Tag: Spine

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.

Back Pain Remedies for Excruciating Pain

Majority of people often experience back pain at some point in their lives. The reason may be vague and there are cases that the causes are undefined. However, some experts would agree that one of the typical causes of back pain is muscle imbalance.

Throughout the day, most Americans would only spend time sitting and not moving. And frequently, the activities we perform often lead us to the couch and the desks. That’s all there is to it. And so to add mobility to our bodies, we go to the gyms and make the imbalance even more severe.

The first step to back pain remedy is to identify the muscle imbalance in our body. These pull our bones, joints and spine in some places out of their natural locations. Then stretch the tight and often not used muscles to strengthen to reinstate strength.

It is normally not easy to identify what trigger muscle imbalances. But with some basic knowledge on how the body system works, it may well be easier to observe which muscles are better used than others and where does the body typically hurts.

Or you may choose to use other methods other than focusing on the imbalances of the muscles without going too far from exercising. One such option is the yoga. In opposition with the first back pain remedy we discussed, yoga needs to be thoroughly understood. One needs to have a good foundation on the background of this art and how does it work. And restrictions must be carefully observed.

There is a host of methods for treating back pain, ranging from conventional methods and alternative therapies. Whatever way one wants it to be, the result may always be affected by psychological expectations and beliefs on the outcome. Say in acupuncture, doctors may claim that it works for some and not for others. How is this? Probably because people may believe in the effects of the said method but may not actually be the case for all. We are not raising arguments on this issue; we are just presenting what is factual. Nor are we proving that contemporary medicine works more efficiently than that of the more traditional methods. Anything that works well for the patients will continue on working well. Unless other factors impede it.

The thing is it really doesn’t matter what back pain remedy we use, we only have to seek for what is effective and which of them creates more productive results. In this, it might be true that the end justifies the means.