Treatment for Wrist Joint Pain:

Wrist Joint Pain: A Complete Treatment Guide- Conservative, Medications, PT, Surgery:

Wrist joint pain is common following inflammatory disease of wrist joint and injuries. Wrist joint inflammatory disease includes bursitis, tendonitis, ligamental inflammation and arthritis. An injury to the wrist joints causes tendon tear, ligamental tear, dislocation and fracture. There are several choices of treatment for Wrist joint pain.

Wrist Joint Pain Can be Caused Due To:

·         Wrist Joint Sprain

·         Wrist Joint Bursitis

·         Wrist Joint Tendonitis

·         Wrist Joint Arthritis

·         Wrist Joint Dislocation

·         Wrist Joint Fracture

·         Wrist Joint Infection or Septic Arthritis.

Following Are the Treatment Options for Wrist Joint Pain:

1.   Conservative Treatment

2.   Medications

3.   Physical Therapy (PT)

4.   Interventional Pain therapy

5.   Close Reduction Of Dislocation and Fracture

6.   Surgical Treatment

Conservative Treatment for Wrist Joint Pain:

Conservative Treatments Advised Are As Follows-

A. Restriction of Wrist Joint Activities

B.  Heat and Cold Therapy

C.  Daily Exercise

A. Restriction of Wrist Joint Activities:

Wrist joint restriction is achieved by applying crape bandage to wrist, hand and forearm. Alternatively restriction is also achieved by use of wrist joint braces and placement of cast.

Indications for Wrist Joint Restriction Are As Follows-

·         Painful Wrist Joint Movement

·         Wrist Joint Swelling

·         Wrist Joint Dislocation

·         Wrist Joint Fracture

·         Wrist Joint Sprain

·         Wrist Joint Tendonitis

B. Heat or Cold Therapy for Wrist Joint Pain:

Indication for Heat and Cold Therapy Is As Follows-

·         Wrist Joint Soft Tissue Swelling

·         Wrist Joint Edema

·         Pain Caused By Tendon And Ligament Inflammation

·         Chronic Pain Caused By Dislocation And Fracture

·         Postoperative Pain

C. Daily Exercise:

Daily exercise is advised to prevent muscle atrophy, joint stiffness and muscle weakness of wrist, hand and forearm.

Indication for Daily Exercise for Wrist Pain Are-

·         Prevent Muscle Stiffness

·         Prevent Muscle Atrophy

·         Prevent Muscle Weakness

·         Prevent Wrist Joint Stiffness

·         Strengthen Hand And Forearm Muscle.

Continue……………………………………..

Osteoarthritis of the hip

Osteoarthritis of the hip:

The symptoms of osteoarthritis usually come on slowly. Joint pain, often described as a deep ache, is the most common symptom. Early in the disease, the pain does not usually last longer than a couple of hours. It may occur only after physical exercise. The pain subsides once you rest the joint. Occasionally, pain caused by osteoarthritis occurs someplace other than in the affected joint—a condition known as “referred pain.” For example, people with osteoarthritis of the neck often experience referred pain in the shoulder.

As the disease progresses, the pain may persist for longer stretches of time. Not everyone with osteoarthritis experiences pain; in fact, only one-third of people whose x-rays show evidence of osteoarthritis having joint pain or other symptoms of the disease.

Osteoarthritis commonly causes stiffness, particularly during activity and in the morning after you get out of bed. The stiffness usually lasts less than 20 minutes. You may also experience brief stiffness after inactivity, such as riding in a car or sitting in a movie theater. The short duration of stiffness distinguishes osteoarthritis from rheumatoid arthritis, which is characterized by longer periods of stiffness usually during the morning hours.

As osteoarthritis progresses, your range of movement (or flexibility) in the affected joint may become more limited. You may find it increasingly difficult, for example, to a jar, sew on buttons, or turn your neck to look over your shoulder while driving. You may also notice a crunching feeling or a grating sound when you move the affected joint--the result of the roughened cartilage on the surface of the bones rubbing together.

When osteoarthritis affects your hands, bony knobs called nodes may develop on your joints, giving your fingers and thumbs a gnarled appearance. Nodes that appear on the joint closest to your fingernail are known as Heberden's nodes; those that appear on the middle joint are called Bouchard's nodes.

The affected finger and thumb joints may feel painful or stiff at first, although the pain usually subsides within time. For some people, the pain is gone in as early as a few months, and for others it make take a couple of years. However, the bony knobs will remain. Heberden's nodes and Bouchard's nodes usually take years to develop, although they can sometimes appear within a period of weeks or months.

Osteoarthritis:Diagnosis:

Osteoarthritis:Diagnosis:

Osteoarthritis is characterized by chronic and often disabling pain and stiffness of one or more joints, particularly those of the fingers, spine, hips, knees, and feet. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and was once called degenerative joint disease. Most people who are affected by osteoarthritis are middle-aged or older.

 

Osteoarthritis: Common pain sites:

Cartilage is the tissue that cushions the joints. In osteoarthritis, this tissue becomes cracked and pitted and no longer allows smooth movement of the joint. When cartilage wears away in a weight-bearing joint such as the hip or knee, it can produce severe pain, deformity, and loss of mobility.
While there is no medication that can slow or prevent osteoarthritis, there are medications that can ease the pain and increase your joint mobility. In addition, there are many forms of self-care techniques you can use to help with the pain, including controlling your weight, exercising regularly, getting plenty of rest, and Applying heat and cold to the joints to relieve stiffness.
Because there is no absolute cure for the condition, you will have to take your medications regularly and use self-care techniques every day. Depending on the severity of your osteoarthritis, you may have difficult days where your normal activities are disrupted by stiffness and aches. Yet arthritis doesn't have to keep you from doing the things you enjoy. By learning what you can do to control symptoms, you can continue to lead an active and healthy life.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the tissue that cushions the ends of the bones in a joint (cartilage) degenerates. Cartilage keeps the joint flexible and provides protection between the bones. When the cartilage breaks down, the bones rub against each other, resulting in pain and loss of movement. Bony spurs may form around the joint, causing pain and inflammation. The exact causes for why the cartilage breaks down are unclear.

Causes and Symptoms of Tonsillitis:

Causes and Symptoms of Tonsillitis:

Bacterial and viral infections can cause tonsillitis. A common cause is streptococcus (strep) bacteria. Other common causes include:

·         Adenoviruses

·         Influenza virus

·         Epstein-Barr virus

·         Parainfluenza viruses

·         Enteroviruses

·         Herpes simplex virus

The main symptoms of tonsillitis are inflammation and swelling of the tonsils, sometimes severe enough to block the airways. Other symptoms include:

• ·         Throat pain or tenderness
• ·         Redness of the tonsils
• ·         A white or yellow coating on the tonsils
• ·         Painful blisters or ulcers on the throat
• ·         Hoarseness or loss of voice
• ·         Headache
• ·         Loss of appetite
• ·         Ear pain
• ·         Difficulty swallowing or breathing through the mouth
• ·         Swollen glands in the neck or jaw area
• ·         Fever, chills
• ·         Bad breath

In children, symptoms may also include:

• ·         Nausea
• ·         Vomiting
• ·         Abdominal pain

Treatments for Tonsillitis:

Treatment for tonsillitis will depend in part on the cause. To determine the cause, your doctor may perform a rapid strep test or throat swab culture. Both tests involve gently swabbing the back of the throat close to the tonsils with a cotton swab. A lab test can detect a bacterial infection. A viral infection will not show on the test, but may be assumed if the test for bacteria is negative. In some cases, the physical findings are convincing enough to diagnose a probable bacterial infection.  In these cases, antibiotics may be prescribed without performing a rapid strep test.

If tests reveal bacteria, treatment will consist of antibiotics to cure the infection. Antibiotics may be given as a single shot or taken 10 days by mouth. Although symptoms will likely improve within two or three days after starting the antibiotic, it's important to take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to make sure the bacteria are gone. Some people need to take a second course of antibiotics to cure the infection.

If the tonsillitis is caused by a virus, antibiotics won't work and your body will fight off the infection on its own. In the meantime, there are things you can do to feel better, regardless of the cause.

They include:

• ·         Get enough rest
• ·         Drink warm or very cold fluids to ease throat pain
• ·         Eat smooth foods, such as flavored gelatins, ice cream, or applesauce
• ·         Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your room
• ·         Gargle with warm salt water
• ·         Suck on lozenges containing benzocaine or other anesthetics
• ·         Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

What is Tonsillitis?

                       What is Tonsillitis?

The tonsils are two masses of lymphatic (immune system) tissue located at the back of the throat. They produce antibodies designed to help you fight respiratory infections. They are small at birth and gradually increase in size until age 8 or 9. They begin to shrink around age 11 or 12 but never entirely disappear. When these tissues become infected, the resulting condition is called tonsillitis.

Tonsillitis most commonly affects children between the ages of 3 and 7, when tonsils may play their most active infection-fighting role. As the child grows and the tonsils shrink, infections become less common. Tonsillitis is usually not serious unless a tonsillar abscess develops. When this happens, the swelling can be severe enough to block your child's breathing. Ear infections and adenoid problems (swellings at the back of the nasal cavity above the tonsils) may occur at the same time.

Tonsillitis – Medications:

Tonsillitis is usually caused by a virus and does not require prescription medicine. Gargling with salt water and taking pain relief medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help manage symptoms as the body fights off the infection. An antibiotic, usually amoxicillin or penicillin is used to treat tonsillitis caused by strep bacteria.

Exercises for back pain

Exercises for back pain:

 The best way to deal with back pain is to stay active and continue doing regular exercise.

 “When you’re in pain you may want to stay in bed and not move around, but that results in further loss of mobility and will only prolong the pain.”

Staying active means continuing with regular day-to-day activities to avoid becoming sedentary. Examples include walking to the shops rather than taking the car, getting off the bus one stop early, gardening and taking the dog for a walk.

If you experience mild pain, take painkillers available over the counter from your pharmacist or supermarket. Your pharmacist or GP can advise you on using your medication effectively.

 

Yoga and other exercises

If the back pain is mild, try to exercise as well as maintaining an active lifestyle. You can do any activity that gives your body a good workout.

There's some evidence that regular yoga practice is beneficial for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches and pains, including low back pain, depression and stress.

There's also some research to show that pilates can provide pain relief to people with non-specific low back pain.

Ideally, your choice of activities should involve elements of endurance as well as strength and flexibility.

Examples include walking, running or jogging, cycling, dancing, swimming, hydrotherapy (exercising in water) and aquarobics.

Hettinga says exercise programmes are most effective if performed regularly and over prolonged periods of time.

Aim for at least 150 minutes a week. You may want to build up to this gradually over several weeks.

Hettinga says an individually designed exercise programme gives the best results. It is advisable to seek medical advice before starting an exercise routine for back pain.

Manual therapy

Hettinga suggests combining an exercise programme with a course of manual therapy, especially when the pain is persistent. Manual therapy is provided by chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists.

“Evidence suggests manual therapies can be effective. Your back is examined to see if any joints need to be freed up.

"They can do it with a gentle massage, mobilisation or manipulation. It’s especially helpful if your back is stiff and flexibility is an issue," he says.

Manual therapists are also qualified to advise you on the type of exercises that will be most effective at dealing with your type of back pain.

“You should see improvements after a few weeks,” says Hettinga. “If the pain hasn’t disappeared after a few weeks of treatment, seek further medical advice to explore alternatives.

"There is always something that can be done about back pain, but it requires some work and dedication from you.”

Spinal Stenosis:

Spinal Stenosis:

Symptoms/Chief complain (C/C):

1.   Usual age group 50 years and above.
2. Tiredness, weakness, numbness, Parasthesia and aching pain in the lower limb after standing or walking for 5-10 minutes.
3. Symptoms completely relived by bending forward, sitting or squatting.
4. Symptoms usually unilateral.

History of (H/O): Previous history of disc proleps or chronic backache.

Signs/On examination (O/E):

1.   Walking for 5-10 minutes causes the appearance of tiredness, weakness, numbness, parasthesia and aching pain in the lower limb.
2. Downhill/downward stairing worsen the condition.

Investigation:

X-ray showa degenerative changes. Best investigation is CT Scan.

Treatment:

1. Lumber traction.
2. UST/SWD.
3. Active flexion exercises of lumber spine.
4. Strengthening exercises of Abdominal muscles, Start as isometric exercise (Bilateral SLR)
5. Avoid extension attitude of back.
6. Gentle passive manipulaiton techique.