Joint Pains & Osteoarthritis-How To Help Oneself

Osteoarthritis has become a very common problem. Osteoarthritis is joint damage because of wear and tear. It normally sets in old age but symptoms can start as early as 40 or 45 years old.

The major distressing thing is that they have pain. This pain can range from being moderate to very severe.

Doing physiotherapy and regular self exercises is extremely beneficial. Others ways to help oneself are given below.

1. Reduce Weight, Reduce Pressure On Your Joints:Your weight can make a staggering difference to pain levels, and every kilogram really does count. Researchers have found that a 10% reduction in body weight could mean a 50% reduction in pain. The same study found that 38% of participants recorded little to no pain after losing weight. Some small diet and exercise adjustments today could drastically improve your quality of life tomorrow. Get in touch with us to consult a Dietician.
2. Having Omega 3 Fatty Acid Rich Diet: They prevent tissue damage and reduce inflammation.
3. Exercise: Regular activity is an essential part of life with osteoarthritis – but when pain is there doing anything becomes difficult.  So doing easy, comfortable  exercise is something to aim for, whether it’s a social exercise class or a regular walk. To keep bones strong one needs to do weight bearing exercises. Exercise in water is a great way to reduce pressure on joints and minimise injuries due to exercise. So get into swimming pool and get some movements there.  Drink water to stay hydrated, it helps keep your joints moving.
4. Sleep, sleep and sleep: Simple truth is if we sleep less we feel more pain in the morning. So use all tricks and trade to sleep better. 

We wish you health always.

If in case you need a Physiotherapist at home or Dietician Consultation @ home or Blood Investigations @ home, just call +91 8892505557.

Or visist pranahealthcare.co.in

Know Your Drug-Paracetamol

You would have taken "Paracetamol" on numerous occasions.  The common brand names available in India are -Crocin, Calpol, Dolo, Paracip. It is also present in many fixed drug combinations for cold and pain.
We highlight the benefits and risks of Paracetamol in this post.

Image:Flickr

Uses:

Many people think paracetamol is only for fever. Paracetamol also has the ability to relieve pain.

Therefore it is used in

• Headache
• Muscle ache
• Toothache
• Arthritis
• Back ache
• Cold &
• Fever

It only reduces the symptoms and does not correct the underlying pathology.

A recent paper mentions that it may not be effective in back ache. Lancet, News. So, we can probably use other placebo drugs for back pain and get the same relief!

Dose:

In children the dose can range from 15 mg/kg to 30 mg/kg up to 12 years.

In Adults: Dose for fever is 325 mg to 650 mg every 6 hours. Not to exceed 3 gm per day.

For pain: 650 mg every 6 hours or 1000 mg every 8 hours. 

Paracetamol in Combination:

For pain control it is available in combination with Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Tramadol.  The dose of paracetamol available in such combinations is 325 mg. Dosage varies, please consult your doctor or use our tele-consultation service.

Side Effects:

Paracetamol is considered a "safe" drug. But it needs to be taken with caution in people who have liver disease. Also overdosing should be avoided.

• a rash or swelling – this could be a sign of an allergic reaction
• hypotension (low blood pressure) when given in hospital by infusion (a continuous drip of medicine into a vein in your arm) 
• liver and kidney damage, when taken at higher-than-recommended doses (overdose)

There have recent data collected from observational research which indicate that "Paracetamol" could be injurious to kidney, liver, gastric mucosa and heart when used for a long time. 

Even though paracetamol is very safe to be taken during pregnancy, reports indicate association with hyperactivity disorders in children. Safe to say that use paracetamol only when necessary under medical supervision. 

Addendum: Added on 16/04/2015

Paracetamol also known as acetaminophen also has been found to reduce the ability to have "pleasure"! Link to new article here

Acetaminophen is also found to increase the risk of few hematological malignancies.  Abstract here

What does this all mean? Be careful about taking drugs indiscriminately.

Painful Menstrual Periods

Do you dread those two to five days of the month because you have to suffer the pain? The pain can be in the form of  lower abdomen pain, back pain, crampy pains, a sharp pain which comes and goes.

Most doctors will tell you that some amount of pain may be normal and there should be nothing to worry. But in case you have severe pain you need to rule out few causes. The medical term for menstrual pain is dysmenorrhea.

Painful menstruation can be the reason for losing out on school, office or daily fun. In rural India, menstruation is one of the reasons why girls drop out of school, as they do not have separate toilets in schools.

Dysmenorrhea can be of two types:

1. Primary Dysmenorrhea- Pain in young healthy females when they start menstruating.
2. Secondary Dysmenorrhea- is one which develops later in women who had normal periods.

Causes of Secondary Dysmenorrhea:

• Endometriosis
• Fibroids
• Intrauterine device (IUD) made of copper
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Sexually transmitted infection
• Stress and anxiety

What you can do at home to help yourself:

• Do light circular massage with your fingertips around your lower belly area.
• Drink warm beverages.
• Eat light but frequent meals.
• Eat diet low in salt, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. 
• Keep your legs raised while lying down, or lie on your side with your knees bent.
• Apply a heating pad to your lower belly area, below your belly button. 
• Do meditation or yoga.
• Try over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen. Start taking it the day before your period is expected to start, and continue taking it regularly for the first few days of your period. Please ensure that your kidneys and liver are functioning normally. People with diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease need to discuss with their doctor before taking any medicines.
• Vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium supplements may help if your pain is from PMS.
• Take warm showers or baths.
• Walk or exercise regularly, including pelvic rocking exercises.
• Lose weight if you are overweight. Get regular, aerobic exercise.

You need to consult a doctor , if you have

• Increased or foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• Fever and pelvic pain
• Sudden or severe pain, especially if your period is more than one week late and you have been sexually active.

Contact us if you need more help or have any health related queries.

Prana Healthcare is a new age, compassionate, caring, primary healthcare provider. We send general physicians for home visits and run primary care clinics in Bangalore.