease. Also, obesity places a greater strain on joints and may contribute to the breakdown of joint tissue in rheumatoid arthritis. Overweight people are also at greater risk from other forms of arthritis.

Self-care: This can be managed by adopting a regime that includes the following -

• Balancing exercise sessions with periods of rest
  Eating healthy foods
  Caring for your emotional health during times of stress
  Protecting your joints during everyday tasks
  Applying local treatments for joint pain
  Adopting healthy habits in general

All these factors can reduce the need for medication.

Exercise: Consult your physical therapist or doctor to help you formulate an exercise program that uses the full motion range of your joints and strengthens muscle. Plan for plenty of rest between exercises but keep up a daily program even if you don't feel like it - your mood should improve, joint pain lessen and you should sleep better.

Although some discomfort is to be expected this should only last for a short time after exercise - any new joint pain or other sharp pains need to be referred to your doctor for advice on how to proceed.

Although rheumatoid arthritis is not a condition to take lightly, it can be controlled to some degree. Early diagnosis helps reduce loss of mobility and joint pain caused by the disease in advanced form, so the best advice this article can give is to see your doctor immediately if you suspect you have the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, especially if you experience stiffness and joint pain.

All advice in this article is given in good faith but does not pretend to replace the diagnosis or professional advice of a qualified medical doctor.

Get Moving - The Benefits Will Last a Lifetime!

The benefits of physical activity are numerous and very well documented. Aside from substantially reducing the risk of dying of a heart attack, regular physical activity decreases the risk for stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain forms of cancer. Regular physical activity helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints and reduces the risk of arthritis and osteoporosis. Regular physical activity helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis and degenerative joint disease and reduces the falls among older adults. Regular exercise has even been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. As overwhelming as these benefits are, the sad fact is that less than half American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. Less than one third of adults in our country are physically active in their leisure time. The good news is, it's never too late to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.

Activities performed at a higher intensity or longer duration generally offer greater health benefits; this however, may not be a realistic goal or starting point for everyone. Healthy benefits can be gained from activity as simple as a brisk 30 minute walk five or more times a week. Life can be busy and hectic but with a little creativity and planning every body can make room for physical activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Replace that coffee or cigarette break with a fitness break by talking a brisk walk or doing some stretches at your desk. Play with the kids or the dog. Instead of driving around to find the closest parking spot, park farther away and enjoy the walk. Remember when it comes to physical activity every little bit helps.

To reap the full health benefit of physical activity an exercise plan should address the five components of physical fitness as outlined by the Centers of Disease control. These five components include cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, and flexibility. In future columns we will more specifically address these individual components, as well other pertinent topics such as nutrition, weight management and injury prevention. Information that will help you stay Looking Better, Feeling Better, and Playing Better! But in the mean time...Get Moving!

15 Effective Arthritis Joint Pain Remedies That Work

Arthritis and joint pain are the two major culprits that greatly affect the life of old aged people. Below are some effective arthritis joint pain herbal remedies that work.

1. Essential oils are pure in form and can be very helpful in treating inflamed joints. They penetrate the cells easily; repair quickly the damaged tissues and cells by supplying oxygen and nutrients to the stiff muscles and damaged tissues. The essentials oils, in other words, have the power to rebuild joints and restore flexibility and mobility. Oils extracted from cypress, juniper, basil, peppermint, birch, eucalyptus, rosemary, ginger, nutmeg, pine, fir, spruce, marjoram, wintergreen are some important essential oils highly beneficial for ailing joints. These oils can be applied directly on swollen joints and used as an effective rub. One can apply any one of these oils, or several oils in combination. Also any one of these oils may be used in combination with virgin olive oil for massaging joints. The aromatic property of essential oils is an additional advantage. The sweet fragrance relaxes the mind.

2. Compressing affected joints with powdered ginger can give much relief.

3. Epsom salt may be added to the water used for bathing. It reduces joint stiffness.

4. Sesame seed soaked in water overnight may be taken along with the water every morning to get relief from frequent pain attacks.

5. Alfalfa tea made from alfalfa seeds is a good herbal remedy for arthritis.

6. Half teaspoon cinnamon powder mixed with one tablespoon honey may be taken every morning to get relief from inflexible joints.

7. Rubbing painful joints with the sesame oil in which few red chilies and ginger slices have been boiled can be very useful.

8. The herb guggulu is very good for curing arthritis. It may be consumed daily.

9. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, and may be used as poultice.

10. Fish oils rich in Omega3 fatty acids have pain lessening properties. It is very good for treating rheumatoid arthritis. The main ingredients in fish oil are DHA or docosahexaenoic and EPA or eicosapentaenoic which stop the inflammatory agents from attacking the joint in case of rheumatoid arthritis.

11. Heated mustard oil mixed with camphor powder is good for massaging painful joints.

12. Almond oil, grape seed oil, olive oil can function as effective carrier oil for massage.

13. Rumatone Gold oil available in market is specially prepared herbal oil that can penetrate skin and soothe the stiff muscles, thereby making them flexible.

14. Rumatone Gold Capsule is also effective herbal pain relief supplement.

15. Castor oil can function as an effective pain relief rub. It is also effective in arthritis pain relief. The method of using the oil for pain relief is as follows: One has to soak cotton in castor oil, and place it over a swollen joint. Then one has to cover the soaked cotton pack with a plastic wrap and place a hot water bag over it. The treatment is to be continued for at least 30 minutes every day to get relief from pain. Massing the area directly with heated castor oil also helps. The massaging should be done following up and down strokes.

Why a Neutral Spinal Alignment is Important

Research suggests that many back problems result from a combination of poor posture and body mechanics which create abnormal stress on the spine. This stress can eventually develop into structural changes in the spine which manifest as disc and joint degeneration, shortening or lengthening of support ligaments and muscles together with wear and tear on cartilage. All of these changes can lead to pain.

The key elements to keeping your spine healthy are learning and practicing good posture, using good body mechanics during everyday activities together with regular exercise.

The basis of effective back care begins with good posture. Poor posture can cause spinal pain as well as exacerbate existing pain, it can also delay rehabilitation. Poor posture has been associated with chronic headaches, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) and shoulder pain.

People spend hours during their daily activities lifting, bending forward and sitting. Consider your lifestyle, how many times during the day do you compromise your spine when lifting, bending, or sitting at your computer.
If you can master maintaining a neutral spine, retaining the three natural curves of the spine as you move from one position to the next you will be closer to protecting your spine from unnecessary stress and strain. It is clear that once the spine is placed in a neutral position it needs to be kept there and it is the postural muscles that achieve this.

The muscles that hold the spine in correct alignment are found deep in the body close to the spine they are referred to as stabilisers naturally, because this is their function, to help stabilise the spine in readiness for activity.

These deep abdominals respond most effectively to a gentle contraction and together with a neutral pelvic alignment and a lateral thoracic (wide and full) breath create the correct intra-abdominal pressure to assist with spinal stability. (Richardson et al 1996, Queensland University). Another good reason to locate and activate them.

The deep abdominals or postural muscles are also commonly called the core. The core, simply, is the muscles that connect your lower body to your upper body, it is made up of four major muscles:

The Transversus Abdominis (TA) The Pelvic Floor The Diaphragm The Multifidus

The transversus abdominis (TA) is the body's natural corset. It's the muscle you use to pull in your tummy when you walk along the beach! The T.A. connects at the left of the spine, wraps around the abdomen attaching to the ribs and hips, until it reaches the right side, encasing the internal organs. The more superficial abdominal muscles that give you a six pack are layered on top of these support muscles. However if you want those washboard abs., to stay flat you will need to work your core as well as trim the fat and work the more aesthetic muscles. Of course another important function of the TA is to assist with spinal stability which is essential for good posture.

The pelvic floor (PF) are those muscles you use when you need a toilet and can't find one. You will also be aware of them when you cough or sneeze as they tend to tense spontaneously under this pressure.

Unfortunately people generally do not pay enough attention to these important muscles. The PF is the structure, not unlike a basket that holds in and supports the abdominal organs, stablise the hips in association with the core and helps with balance as well as reducing the risk of stress incontinence.

(The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that works with the muscles of the ribs to expand and contract the ribcage during respiration (breathing). We do not often take control of the diaphragm. The way we control our diaphragm is usually through breathing; rate, rhythm and depth, you don't focus on the muscle but the inhale and exhale. The stronger we make the diaphragm, however, the deeper, slower and more paced our breathing will be.

The multifidus runs the length of the spine, it has a unique design which provides support as well as keeping us upright by providing scaffolding for the vertebral column. Researchers for the National Institute of Health found short stiff muscles packed in a finger-like covering; it is this particular design that is responsible for the extra strength and support the multifidus gives the spine.

Unlike most muscles when the multifidus is on stretch, (when we bend forward) it gets stronger. Generally if a muscles is lengthened it has a tendency to lose strength. Obviously the multifidus is operating under different rules.

("Our research shows that it's the strongest muscle in the back because of its unique design" states Richard L. Lieber, PhD. Lieber is the director of the National Center for Skeletal Muscle Rehabilitation Research, a professor and Vice Chair at UCSD's Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and a senior research scientist at the VA in San Diego.

It is clear from the information above that learning to utilise the core to initiate movement whilst in a neutral pelvic alignment will not only reduce your risk of injury and low back pain but go a long way towards improving your general posture.

You now have all this information and are aware of the value of neutral spine, using your core and breathing properly, so how can you use it?

When you are participating in your sport of choice, or exercise class, initiate all movement by using this simple system: Set the bones - Neutral Pelvis. Engage the muscles, the core and use a wide and full breath. Once you have initiated this set up you are ready to add the more superficial muscles that will move your body into action.

The muscles of the core only need a mild contraction to become activated and function effectively (Richardson et el 1996) much like a light switch, they are either on or off. Once they are on you can confidently use the large muscles for the action phase of a movement now that you have stabilised the spine and reduced the effects of stress on the spine from the activity. Try this test exercise:

Lay on your back on a mat or towel with your knees bent and feet hip width apart.

Allow your complete spine to "let go" of tension

Roll your pelvis backward and forward to find the range of movement

Place your pelvis half way between the two extremes (neutral alignment)

Exhale and gently draw your naval inward

"gently" if level 1 is no contraction and 10 is the maximum draw into level 3

Try to maintain this alignment with a gentle contraction whilst you slide your right foot along the ground, keep this a closed chain activity, with your foot always in contact with the floor

Only slide your foot as far forward as you can maintain the neutral spine, level 3 contraction of the core whilst you breathe naturally.

Repeat the movement up to 5 times on the right foot, then change to the left. This simple test of challenging your ability to move your limbs whilst maintaining the set up will demonstrate to you the subtlety of the action.

I recommend that until you are satisfied that you have your neutral set up and can maintain minimal involvement of the superficial abdominal muscles when working with low load (sliding the foot) you do not complicate matters by practicing more challenging abdominal exercises.

The purpose of first working in such a non challenging manner is to fully understand the "feeling" of the core connection. Once you are confident of course you will utilise this stabilising activation as the foundation to all abdominal exercises. Use the neutral set up as the start and finish of a movement; throughout the activity you will ensure the deep abdominals remain engaged so that all abdominal exercises are effective.

Of course you do not spend all your time exercising, throughout your day you will need to think about the value of stabilising your spine. Picking up your child for example, or taking luggage from the boot of the car require your deep abdominals to be stable before you complete the lift. The most stress is placed on the spine when it is flexed (bent forward) and loaded (lifting). Reduce your risk of injury and take a second to activate your core when necessary.

Briefly, good posture is awareness and persistence. Poor posture takes a lifetime to manifest and will take time and effort to rectify. However, perfect practice makes perfect , soon you will find your neutral alignment to be "natural".

The benefits are not only reduced risk of injury and reduction of low back pain, but a lengthened body appears slimmer and good posture can take 10 years off your age. So what are you waiting for? Start today.

Treatments for Dog Arthritis

Obesity, old age, lethargy etc are the primary reasons for arthritis in dogs. It is degenerative in nature and is not very different from the ones seen in humans. As a result of arthritis dogs suffer from stiff bones, rigidity in limbs and joints and at times unbearable pain. As a dog grows old his ability to withstand wear and tear grows weak and the pain that develops as a result gets intense. However the condition varies from dog to dog. One cannot assume that the arthritis is restricted to older dogs because even the younger ones may be a victim of arthritis. The main reasons why younger dogs suffer may be due to injuries or laziness. There are a few diseases and infections also that may also lead to arthritis. If a dog suffers from a serious injury on its limbs as a pup it may develop arthritis at a later stage in life. Canine hip dysplacia is a condition that may lead due severe arthritis in dogs.

Out of all types of arthritis osteoarthritis is the most common and it is related to normal damage to the cartilage. However, there are different types of arthritis. Older dogs usually go through this condition in their senior years. Blindness-complete or partial, deafness, disobedience, gastric troubles, indigestion are common ailments in dogs at a very old age.. To ensure dogs live longer happily it is imperative to consult a veterinarian since the condition may lead to unbearable pain and limit the dog's age.

The right medicine in the right quantity is a must to alleviate the pain. Consulting a vet is a must but besides that regular exercises and physiotherapy are useful to keep the condition at bay or control it if already the dog suffers. Regular exercising leads to the release the fluids that lubricate the joints thereby assist in improving the condition. There are medicines that give instant results to check the condition temporarily however there are other medications that do not let the condition from occurring. However, prevention is always better than cure. Keep a check of the condition of your dog after it crosses an age of six. However different sized dogs behave and react to such conditions differently. Heavier dogs understandingly suffer more than the lighter counterparts.

Arthritis can be degenerative or inflammatory in nature. The various conditions that indicate arthritis are reluctance to walk or climb, whining constantly, not able to keep up pace, lethargy in getting up and abnormal walking style. Constant jumping over obstacles, ligament tear, fall from heights etc can also cause the condition to occur. Degenerative arthritis is classified into primary disease and secondary disease. Loose knee caps, OCD, HD are causes of secondary degenerative joint disease.

Degenerative arthritis may not be known till the dog has had abnormal stress and the damage can progress with no outward signs till the joint is severely damaged and the fluid for lubrication has thinned down so much that it cannot protect the and the lubricating fluid has thinned and lost its ability to protect the bone surfaces. Infection of any kind causes inflammation of multiple joints and is accompanies by fever, chills, anorexia and overall stiffness. Since infectious joints call for different treatments administering immune suppressive pills surely help.

Dealing With Joint Pain

Joints no doubt play a vital role in ones life as they help one to walk, to move, to bend, and to be fit, healthy and active forever. All of our activities depend upon how fast and smooth our joints they work that consecutively depend on how healthy they are?

The answer of this is your optimum joint health.

A joint is actually the connection between two of your bones. This is supported by other structures include ligament, synovium with fluid and are cushioned by cartilage.

All of these structures work together and allow you to move your body, to bend your elbow, bend your back, wiggle your hips, and even to wave you finger to say bye-bye. Nature has bestowed lots of covering to support joint health but certain injuries, increasing age, carrying too much weight, improper body posture or even sitting the wrong way as well as several nutritional deficiency can wear and tear your cartilage and joint and can make problem to your joint.

Problems Associated with Joint Health

Arthritis is the most common bone and joint problem and it is a group of conditions involving damage to the bones and joints of the body and can be classify according to causes of them. There are over 100 different forms of these joint complains. The most common form among them is osteoarthritis that is degenerative problem of joint health which is a result of any trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or aging. Other forms that deteriorate joint in individuals include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and autoimmune diseases.

Easy Tips to Promote Joint Health

Below are some easy tips are mentioned to overcome joint problems and maintain joint health and thus longevity of individual. Its a hot topic in all seasons among all of us because it's bad affects influence thousands of people every where. Even only in the United States, one in three adults suffers from some form of joint pain. Moreover most of these joint problems can easily be reduced or even may be avoided completely with some basic changes in our everyday lifestyles or routine.
For sake of your benefit they are mention below. Try them to improve it.

• Try to lose weight because carrying around extra pounds gives severe strains on your joints and especially on your knees, hips, back and feet and weight loss will immediately improve it.
• Exercise regularly but don't stress a lot on your bones and joint. Regular exercise protects joints by strengthening the muscles around them. It lessens pain, increases range of movement in case of bone and joint discomfort.
• Early and specific diagnosis of any kind of joint problem assists you to get rid of them and aids to improves overall joint health.
• Smoking is another major causative agent and reduces bone mass that may lead to bone fractures in individuals. So to improve joint health one should quit smoking as early as possible.
• Try to find out the stressed activities in your routine even they are minor and also try to relief from them. Like sitting or standing all the day in same posture can cause joint problems.

Nutritional Backups to Improve Joint Health

Be sure that you're getting sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals to improve you joint health. Nutritional supplements are another best way to reduce, eradicate, and to certain extent avoid joints discomfort. You should also try to support and nourish your joint as they are the most mobile part of your body and need enormous nutrition to serve you successfully. So, be careful about your joint.

• Calcium is an important element to keep ones bones strong and joints healthy.
• Vitamin C also supports joint health in individual.
• Use of nutritional supplement like fish oil and flax oil or a source of omega-3 fatty acids also work wonders to optimize its health.
• Glucosamine another useful compound improve joint heath as well as also helping to rebuild joint cartilage

Which is Better For Relief of Gout Pain, Hot Or Cold Soaking?

When it comes to pain, there are always 2 ways to help relief the pain, ice bag or warm tower. Somehow, the cold treatment is a more commonly used solution to numb the nerves so that the signals of the pain cannot reach the brain, temporarily.

In the case of gout pain, because the infected area (usually big toe) is like burning on fire, most patients will soak the whole foot into a bucket full of freezing cold ices. That will immediately numb all the nerves in the foot, he cannot even feel the existence of the feet, not to mention the grueling pain at the swollen toe.

This may sound like a good fix for the intense pain, but the fact is that cold treatment will only make the condition worse in the long run. This is a method that kills the symptoms but worsen the root cause of gout.

Gout is a direct result of accumulation of too much uric acid in the body and the population of gout patients is growing worldwide at alarming rate. This is because of our modern stressful lifestyle that is full of acidic diet and habits. Smoking, soft drinks, instant food, synthetic food additives, fast food, are all acidifying agents that actively pump acids into the bloodstream.

Bear in mind that our blood pH must always maintain at mild alkalinity which is at the pH value between 7.3 and 7.4. All those acidic food is turning our blood into an acid dumping site. In order to counter the acidity and return the alkalinity of the blood, those acids will be forced out from the bloodstream and enter the interstitial fluids and a portion of it will seep into the synovial fluids in the joints.

When the concentration of uric acid in the synovial goes beyond the saturation level, they will crystallize and forms urate crystals that triggers the immune reaction which result in inflammation, burning sensation and pain, intense pain! Gout attack!

Still remember salt crystal formation experiment during high school science? One of the variables that we need to find out is the rate of crystallization at different temperatures. The answer is that crystallization happens faster and larger crystal stones are formed at lower temperature. On the contrary, the formed salt crystals will slowly dilute away as the temperature goes up.

If you want more urate crystals form in your joints or interstitial fluid of muscles, then continue on with your favorite cold ice soaking. But if you want to speed up the excretion of urate crystals, then soak your feet in the warm water as often as you can, even at times when you are not suffering from gout attack. Warm water will increase the blood circulation and excretion of toxins through the moving blood.

Physiotherapy in Osteo Arthritis

Role of Physiotherapy in Arthritis

The word 'Arthritis' literally means joint inflammation. The warning signs of arthritis are pain, swelling, joint stiffness, difficulty in moving one or more joints. Arthritis can be a life changing event which can affect your personal, social and work life unless it is well understood and treated in time.

There are 127 different kind of arthritis. The most common types are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is degenerative joint disease. It may be due to chronic wear and tear or due to injury.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which ones own immune system attacks cells in the joint capsule and associated chronic inflammation destroys cartilage, bone and ligaments, leading to deformity and disability. Physiotherapy plays a major role in treating both Osteo & Rheumatoid arthritis along with medicine or by itself.

Even though many other factors contribute the development of Osteo arthritis, the root cause may be deviation of normal body mechanics. By correcting the body mechanics the percentage of wear and tear can considerably reduced. Obesity, muscle wasting, poor muscle strength, prolonged standing and internal derangement of knee like ligament injury can also contribute to Osteo arthritis. Physiotherapist can assess these basic causes and helps to correct the pre disposing factors. If it is found and corrected early, Osteo arthritis can be controlled to a great extend. Some patients may need medicine along with Physiotherapy.

Major symptoms seen with Osteo arthritis are pain, restricted range of motion, swelling etc. Pain and swelling can be relieved with the use of hot packs or cold packs, Ultrasound therapy, laser therapy, use of TENS or interferential therapy, taping techniques etc. Range of motion and strengthening exercises can be given to achieve maximum functional independence at home and at work place.

Type of Exercise useful for Arthritic patients

1. Range of motion exercises: It helps to maintain normal joint movements and relieve stiffness. These are gentle stretching exercises which move each joint as far as possible in all directions. Normal daily house work or office work may not help to improve joint range of motion and are not a substitute for ROM exercise.

2. Strengthening Exercises: It helps to keep or increase the muscle strength, provide stability, support and protection to the joint, helps the joint to move more easily with less pain and helps to prevent deformity. Isometric, isotonic or isokinetic exercises can be used according to the condition of the patient. Isometric exercises involves tightening of muscle without joint movement which maintains muscle tone, prevents muscle wasting when joint range is impaired.

3. Endurance exercises: This helps to maintain cardiac fitness, ROM, to increase physical strength, to control body weight and to improve arthritic symptoms. Aerobic exercises like graded walking, use of bicycle or treadmill initially with the supervision of the physiotherapist may help to prevent complication.

How often people with arthritis should do Exercises?

ROM exercises can be done daily many times and should be done at least every other day. Strengthening exercises should be done every day unless you have severe pain or swelling in your joint and repeated daily.

Endurance exercises should be done 20 to 30 minutes at least 3 times a week unless you have severe pain or swelling in your joint. Before starting endurance exercises it is better to have a medical consultation to assess your medical fitness.

In case of rheumatoid arthritis prolonged medical treatment is required. Here Physiotherapy helps to maintain ROM, muscle strength and to prevent joint deformity. Once joint deformity is established the patient may develop severe ambulation problem. This can be prevented with medication and timely physiotherapy.

'Think positive about arthritis, Physiotherapist can guide you to lead a pain-free independent life'.

Top 7 Tips For Immediate Gout Pain Relief

When you have guidelines and pointers as to how to make something happen, virtually any task becomes easier. And when you have help like this, you are much more likely to succeed with that task.

Many people consider the number 7 to be a lucky number -- a number that brings good fortune. Now with the lucky number 7 foremost in mind, I give you my top 7 tips for immediate gout pain relief...

1. Drink Plenty of Water - At Least 3 Litres per Day.

This is very important because water can help your kidneys flush excess uric acid out of your system. Plus, water helps to prevent the formation of urate crystals which cause your gout pain.

Not doing this could mean that you are continually dehydrated, and a dehydrated body is more prone to gout. So drink lots of water for fast pain relief.

2. Eat Lots of Cherries.

This too is important because cherries have natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are known to be able to reduce inflammation, and, lower uric acid levels in your body.

Eat between 30 and 40 every 4 hours or so during a gout attack.

3. Change to a Low-Purine Diet.

This is a critical element because purines are chemical compounds in your body and food that, when they break down, produce uric acid which produces the urate crystals that cause your gout.

So you need to avoid high-purine food like meats, seafood, poultry, legumes and some vegetables like cauliflower, mushrooms and asparagus. And avoid alcohol, especially beer.

4. Use Herbal Remedies.

Another significant point is to utilise the natural healing powers of herbs like, alfalfa, bilberry, black cohosh, burdoch, buchu, etc. These can reduce inflammation, lower uric acid and help to dissolve urate crystals.

Talk to your local herbalist for information more appropriate to your case.

5. Drink Baking Soda in Water.

Pay particular attention to this step: because it can be a very fast way to relieve gout pain and symptoms. Baking soda can dissolve crystals, and, help your body excrete uric acid better.

Mix a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a large glass of water (8 oz) and drink 1 glass before bed, 1 in the morning, then 1 every 2 to 4 hours during the day. Repeat until your symptoms have abated.

Note: Baking soda is very high in sodium, so if you suffer from high blood pressure talk to your doctor before using this tip. In any case, all users need to change to a salt-free diet while taking it.

6. Take Supplements.

Another important element is this one of not having enough of the important vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are missing from many present day diets, especially when on a low-purine diet.

Think about vitamin B complex, bromelain, fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin E, etc. Check with your doctor of course.

7. Drink Celery Seed Tea / Infusion.

The reason why this is important is that celery seeds contain many different types of anti-inflammatory properties.

To make the tea just boil 1 tablespoon of the seeds in 2 cups of water until soft. Strain, then drink a 1/2 cup, 4 times a day until your symptoms have gone.

Note: Because celery seeds are a diuretic, don't use this remedy if you're pregnant or have any kidney dysfunction.

Follow these tips for immediate gout pain relief and you can expect success, with all its benefits. In the event you omit or ignore any one of these, you risk getting poorer results than you may otherwise expect. Others have succeeded with these 7 tips for immediate gout pain relief and so can you!

Now whilst these are 7 great tips for fast pain relief, you also have to consider what happens between attacks; what you need to do to prevent future attacks...

And this is very important because frequently recurring gout attacks can leave you with permanently damaged joints and kidney problems such as excruciating kidney stones, down the line. Plus, once having had a gout attack, you're now far more likely to have more.