Top Health Tips on Treating Crossed Eyes

Muscle sprains and ligament tears are one of the most common injuries that medical practitioners encounter on a regular basis. These injuries are painful and can also limit one s movement, needless to say. However, there are simple things that can be done as soon as the injury happens so that the impact of the injury can be reduced, the symptoms minimised, and recovery improved.

A sprain is a tear of the ligament. The ligament is responsible for connecting the tissue strands that connect the bone to the muscle. When this sprain affects the muscle or even the tendon, it is known as a strain.
Sprains are very common and can occur due to a fall, twist, or impact. Most commonly affected areas are the ankles and wrists. Sprains happen when there is a pull or a twist of the ankle or the joint. This is very common in athletes and can be caused by repetitive motions in the knees, wrists, elbows, etc.

The most common symptom is pain, swelling, limited movement, and sometimes bruising. The degree of these injuries depends on its severity. The most common ways to treat such injuries are as follows.

RICE therapy: RICE is an acronym for rest, ice, compress, and elevate. Rest the affected area immediately by stopping any further activity. Ice the area using an ice wrap, with the ice cubes wrapped in a towel or a cotton cloth. Repeat this exercise if possible for every 20 minutes. This will reduce the swelling and pain. Compress the area using a sling or a wrap. This will help in reducing the swelling. Elevate the affected area if possible above the heart. This will help control the blood flow and thereby reduce the swelling and pain.
Pain control: If there is pain that needs medication, go for the non-steroidal drugs like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If it is a child that is injured, it is advisable to give non-aspirin ones.
Seek professional help: Most sprains can be self-limiting over a couple of days. However, it is advisable to seek medical help if there is significant pain, swelling, or numbness, open wounds or bruises, or inability to move the joint.
The doctor may decide to do the following.

Scanning or imaging to rule out any internal hard/soft tissue injury like fracture or tear
Immobilise the joint with a splint or a cast
Start physical therapy if there is severe pain and immobility
Surgical repair if there is a ligament injury
A word of caution to athletes or people who are very active physically is to go easy on the joint. In an eagerness to quickly get back to their routine, more and severe damage may be caused. This can be avoided by allowing time for complete healing.

Uveitis is a set of inflammatory diseases that results in the swelling and damaging of the eye tissue. It can lead to temporary or permanent loss of vision. This disease often affects a part of the eye called the uvea, from which it has derived its name. It can affect people of all ages and can last from a short to long period of time. Ophthalmologists categorize uveitis into four major parts posterior uveitis, anterior uveitis, panuveitis uveitis and intermediate uveitis. This disease can be infectious or noninfectious, depending on the nature of the infection.

What causes uveitis and what are the major risk factors?
This disease is caused by the eye's inflammatory response and is caused by a series of potential factors such as the following:
a. Immune system attack from the body
b. Eye bruises
c. Eye infection or tumor within the eye
d. Foreign toxins that penetrate the eye

What are the diseases associated with uveitis?
Uveitis is associated with a range of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Behcet's syndrome, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada's (VKH) disease, psoriasis, herpes zoster infection, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, toxoplasmosis, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.

What are the typical symptoms of uveitis?
One or both eyes can be affected by uveitis. Some of the common symptoms include pain in the eye, light sensitivity and blurred and dark spots in vision. Moreover, the symptoms might vary from person to person and greatly depends on the type of inflammation. The symptoms also vary according to the type of uveitis.

What is the detection process?
The process of detection starts with a patient's medical history followed by several medical tests to rule out autoimmune disorders. This is followed by an evaluation of the central nervous system to rule out multiple sclerosis. Some of the other tests conducted by ophthalmologists include measuring the ocular pressure, slit lamp exam, funduscopic exam and visual acuity test.

The primary aim of the treatment is to eradicate inflammation, restore vision, prevent tissue damage and reduce pain. The treatment plan depends on the type of uveitis a patient displays. Doctors often suggest a dose of corticosteroid eye drops to arrest the infection in and around the eye. Other treatment methods include the prescription of immunosuppressive agents.

Furthermore, a doctor may suggest steroidal medication in the form of an eye drop, pill or injection. It can also be surgically infused into the eye. Some other agents used for treatment are azathioprine, methotrexate and mycophenolate. Medications such as these require regular monitoring of the blood to check for any side effects. Doctors also suggest biologics such as infliximab, rituximab, and adalimumab. Most of these drugs have a specific target in the immune system.

If you are an avid runner, then you might also be well aware of the type of running injuries one is prone to. It might be foolish to say that running injuries can be prevented. It is because these injuries do happen quite often. Though these cannot be prevented, these can definitely be treated. Furthermore, precautions from your side can always be taken to make sure that these injuries do not cause a major impact on your health and can be cured without much of a hassle. Here are some important points that you need to remember to avoid running injuries or to lessen their adverse impact on your body.


Flexible Body: Flexibility is an important part of a runner s body. You not only need to have the stamina to run, but also must possess flexible features to get you out swiftly from any serious damage. Flexibility is attained when you do regular exercises and stretching in particular. It makes your muscles resilient towards many injuries and provides your body a better shape and long lasting stamina as well.
Strengthen Your Body: Body strength is required if you want to avoid any sports injuries. Special strength training sessions are organised with the coaches of sportspersons. These sessions help in building up muscle strength. This would, in turn, lessen muscle fatigue and make you able enough to perform better.
Balanced Diet: It does not matter whether you are an athletic or not, a balanced diet is needed for everyone. Balanced diet does not mean picking and choosing of food. It means a proper diet chart, mapping everything that your body needs to stay fit. Furthermore, it should contain ample amount of water to keep you hydrated.
Take Rest When Required: It is often said by the elders that too much of work would ruin your health and body. Thus, even for the athletes, it is important to take rest in between periods of heavy training sessions. This would give you a chance to relax your body and relieve you of all the stress. Furthermore, if you are injured or hurt, it would give you ample time to recover from your injuries.
Wear Proper Shoes: As a runner, you need to take care of all parts of your body. This would also include your legs. To prevent any sprains or muscle injury in the leg and to practice for long hours, proper running shoes are needed.

Heat treatment or thermotherapy is an effective process of healing from a sports injury. Understanding the when and how to use heat treatment is essential since it can even prolong the process of healing when not done properly.

The Process Of Healing-

There are four stages of tissue healing. Each of these has a considerable overlap between each other, even if mentioned separately.

1. The first phase is known as the most acute stage of healing or the bleeding/bruising/swelling phase. This is the short phase immediately after an injury. The extent of this phase depends on the extent of the injury and how many vascular structures are affected.

2. The second phase is called the inflammatory phase. The goal for this phase is to ensure that no further damage happens to the affected area and to stop the first phase. It is during this phase that the blood supply to the area increases causing a build-up of fluid. Heat treatment is not applicable here since it increases the blood circulation and can lengthen the healing process.

3. The third phase is called proliferation. This is the phase where the introduction of scarring and new tissue takes place. This is the post-injury phase and heat treatment greatly helps during this time, with the right kind of stressors (exercises or intervention) followed by cooling.

4. The third fourth phase is known as remodeling. It is the time when the new tissue matures and settles down. Thermotherapy in the form of Heat should be applied in this phase to bring about good extensibility in the tissues.

Injuries that are treatable through Heat Therapy Heat treatments are extremely effective in muscle, and conditions causing aches and pains, spasms and cramps. It can also be applied to ligament and joint injuries like those related to a thumb, turf toe, elbow, wrist sprains and sprained ankles. The idea behind any heat treatment is to make the tissue more extensible by warming it up. Exercises related to a range of motion should be performed immediately as the extensibility of tissues gained with heat will allow for a greater range.

How heat treatment helps in treating sports injuries?

Heat treatment significantly increases the blood circulation and help to eradicate dead skin and other toxic bodies from the origin of the injury.

It assists in the metabolism of the cells.

It increases capillary permeability.

It increases the number of nutrients and oxygen to the source of injury and speeds up the process of healing.

Heat treatments can cut down muscle spasms.

Types of Heat Treatments Available:

For heating deep tissues, ultrasound is the safest form of treatment. It can penetrate up to 5 inches beneath the skin. This being said it needs to be administered by a physiotherapist or a PT assistant and in turn, becomes expensive. Then there is superficial heat therapy. This is convenient and readily available. They directly transfer heat from the source to the injury location. Common examples of these are a hot tub, paraffin bath and hot bags. Sometimes dry hot packs may also be used for superficial heating. They produce a steady source of heat and are run by either microwave or electricity. Caution should be taken in order to ensure that the heat does not burn the upper layer of the skin.

How Sports Physiotherapy and Heat therapy complement one another?

Heat therapy forms an integral part of Physiotherapy treatment and is used in combination with other modalities and exercise-based treatment for the following reasons:

To improve the flexibility of your soft tissue structures.

To reduce muscle spasms.

To alleviate pain by releasing endorphins, powerful opiate-like chemicals which block pain transmission.

To increase blood flow by relaxing the walls of blood vessels which in turn boost metabolism and help when stretching muscles and increasing overall flexibility.

What does neck and shoulder pain indicate?

The stabbing pain that you experience around the neck and shoulder region should never be ignored as they may indicate health problems that require medical attention. There are certain points that you need to keep in mind the if you experience prolonged pain in these areas of the body.

1. Neck injury? your neck and shoulder pain should be seen as a warning sign that you need to take a look at the neck injury you may have sustained during a rear-end automobile accident. More specifically, whiplash injuries that happen when the head experiences a sudden backward and forward jerk, straining the tissues of the neck.

2. Pain in these areas of the body could indicate abnormalities in the vertebrae of your neck such as herniated disc, causing added pressure on the nerves of the spinal cord.

3. Your neck and shoulder pain complaint may also point towards muscle strains. Lifestyle factors like working long hours in front of laptops or desktops leave you with no time and zero energy to exercise, resulting in serious neck and shoulder pains.

4. Your neck and shoulder pain may also indicate the problem of cervical spondylosis. This is a degenerative disc disease, which is characterised by severe pain that originates from the neck and radiates till the shoulders.

5. Even heart problems, such as a heart attack can cause pain in the shoulder and the neck. When this happens, the condition is known as referred pain.

6. Adopting an improper body posture during lifting of heavy materials can induce pain in your body parts, with neck and shoulders being the most vulnerable areas.

7. You may be suffering from a condition known as rotator cuff injury in which the group of ligaments and muscles that support the shoulder get injured during lifting or playing any sport.

To avoid aggravating the pain from becoming more severe, you shouldn't ignore any ache that arises from these areas.

There are many kinds of conditions that affect the eyes and make vision difficult - temporarily or even permanently. Uveitis is one such condition that causes eye inflammation in the middle layer of the tissue that resides in the wall of the eye - also known as the Uvea. The progression of the condition is sudden and the symptoms, quite painful. Let us get to know more with this article.

Causes: To understand any condition and how it is to be treated, one must first understand the causes of the said condition. While the specific causes behind the onset of Uveitis are not clear, this inflammatory disorder may be caused as a side effect of others like an autoimmune disorder including those like ankylosing spondylitis or even sarcoidosis. Also, infections such as cat scratch disease, syphilis, West Nile virus and others may cause this kind of inflammatory condition that also affects the eyes. Lymphoma is also a kind of cancer that can be found in the eyes, which can create Uveitis. Finally, eye injuries and surgeries may cause this condition too.

Symptoms: This condition has a variety of symptoms that may flare up suddenly. There are very few cases in which these symptoms start and progress gradually. Redness and pain in the eyes is one of the most commonly experienced symptoms while decreased vision and sensitivity towards glares of light may also be felt by people suffering from this condition. One may also see dark spots floating around and the vision may get blurred as an effect.

Onset of Symptoms: The symptoms usually depend to a great degree on the part of the eye that gets affected by this condition. The Uvea also consists of the iris, the choroid, and the ciliary body even as it enables blood flow to the deep layers of the retina.
Medication: In order to treat mild to moderate cases, the ophthalmologist may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication like corticosteroids, as well as bacteria fighting medicines like antibiotics. Also, immunosuppressants can be used to deal with slightly more severe cases.

Surgery: Very severe cases will require surgical procedures like a Vitrectomy to remove the vitreous in the eye for better management of the condition. Also, with surgery, the doctor can implant a device that leads to a slow release of medication on a constant basis so that the treatment and prevention of the condition goes on, unhindered. Yet, this method can also come with side effects like the onset of glaucoma.

The severity of the symptoms as well as the extent of the damage will pretty much determine the speed of your recovery as far as this condition is concerned.

When a sudden bump, blow, or jolt occurs to the brain, it results in a traumatic brain injury. According to the area involved in the traumatic brain injury, the patient may lose his consciousness, or he may lose the function of any part of the body. In the first few weeks following a traumatic brain injury, rapid recovery occurs but slows down over the following years. Hence, in order to gain rapid recovery, physiotherapy treatment should be started immediately.

Why physiotherapy is helpful in traumatic brain injury?

Along with the proper medication, physiotherapy assists in rapid recovery of the patient in the following ways:

It improves balance and co-ordination, thereby, decreasing the risk of fall.

It increases the ability to move in the bed, sit, stand, or to do activities for daily living.

It reduces muscle spasms, pain, and stiffness in cases of muscle involvement with traumatic brain injury.

It increases strength of the paralyzed (non-functioning, weakened muscles) limbs in cases of paralysis which occur after traumatic brain injury.

Continuous and persistent practice of physiotherapy ultimately results in independence and increased quality of life.

What therapies are included in physiotherapy for patients with traumatic brain injury?

The therapy needs to be followed on a daily basis under a proper guidance of a physiotherapist. It includes following methods:

Sensory stimulation: It includes application of specific stimuli, such as tactile (touch), proprioceptive, vestibular, auditory, visual, or olfactory stimuli. It is given in comatose patients. It acts by stimulating the brain and improving stimulus transmission, and it results in overall a rapid and better recovery.

Respiratory therapy: It is given to ICU patients. The main aim of this therapy is to promote ventilation, to improve oxygen saturation, and to improve thoracic mobility.

Therapies for prevention of contracture: Contractures mean that there is a loss of joint mobility. Hence, for the prevention of the contracture, active or passive movement of the joint or stretching exercises is generally advised.

Use of a serial cast: Serial casting is widely used to reduce stiff muscles and to improve the range of motion. They are changed in an interval of 4 to 7 days.

Mobilization: Mobilization therapies, such as bringing the patient into an upright seated position at the edge of the bed, outside the bed, or to a standing position are advised to improve the mobility of the patient.

Training for self-care: Training for improving the activities of self-care and the activities of daily living (ADL) is generally taught to the patients with sensory, motor, or cognitive dysfunction.

Use of tools: Various tools, such as walking aids and supports are generally advised to improve and maintain the balance of the patient.

Heat treatment or thermotherapy is an effective process of healing from a sports injury. Understanding the when and how to use heat treatment is essential since it can even prolong the process of healing.

The Process Of Healing-

There are three stages of healing. The first phase is called the inflammatory phase. The goal for this phase is to ensure that no further damage happens to the affected area. It is during this phase that the swelling and the buildup of fluid happens. Heat treatment is not applicable here since it increases the blood circulation and can lengthen the healing process. The second phase is called proliferation. This is the phase where the introduction of scarring and new tissue takes place. This is the post-injury phase and heat treatment greatly helps during this time. The third phase is known as remodelling. It is the time when the new tissue matures and settles down. Thermotherapy can be applied in this phase as well.

Injuries that are treatable through thermotherapy-

Heat treatments are extremely effective in injuries such as muscle spasms along with back strains. It can also be applied to joint injuries related to a thumb, turf toe, elbow, wrist sprains and sprained ankles. The reason why heat treatment is effective in joint injuries is because heating significantly heats the bone and improves the range of motion. The idea behind any heat treatment is to make the tissue more extensible by warming it up. Exercises related to a range of motion should be performed for 15-20 minutes post the heat treatment.

How heat treatment helps in treating sports injuries?

Heat treatment significantly increases the blood circulation and help to eradicate dead skin and other toxic bodies from the origin of the injury.

It assists in metabolism of the cells.

It increases the capillary permeability.

It increases the number of nutrients and oxygen to the source of injury and speeds up the process of healing.

Heat treatments can cut down muscle spasms.

Types of Heat Treatments Available:

For heating deep tissues, ultrasound is the best form of treatment. It can penetrate up to 1.5 inches inside the skin. Basic strain injuries such as hamstring and rotator cuff are instantly treatable with ultrasound. This being said it is one of the most expensive methods of heat treatment. Then there is superficial heat therapy. This is convenient and readily available. They directly transfer heat from the source to the injury location. Common examples of these are a hot tub, paraffin bath and hot bags. The third type of heating mechanism is known as dry hot packs. They produce a steady source of heat and are run by either microwave or electricity. Caution should be taken in order to ensure that the heat does not burn the upper layer of the skin.

The point of doing a workout is to put your body through the motions and phases before you hit an intense spot of persistent action before cooling down. This helps in giving your body a well balanced workout. But what many of us do not know is that a good workout schedule will also involve a well paced warm up session with exercises that will warm up the body and its various areas as well as the muscles so that the intensity does not hit the body suddenly and result in some sort of injury or undue fatigue.

So get it right with these eight warm up exercises that you aren't doing, but totally should!

Dynamic: Follow a dynamic routine and mix it up a little with various kinds of movements that will work the different areas of the body. Start with squats and move on to lunges before you do a few skips to warm up!
Jump: Try the jumping rope the next time you hit the gym and watch your heart rate go up just enough to get you all warm and loose and ready for that heavy duty work out. You can start with five minutes of this motion before moving on to your first set.
Dance: Did you know that switching on your favourite music and shuffling your feet before you start to gyrate a little can actually get you in the right frame of mind for a workout? So next time, warm up with a little dancing!
Balance: Warm up with a balancing act or two. Stand on one leg and do deadlifts with a dumbbell. Repeat the same motion for both arms. This helps in imitating the actual workout that you will be indulging in, which helps in warming up the relevant areas.
Stretches: Try doing stretches and jumping jacks for stability and to work your core strength before you hit the gym equipment. This will bring about better blood circulation and help you get your heart ready for the work out.
Swing: Use swinging movements with your arms and legs with circles and marches to help loosen up the muscles.
Walk: Do animal walk with crab walks, frog jumps, bunny hops, inch worm motions and much more to unleash your energy.
Medicine Balls: Grab some medicine balls and do a few moves like the rotational twist, the front body push, the reverse eight and many more to get your body pumped up.
Warming up is an important part of working out, so remember to get your warm up routine right!

Running is a sport that many people indulge in, on a daily basis. For many professional athletes, running is also a part of their job. While it may be an extremely fulfilling experience in sheer physical terms, it also has varied implications in the long run as far as the health of your bones, joints and muscles go. Also, runners are constantly at the risk of getting injured, which can lead to many complications. Read on to know how you can protect the same with these five tips to avoid injuries.

Warming Up and Stretching: Many injuries can happen when you do not stretch before you indulge in a strenuous activity like running. Warming up should be done with the help of a quick brisk walk that should happen a few minutes before you start running. Also, when you are stretching, you should not hold your breath and do it slowly without rushing yourself. Avoid stretching your muscles when they are cold. The stretching exercises should happen after the warm up.
Strengthening Exercises: It is important to indulge in good amount of exercises that will strengthen your quads, calves and feet so that your muscles are strong enough to support your weight while you run without putting undue pressure on the joints, which can succumb to injuries and fractures.Strengthening exercises are given to hamstring muscles as well.
Weight: Managing your weight is one of the most important parts of the regimen for a runner. If you are taking up running professionally or if you are doing it as exercise, you must ensure that your weight is at a normal level as per your ideal BMI so that you do not end up putting pressure on your knees. A good diet and plenty of exercise will help in maintaining a good weight.
Footwear: Your shoes are one of the most important aspects when you are running. You must choose shoes that have a good cushion or gel inside. Be sure to select shoes that are designed for runners specifically, so that the shoes take on the shape of your feet and give you good balance and motion even as the friction with the ground happens. The correct footwear will support the running motion and keep injuries at bay.
Stride Length and Impact: It is imperative to practice the correct stride length and impact when your feet hit the ground as this is where injuries most commonly happen. You will need to ensure that you get professional help from a trainer so that you can gauge and accordingly practice your stride length in keeping with your frame so that the impact is minimal on the rest of the body and its joints.