Tag: Spine

What Spinal Cord Injury Patients Can Accomplish with Physiotherapy

Sports injuries and car accidents, among other injuries, can cause spinal cord injury. The range of spinal cord injury is wide. Some of these injuries are fairly minor and will heal well with a limited amount of physiotherapy, while others need physiotherapy for the rest of their lives.

As always with physiotherapy, the first step is evaluation. A plan is formulated that will include therapies specific to the kind of spinal cord injury the patient has. Neck injuries can cause quadriplegia, which requires special treatments.

An important issue in spinal cord injury is the level of the damage. If a physiotherapy program is not followed faithfully, the spine will begin to atrophy below the level of the spinal cord injury. The spine will shrink and the whole body below that point will become weaker as time goes by.

It is important that spinal cord injury patients get exercise of some form. They are prone to osteoporosis and heart problems, among other conditions. If there is a total lack of exercise, these risk factors become even more pronounced.

Physiotherapy for spinal cord injury involves exercising and stimulating the nerves and muscles below the level of the damage. This will allow patients with spinal cord injury to stay in good physical condition where they can. That way, if a cure becomes available, they will not be too weakened to benefit from it.

Every exercise the physiotherapy personnel go through with the spinal cord injury patient should be video-taped. This allows work to go on at home with an example of each exercise. Range-of-motion exercises are done by a caregiver, who moves the limbs so that they will not become set in one position.

For spinal cord injury patients who are not quadriplegics, there is physiotherapy using mats. These mats are raised off the floor, and can be operated by a hand crank or a power system. The physiotherapist will give exercises where the patient lies on the side, back, or stomach and works out or sits up and works out.

There are many restorative therapies in physiotherapy for spinal cord injury patients. These include electrical stimulation, biofeedback, vibrational therapy, laser therapy and other stimulation activities. Aqua therapy is also a physiotherapy method that is conducive to progress in spinal cord injury patients.

With all these therapies, spinal cord injury patients can sometimes restore themselves to earlier functioning. Other times, they can simply keep their bodies from deteriorating as they wait for a cure.

Spinal cord injury research is being conducted constantly. Physiotherapy is one of the fields that are being explored. One study is putting spinal cord injury patients in harnesses over treadmills stimulating walking. They are trying to find a way to help people walk again who had given up hope of doing so.

Physiotherapy gives hope for spinal cord injury patients. It allows them to have the most normal functioning that they are currently able to have. Perhaps when a cure comes outcomes will be even better. However, physiotherapy will probably always be needed for spinal cord injury patients.

How Physiotherapy Fits in with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis is not only a painful and debilitating disease. It is also a risk factor for other diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Research shows that these diseases can be held off by exercise and other lifestyle changes.

For the sufferer of rheumatoid arthritis, life is a constant learning experience. Each time a new movement is done, one finds out if it makes the condition feel worse or better. Rheumatoid arthritis patients may feel fatigue. They will likely have a great amount of pain and stiffness in their joints.

Physiotherapy is one way to combat the effects of rheumatoid arthritis. This will be an ongoing therapy that will require dedication over the rest of the patient’s life. However, it is common that the exercises and other therapies help the rheumatoid arthritis so much that the patient will have incentive to keep doing them.

A physiotherapist understands how all the parts of one’s body work together to create movement. Bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons: the physiotherapist knows how they all fit to make one walk or stand. With this knowledge, the physiotherapist can devise methods to help one keep moving. This is the most important part of rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Early in one’s treatment, the plan will take shape. It will include ways to prevent rheumatoid arthritis from disabling one. As time goes by, the focus will shift to a more here and now sort of treatment. Exercises will be geared more towards current problems.

Water exercises can be used for people with rheumatoid arthritis. These exercises allow the person to get much needed strengthening and stretching exercises done. At the same time, there is little or no pressure on the joints or spine. Physiotherapists use water exercises as an important part of the treatment plan.

Strengthening exercises help the muscles provide more support to the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis. If there is not enough muscle tone, the patient will have more trouble walking or doing other normal movements. The rheumatoid arthritis will dominate the movements instead of the muscles dominating them.

Heat therapy can be used in conjunction with ice therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. A physiotherapist can tell the patient when and how long to leave on heat packs or ice packs. Other heat therapy is done by ultrasound.

People with rheumatoid arthritis can benefit from manual procedures, such as massage. A person with the stiffness that accompanies rheumatoid arthritis can be very limited in how far he can move his joints. Massage improves movement and increases this range dramatically.

One of the most important functions a physiotherapist serves for patients with rheumatoid arthritis is as a motivational coach. The physiotherapist should be trained in the psychology of chronic disorders and pain management. She will be there to encourage you to keep trying, keeping moving, and never giving up.

Physiotherapy is only a part of the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Diet and medications are also used, for example. Yet, without physiotherapy, many people who suffer from this disease would be in much worse pain.

How To Relieve The Pain Of A Pinched Nerve

There are many things that can lead to having a pinched nerve, but no matter what the cause it’s a very painful condition to suffer from. If you have this problem, then all you can think about when it flares up is how to relieve the pain of a pinched nerve. It isn’t always easy to find the best solution, but there are things you can to bring some relief from the pain.

The very first thing you need to do is go see your doctor if you are experiencing constant pain or think you have a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve is a very serious condition, or it can be the sign of something else serious. Either way, only a qualified medical professional will be able to know for sure. Also, if your doctor prescribes any pain medication, be sure to follow their instructions very carefully.

Apart from a visit to your doctor, you can also go to your chiropractor. They are good at making adjustments to your neck and spine and tend to have a good understanding of the nerves in your body. They should be able to make adjustments that bring relief, though you may need to make several visits before you fond longer-lasting relief.

Inflammation can often lead to a pinched nerve, so doing things to reduce it is one of the methods of how to relieve the pain of a pinched nerve. There are over the counter medications that promise to reduce inflammation, but you need to be sure to take them regularly. If those don’t work, then you can talk to your doctor about the possibility of taking a prescription anti-inflammatory drug. Watching your diet is another way to reduce inflammation, as some foods can reduce it naturally. Wild salmon, broccoli, kelp, papaya and olive oil are a few of the foods you may wish to add to your diet.

Heat or cold on the affected area should be able to get your pain under control. Some people respond better heat, and others to cold; therefore, you should try one and see how it works for you. If heat doesn’t work, then try applying cold, and vice-versa. Don’t use anything that’s too hot or too cold as that could damage the skin or underlying tissue.

Another key to how to relieve the pain of a pinched nerve is to pay attention to your movements. Chances are that you already know and avoid a few motions that make the problem worse. However, you should always try to be aware of any moves you’re making, and be especially mindful of fast movements or strenuous activity.

One of the most pleasurable ways of how to relieve the pain of a pinched nerve is a professional massage. It’s important that you go to a professional because they will be aware of how to massage the sore area without doing more damage. Not only will you be easing the pain, but you also become more relaxed during the session.

Facts on Lower Back Pain

In the United States, lower back pain is one of the leading causes of disability, which is supported by the statistics that in every 10 individual, eight may be showing signs of the condition.

Paradoxically, the extent of pain has nothing to do with the intensity of damage afflicted on the patient. Unlike with acute ailments and disease, chronic lower back pain is generally not associated with the height of damage accumulated. A large herniated disc may be relatively painless whereas muscle spasm due to back strain can be a reason for excruciating back pain.

The sponsors for lower back pain may be extremely complex. In most cases, people suffering from it cannot exactly point out the location of concentrated pain or what they exactly feel. This is due to the reason that there are a number of underlying structures located at the lower back that may cause the pain. Listed below are several parts of the spiral anatomy that may be the reasons for pain:

Irritation on the large nerve roots located at the low back that are connected to the arms and the legs.

Irritation in the smaller nerves in the lower back spine.

Strain at the erector spinae, also termed as the large lower back muscle.

Injury/ies on the joints, ligaments and bones.

Injury at the intervertebral disc.

There are cases however that the lower back pain is felt and suffered from yet there are no known anatomical cause or causes to relate the pain with. Though these types of lower back pain may not yet be fully recognized, immediate treatment must still be addressed. However, lower back pain may usually be associated with some general causes. An example of which is the muscle strain on the lower back or more specific diagnosable condition such as lumbar herniated disc or a degenerative disc disease.

Symptoms of lower back pain that are frequently related with surgical approaches:

Bladder incontinence or sudden bowel movement
Progressive weakening of the legs
Continuous low back pain or abdominal pain
Signs of fever and chills that are directly linked with lower back pain
Caner cases
Extreme weight loss
Recent case of trauma, especially when severe

Many people take lower back pain for granted, either by own choice or they are impeded by some irreversible reasons like insufficient and the likes. However, early diagnosis and treatment generally prevent people from experiencing more excruciating pains and higher treatment costs.