Top Tips To Treat Finger Pain

Each hand has 14 finger joints, and each of these acts like a small hinge. Because the joints are small, they are operated by muscles in the forearm that control the joints by an intricate system of small slings for the tendon leaders. The small size and complicated arrangements mean that any inflammation or damage to the joint is likely to result in some stiffness and lost motion, as even a small scar or adhesion will limit motion. So you shouldn't expect that a problem with a small finger joint will resolve completely. Even after healing is complete, some leftover stiffness and occasional twinges of discomfort are likely. Unrealistically high expectations lead to feelings that you did something wrong or that the doctor was no good. In fact, almost all of us have a few fingers that have been injured and remain a bit crooked or stiff. The hand functions very well with these minor deformities; fingers need not open fully or close completely to be perfectly functional.

Osteoarthritis frequently causes knobby swelling of the most distant (end) joints of the fingers and also swelling of the middle joints. It can also cause problems at the base of the thumb. If we live long enough, all of us get these knobby swellings. They cause most of the changed appearance that we associate with the aging hand. For the most part, they cause relatively little pain or stiffness and don't need specific treatment other than exercise.

Listen to the pain message and avoid activities that cause or aggravate pain. Rest the finger joints so that they can heal, but use gentle stretching exercises to keep them limber and maintain motion. The key to managing finger problems is to use common sense.

With a bit of ingenuity you can find a less stressful way to do almost any activity that puts stress on the joints. Since everyone's activities are a bit different, you will have to invent some of these new ways yourself. Here are a few tips to get you going:

A big handle can be gripped with less strain than a small handle, so wrapping pens, knives, and other similar objects with tape or putting a sponge rubber handle over the original handle can help you grip items. Lift smaller loads. Make more trips. Plan ahead rather than blundering through an activity. Let others open the car door for you. Use a gripper for opening tough jar lids or stop buying products that come in hard-to-open jars. When opening a tough lid, apply friction pressure on the top of the lid with your palm and twist with your whole hand, not your grip. Cultivate ingenious friends who are handy at making little gadgets to help you. Organize your kitchen, workshop, study, and bedroom so that heavy objects are not too high or too low.

Stretch the joints gently twice a day to maintain motion. Straighten the hand out against the tabletop. Make a fist and then cock the wrist to increase the stretch. Use one hand to move each finger of the other hand from full flexion to straight out. Don't force, but stretch just to the edge of discomfort. If the motion of a joint is normal, one repetition is enough, but if the motion is limited, do up to ten repetitions. Warming the hands in warm water before stretching may help you get more motion.

Don't use strong pain medicines; they mask the pain so that you may overdo an activity or an exercise. Be sure that you take prescribed medication for inflammation just as instructed. Good hand function is important, and you want to pay close attention to treatment.

Oxidative Stress: Are Our Cells Surviving in a Hostile World?

The topic of antioxidants is complex and the jury is right for a collective deep breath to consider our need for antioxidant supplementation to fight the constant onslaught of free radicals that lead to aging and disease.

Our cells are surviving in a hostile world! And if anyone should ever ask me, "Do you like aging?" I would emphatically say, "Hey, no!" I can assure you I am not as concerned with the number of years in life as I am the quality of life in those years.

Do you fear growing old? Have you accepted chronic disease or pain as a given in your future? Are you willing to make necessary life changes to ensure your health? I believe a full and abundant physical life does not need to start slipping away at age forty. Each year of your life can be your best. But first you must understand the war that is waging within every one of our bodies.

Who wants to live to a ripe old age if he or she cannot even recognize close family members because of Alzheimer's dementia? Who looks forward to a decade or two of suffering severe joint or back pain due to degenerative arthritis?

We all want to believe that antioxidant supplements are good for us. I have long been a believer, and maybe you have been, too. After all, we are long past the point of questioning whether vegetables and fruits are good for us - we accept that they are on the basis of remarkably consistent research results accumulated over decades that show how eating a variety of brightly colored produce on a daily basis helps reduce the risk for chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Our confidence in this concept is unshakable, even today. We are as confident as our next breath. We all understand the importance of oxygen.

Oxygen is essential for life itself. But did you know it is also inherently dangerous to our existence? I call this the "dark side" of oxygen. And as a result, we are essentially rusting both inside and out. The same process that causes a cut apple to turn brown or iron to rust is the cause of all the chronic degenerative diseases we fear and even the aging process itself.

Free Radical

If this free radical is not readily neutralized by an antioxidant it can go on to create more volatile free radicals, damage the cell wall, vessel wall, proteins, fats, and even the DNA nucleus of our cells. Chemically this reaction has been shown to be so volatile that it actually causes bursts of light within our bodies!

Imagine yourself in front of a crackling fireplace and I'll give you the best illustration I have to explain the process of oxidation. The fire burns safely and beautifully most of the time, but on occasion out pops a hot cinder that lands on your carpet and burns a little hole in it. One cinder by itself doesn't pose much of a threat; but if this sparking and popping continues month after month, year after year, you will have a pretty "ratty" carpet in front of your fireplace.

The fireplace represents the furnace of the cell (the mitochondria), the cinder is the charged "free radical," and the carpet is your body. Whichever part of your body receives the most free radical damage will be the first to wear out and potentially cause one of these degenerative diseases. If it's your arteries, you could develop a heart attack or stroke. If it is your brain, you could develop Alzheimer's dementia or Parkinson's disease. If it's your joints, you could develop arthritis.

Through biochemical research we're learning that we are not defenseless against this attack on our body by free radicals. Antioxidants are like the glass doors or fine-wire mesh we place in front of our fireplace. The sparks are still going to fly but our carpet will then be protected. As you begin to imagine the war that is taking place within every cell in your body, you can envision the two opposing forces: the enemy-free radicals; and your allies-antioxidants and their supporting nutrients.

As the body uses oxygen to create energy, by-products from most of the body's activity-such as breathing, exercising, eating- causes oxidative damage to the cells of the body (just like the oxygen makes iron to rust).

A free radical is an oxygen molecule that has at least one unpaired electron in its outer orbit. When it is unbalanced (lacking paired electron) it literally goes mad and tries to steal an electron from neighboring cells.

Free radical damage is associated with an increased risk of many chronic diseases. Also there are many things that increase the number of free radicals you produce.

- excessive stress

- excessive exercise

- exercise sunlight

- radiation

- medication

- pollutants in air

- food and water

You must have enough antioxidants available to readily neutralize the number of free radicals your body produces. If you don't, "oxidative stress" will occur. When this oxidative stress is allowed to persist over a prolonged period of time, you will most likely develop a serious chronic degenerative disease.

Each of us must ask, "Am I getting enough antioxidants from my diet to protect myself from this onslaught of free radicals or do I need to be taking nutritional supplements?" This is the question that I've had to ask myself as I have spent countless hours researching medical literature.

A concern is when the umbrella term "antioxidants" is applied to a host of compounds that are not one in the same - they function in different capacities, and might enhance our health or even protect us from harm in some circumstances. However, in high doses they could paradoxically lead to harm in other situations. We need to better understand which situation is which.

Linear thinking is comforting. And to top it off, a large number of research trials suggest wide-ranging benefits from antioxidant supplementation. But more often than not, the human body does not behave in linear fashion and unintended consequences from what we assume to be healthy actions can occur. Personally, I would recommend staying away from high doses of antioxidants.

The antioxidants found in vegetables and fruit exist in naturally low concentrations alongside other nutrients that can also promote good health. Even those who do their best to follow a healthy diet could likely benefit from taking an indirect antioxidant as insurance against nutritional gaps in their diet. Others may need additional targeted supplementation based on their unique health circumstances, but the focus for most of us should be on dietary sources of antioxidants along with an all-natural dietary supplement made from organic herbs until we have clarity regarding safety.

Part of the reason that vegetables and fruits are believed to be so good for us, maybe even the primary reason, is that they contain important and all natural antioxidants. Our bodies need an adequate supply of antioxidants to limit the buildup of compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are normally produced as a byproduct of cellular energy production.

ROS also accumulates when we are exposed to toxins such as tobacco smoke and radiation. When an excess amount of ROS exists, there is said to be a state of oxidative stress, a condition linked to the development of numerous health problems. It only makes sense then that adding safe antioxidants to our systems should help lessen the chance for oxidative stress to occur and, by extension, help prevent illness.

Since balance is the key, we need to look closely at the individual players that are at war within. The number of free radicals you produce each and every day is never the same. All the pollutants in our air, food, and water dramatically increase the number of free radicals we produce. Enormous stress, excessive exercise, cigarette smoke, sunlight, radiation, and every drug prescribed greatly increase the number of free radicals produced in the body. In fact, there has never been a generation on this planet subjected to more oxidative stress than this present one. We are literally under attack from our polluted environment, stressful lifestyles, and over-medicated society.

This ongoing attack is depriving us of our most precious gift-our health. But science has not left us defenseless against this onslaught by free radicals. In fact, we actually have our own army of antioxidants, which are able to neutralize free radicals and render them harmless. In generations past, these defense systems were sufficient. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. Our bodies' defense systems need additional allies.

As I mentioned previously, most antioxidants come from vegetables and fruit. This creates a gap in our protection, because our foods have become significantly depleted in their content of antioxidants and supporting minerals as a result of mineral depletion in our soils, green harvesting, cold storage, foods that are highly processed, our poor food choices and food preparation.

At a time when we are under the heaviest attack from the environment around us, our natural defense systems are becoming overwhelmed and depleted. We must do all we can to rebuild our antioxidant systems with a healthy diet, but too you need to learn how complete and balanced nutritional supplementation with high quality supplements (cellular nutrition) is our best hope in winning this war within and protecting our health.

Fast Shoulder Pain Relief Using the Feldenkrais Method

Chronic shoulder pain is a very common complaint. The shoulder is the most freely movable joint in our body. Because of the range of movement allowed, it is an unstable joint. It is easily injured because the ball of the upper arm barely fits in the shoulder socket designed to hold it. For its only stablity, the shoulder is anchored by ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Some shoulder problems arise from injury of these soft tissues as a result of overuse or weakness of the shoulder. Other problems arise from degenerative processes in which tissues break down and no longer function well.

Some common causes of chronic shoulder pain include:

• Shoulder tendonitis occurs when the tendons that control the shoulder joint's movement become inflamed. This is the result of overuse, misuse or injury of the shoulder muscles and is very common.


• Rotator cuff tear is a tear that occurs in a shoulder tendon as a result of overuse or injury.


• Frozen Shoulder may be prompted by tendonitis, a rotator cuff tear or another chronic pain process in the shoulder. It literally means a shoulder that cannot move.


• Arthritis shoulder joint pain caused by degeneration or inflammation inside the joint.


• An injury or fall on the shoulder can cause chronic shoulder muscle pain if the injured muscles never fully heal.

When addressing chronic shoulder pain treatment consider that the shoulder has to relate well to the rest of the body to prevent excessive strain and pain. For example the shoulder blade may no longer glide easily along the rib cage, thus straining the whole arm each time the shoulder moves.

Shoulder pain relief is the result of optimizing the function of the shoulder. The system should be addressed as a whole and therapy involve the whole body, restoring the working relationship of the shoulder with the rest of the body. Some gentle form of exercises are needed.Want to be rid of your shoulder pain now? The Feldenkrais Method is a systematic method to improve human movement and general functioning. Feldenkrais uses simple, gentle movements to reorganize posture, flexibility, strength and coordination and in doing so provides shoulder pain relief.

A new approach to pain management, Feldenkrais integrates mind and body, using the plasticity of the nervous system to help the body function more efficiently. More efficient use of self creates an environment within which chronic shoulder pain can heal. Discover what Feldenkrais can do for your shoulder pain.

Chronic Head, Facial, Or Neck Pain That Won't Go Away - Could It Be TMJ?

I stumbled across TMJ when I needed treat a literal pain in the neck that would not go away. It seemed that the pain in my neck came from my jaws. "TMJ" refers to disorders of the jaw muscles and of the temporomandibular joint, the hinge at the side of the head that joins the lower jaw, mandible, to the temporal bone of the skull. TMJ expert John Taddey, D.D.S. states that one the most common symptoms of TMJ is a dull, aching pain around the ears which can radiate to the neck, shoulders, and back of the head. These symptoms may be coupled with tenderness of the jaw muscles and a headache.

While the causes of TMJ are many, the condition is usually the result of a collective malfunctioning of the chewing muscles, the teeth, and the temporomandibular joint. The face and jaw muscles may go into spasm or cramp and lead to tissue damage, pain and tenderness. The level of damage and pain varies.

Diaganosing TMJ can be elusive. Recognizing TMJ requires a thorough understanding of the two-inch area just in front of the ears that houses the temporomandibular joint, sinuses, glands, the middle and inner ears, throat tissues, brain tissue, muscles, ligaments, nerves blood vessels, lymphatic tissues, bones and teeth. TMJ can mask itself with a "referred pain". This occurs when pain felt in one area of the body originated from another source. For example, you may visit your doctor with an earache and find your ear is healthy, while a decayed tooth or TMJ is the root cause of the earache.

TMJ can arise form trauma, whiplash, stress, teeth-grinding and clenching, misaligned teeth, missing or sore teeth, muscle abuse, infection, diseases of the joints such as arthritis, and cancer.

Your family dentist should be able to recognize TMJ. Depending on your condition, she may treat the TMJ herself or refer you to a physician, orthodontist, chiropractor, psychologist or oral surgeon for more specialized treatment.

For more information on identifying and treating TMJ yourself, read TMJ Self-Help Program: How to recognize a TMJ problem: What to do to relieve pain and restore health: When to seek professional help by John Taddely, D.D.S. with Constance Schrader and James Dillon.

Yoga Teacher Training: Knee Pain

When attending a yoga teacher training intensive, Paul gave a lecture about pain that I could never forget. Basically, he said: "We usually take life for granted, when we are healthy, but when we are in pain, we can think of nothing else." Yogic science directly addresses suffering and does its best to let us enjoy a pain free life. As you know, there are no guarantees in life, but we can be proactive toward living the best possible life during each precious moment.

A regular yoga practice is one of the best remedies for knee pain. Not only do physical therapists utilize certain yogic practices in their rehabilitation routines, but also physical, occupational, and yoga therapists have been recommending poses and series based on yogic techniques for decades.

Common Causes of Knee Pain

Knee pain occurs for a variety of reasons. Often, it is the result of old injuries such as torn ligaments or meniscus that have healed improperly or incompletely. Another common cause of knee pain is tendonitis, which can result from overuse of the patellar tendon. Some younger patients suffer from chondromalacia, which is caused by softened cartilage under the kneecap. Older patients may suffer joint pain in the knee as a result of arthritis, and sometimes scar tissue can build up around the knee from old muscular injuries, causing pain as well.

Common Methods to Remediate Knee Pain

With some of the more common causes of knee pain, the best treatment is to ice and rest until acute inflammation has subsided, and then begin a consistent physical therapy program to promote strength and mobility. What physical therapy does is to strengthen and tone the muscles around the joint or site of injury, preventing compensation by or overburdening of the knee, promoting proper physical alignment within the leg and protecting the joint from stress placed on it by weak or under-performing muscles.

Why Yoga for Knee Pain Works

A daily or regular yoga practice can reduce or eliminate knee pain because some of the physical benefits of practice accomplish the same purpose that physical therapy does. The physical yoga poses aim to stretch, strengthen and align the body properly so that practitioners can enhance their mind-body connections. Thus, the strengthening and stretching of leg muscles during poses, especially of the muscles surrounding the hips and knees, can target knee pain particularly well.

There are some well-trained yoga instructors who will be able to put together a series of poses to reduce or eliminate knee pain, but be very careful. It is best to see a yoga therapist, who has been certified in using yogic exercise as therapy and should have additional training, or to ask a physical therapist what poses can help and what can hinder the healing process.

Although the maxim, "No pain, no gain," may have traction with either you or your students, remember that knee pain can be a sign that you have gone too far. The purpose of yoga is to get you in tune with your body, and that includes listening to your body's pain signals.

Side Notes for Teachers

Therapy is complex and requires each of us to enter into the world of continuing education. Whether you choose to take additional courses in specialist yoga teacher training or some form of therapy, you want to make sure any advice you give to students is within your qualifications to give. Additionally, instructors should know when to tell a student to back off from pain. As many of us have learned: Pushing on a skeletal joint will result in a permanent injury.

穢 Copyright 2012 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

Dog Joint Pain Relief - 5 Natural Methods

In this article, I cover natural joint pain relief methods for dogs with arthritis. I don't suggest anything that can cause side effects. Pain relievers such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen should NOT be giving to pets. I cringe every time I hear about or read cases where pets were given these medications and, consequently, got severely sick or died. Aspirin may be used as a last resort, but with extreme caution. Fortunately, there are several safe methods to relieve pain in dogs with arthritis. 5 joint pain relief methods are:

Homeopathic pain reliever for pets - made from blends of medicinal herbs. There are no side effects and some homeopathic pain relievers also reduce swelling in the joints.

Acupuncture - has been used to relieve pain in people for hundreds of years. Many pet owners never consider this method because it's presumed strictly for people. Well, not true. In recent years, acupuncture has taken a leap to treat ailments and relieve pain in pets.

Low impact exercises such as swimming - puts less pressure on the joint at the same time strengthening them. Running and jumping is great for dogs, but it puts stress on the joints. For dogs with joint pain, I suggest building up to these activities at your dog's pace.

Heat technique - this is a method I use to promote blood circulation for faster healing.

Massage therapy - best used along with heat to flush out deposits, reduce swelling and promote healing. These are just a few methods of relieving dog joint pain without using any drugs.

Ointment for Hip Pain Symptom Relief

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug's are one the hottest forms of treatment that thousands of sufferers turn to for hip pain symptom relief. There are topical anti-inflammatory ointments and creams out there on the market that have a unique mechanism for maximum absorption that allows for optimum effectiveness to decrease subjective pain. Repetitive use of the hip joint over time strains the hip joint and can lead to inflammation and pain at the site. Some experience hip pain symptoms from simply aging. For other individuals out there trauma at any age is the culprit of their pain. In either group the life-long prospect of enduring hip pain symptoms is unquestionable and unfortunate.

It is absolutely vital to control chronic inflammation as much as possible with adequate treatment. The process of inflammation consists of an injury to the tissues of the joint. The body recognizes this injury of tissue and responds to this stimulus. Inflammation is a desired response by the body to injured tissue in that it will go to the site and heal the tissue. The problem is chronic inflammation is the body not only tries to heal the tissue but in the process also destroys tissue. This leads to further deterioration of the hip joint increasing inflammation furthering subjective pain and potentially decreasing mobility. A decrease in motility from hip pain symptoms ultimately decreases the quality of life. Further Injury to the hip joint can be prevented by adequately treating inflammation.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug's are remarkable for having an analgesic effect close to other drugs classified as narcotics. They target the inflammation allowing for pain relief. Various routes of administration exist. Tablets and or liquids have a systemic effect [the entire body] while ointments provide a local effect [at the effected site only]. Some topical medications are absorbed locally but are distributed systemically. Anti-inflammatory ointments and creams are used to alleviate both acute and chronic hip pain symptoms.

Transdermal application allows the active ingredients in the medication to be absorbed into the skin for the same effect as oral medications. It is simply applied externally to the effected area for fast, long-lasting relief. Some ointments have an exclusive mechanism for absorption that allows the medication to penetrate into the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. This provides for optimum effectiveness in treating pain. Topical application of anti-inflammatory medication is highly desirable for those who suffer from hip pain symptoms and cannot take the oral route of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications due to other health concerns.

Those afflicted by hip pain symptoms have the choice now to start their road to recovery. Suffering from this ailment is not preventable but undesirable and it can be treated. Ointments have simple and straightforward directions to follow for application. They can easily be bought over the counter, readily available, and are fairly inexpensive. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments are an excellent way to manage hip pain symptoms. Mobility and quality of life can be preserved as well if hip pain symptoms are managed adequately.