FIRST AID for joint pain
A joint is where two bones meet, as in the spine from neck to back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, heels and toes. Each joint is cushioned by connective tissue and most joints are lubricated with fluid as well.
The first thing to do in case of joint pain is to try and relax. The pain may have been brought on by stress and worry and distress and brooding will only make it worse. A cheerful and positive disposition will help ease the pain until you can see a doctor.
Rest the joint until the pain subsides but remember that disuse could have caused the pain. Hence it is important to keep the joints that do not pain mobile and to try and start moving the painful joint as soon as possible. Each joint has a radius of movement and you can try and exercise each joint to the point that you do not feel pain. Do not force the joint to move into a limit where the pain is aggravated. The radius of painless movement will increase with time. Yoga has a number of postures that help ease joint pain and later, prevent its recurrence. A physical therapist will also be able to demonstrate exercises to treat and to prevent joint pain.
Balms, gels, creams and ointments abound in pharmacies and do not need prescriptions from doctors. They can be used topically to relieve joint pain, albeit temporarily. Most of them act by giving a burning sensation and lubricate the joint as well. Use a little on a small area and check that your skin does not react to the agent before using it all over the painful joint. Do not apply any of these agents on wounds or broken skin.
Keep a joint elevated if you notice a swelling as this will help drain the excess fluid by gravity. Avoid red meat and fruits and vegetables with small seeds, such as tomatoes, eggplant and lady’s finger. It is possible that the joint pain is due to a defect in the body’s functioning and continued consumption of the foods mentioned will aggravate the pain. However a doctor will need to test your blood to confirm as to whether the joint pain has anything to do with diet.
Some nutritional supplements help treat joint pain. They can be used without a prescription though you should keep the doctor informed about their use. Extracts of crab shells and certain medicinal herbs help reconstruct the connective tissue that keeps joints in place. These nutritional supplements would not provide immediate relief but they are effective in preventing recurrence of pain.
Incorrect sleeping, sitting or standing postures can contribute to joint pain, especially in the back. Choose a hard surface to lie on to ease back pain, lie on your stomach if the pain radiates down either leg, and do not sleep in the draft of a fan or an air-conditioner. Choose a chair with appropriate back and neck support and remember that a protruding belly can cause the back muscles to hurt.
Women have an additional problem. A back pain may result from a pelvic inflammation and an infection is a common cause. Intimate hygiene will help to prevent such a situation.
The list of steps described above is not a substitute for an orthopedic examination of a painful joint by a doctor. The latter is particularly required if the pain persists or spreads to other parts of the body.
Joint pain arises from a number of different causes and it takes a skilled and experienced doctor, with some blood and other tests, to arrive at a correct diagnosis. Arthritis is a common reason for joint pain. It is an inherited disorder and is aggravated by stress, worry and in cold and damp weather. Blood tests can confirm the presence of an arthritic condition.
Gout is another reason. It is characterized by violent and shifting spasms of pain. Gout is a metabolic disorder.
Old age and a sedentary lifestyle cause some muscles to lose tone and for joints to lose mobility because of disuse. This is most often the case with knee joint pain. Obesity aggravates such a condition.
Back pain in women may be due to a swollen uterus and in both sexes, is also caused by inadequate strength in the back muscles. A nerve displacement will cause sciatica, a condition in which pain will radiate from the back along one lower limb.
The hips have ball and socket like joints and old and obese people may suffer from necrosis or death of the head of the femur, which is the bone in the thigh. This results in pain in the hips, especially when a sufferer stands up.
Most cases of joint pain can be relieved to a large extent by the remedies mentioned in this article. A doctor can arrive at a firm reason for persistent and shifting pain and suggest effective therapeutic and surgical measures for a permanent solution.
Please email drsbanerji@gmail.com for more information and specific help. You can add an SMS on 00919820188291 in an emergency or schedule a net meeting at satya_banerji@jhotmail.com or a Skype call at drsbanerji
The first thing to do in case of joint pain is to try and relax. The pain may have been brought on by stress and worry and distress and brooding will only make it worse. A cheerful and positive disposition will help ease the pain until you can see a doctor.
Rest the joint until the pain subsides but remember that disuse could have caused the pain. Hence it is important to keep the joints that do not pain mobile and to try and start moving the painful joint as soon as possible. Each joint has a radius of movement and you can try and exercise each joint to the point that you do not feel pain. Do not force the joint to move into a limit where the pain is aggravated. The radius of painless movement will increase with time. Yoga has a number of postures that help ease joint pain and later, prevent its recurrence. A physical therapist will also be able to demonstrate exercises to treat and to prevent joint pain.
Balms, gels, creams and ointments abound in pharmacies and do not need prescriptions from doctors. They can be used topically to relieve joint pain, albeit temporarily. Most of them act by giving a burning sensation and lubricate the joint as well. Use a little on a small area and check that your skin does not react to the agent before using it all over the painful joint. Do not apply any of these agents on wounds or broken skin.
Keep a joint elevated if you notice a swelling as this will help drain the excess fluid by gravity. Avoid red meat and fruits and vegetables with small seeds, such as tomatoes, eggplant and lady’s finger. It is possible that the joint pain is due to a defect in the body’s functioning and continued consumption of the foods mentioned will aggravate the pain. However a doctor will need to test your blood to confirm as to whether the joint pain has anything to do with diet.
Some nutritional supplements help treat joint pain. They can be used without a prescription though you should keep the doctor informed about their use. Extracts of crab shells and certain medicinal herbs help reconstruct the connective tissue that keeps joints in place. These nutritional supplements would not provide immediate relief but they are effective in preventing recurrence of pain.
Incorrect sleeping, sitting or standing postures can contribute to joint pain, especially in the back. Choose a hard surface to lie on to ease back pain, lie on your stomach if the pain radiates down either leg, and do not sleep in the draft of a fan or an air-conditioner. Choose a chair with appropriate back and neck support and remember that a protruding belly can cause the back muscles to hurt.
Women have an additional problem. A back pain may result from a pelvic inflammation and an infection is a common cause. Intimate hygiene will help to prevent such a situation.
The list of steps described above is not a substitute for an orthopedic examination of a painful joint by a doctor. The latter is particularly required if the pain persists or spreads to other parts of the body.
Joint pain arises from a number of different causes and it takes a skilled and experienced doctor, with some blood and other tests, to arrive at a correct diagnosis. Arthritis is a common reason for joint pain. It is an inherited disorder and is aggravated by stress, worry and in cold and damp weather. Blood tests can confirm the presence of an arthritic condition.
Gout is another reason. It is characterized by violent and shifting spasms of pain. Gout is a metabolic disorder.
Old age and a sedentary lifestyle cause some muscles to lose tone and for joints to lose mobility because of disuse. This is most often the case with knee joint pain. Obesity aggravates such a condition.
Back pain in women may be due to a swollen uterus and in both sexes, is also caused by inadequate strength in the back muscles. A nerve displacement will cause sciatica, a condition in which pain will radiate from the back along one lower limb.
The hips have ball and socket like joints and old and obese people may suffer from necrosis or death of the head of the femur, which is the bone in the thigh. This results in pain in the hips, especially when a sufferer stands up.
Most cases of joint pain can be relieved to a large extent by the remedies mentioned in this article. A doctor can arrive at a firm reason for persistent and shifting pain and suggest effective therapeutic and surgical measures for a permanent solution.
Please email drsbanerji@gmail.com for more information and specific help. You can add an SMS on 00919820188291 in an emergency or schedule a net meeting at satya_banerji@jhotmail.com or a Skype call at drsbanerji
posted by Dr. S. Banerji | 11:30 PM
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