Bone Marrow (Trephine Biopsy) Test

Cervical spondylosis is fast becoming the bane of modern life. An age-related wear and tear problem affecting the spinal discs in your neck, cervical spondylosis is increasingly affecting the young because of the use of cell phones, laptops and the like.

Cervical spondylosis is a general term used to define shrinkage of discs in between vertebrae in the neck region. Along with disc degeneration, bony projections also form in the area and are called bone spurs.
Other causes of cervical spondylosis are dehydrated discs. Discs are thick, pad-like cushions in between vertebrae that act as shock absorbers. They are made of a gel- like material that can dry over time. This causes the spinal vertebrae to rub together causing pain. The discs also crack which allows the internal gel-like material to spill out and impinge on spinal nerves causing symptoms.

There is a narrowing of the space required by the spinal cord and nerves that emanate in the upper spine to go to various parts of the body. Pinching of these nerves can cause alarming symptoms like:

1. Numbness and weakness in your arms, hands, legs and feet
2. Lack of coordination and difficulty in walking
3. Loss of bladder or bowel movement
4. Stiffness and pain in neck

Treatment and management
Usually, cervical spondylosis doesn’t cause any symptoms. But when you start experiencing pain, stiffness and weakness of muscles, it’s best to go to a doctor who will diagnose the problem and then treat it.
Treatment for cervical spondylosis depends on the severity of your symptoms. Its goal is to get rid of pain, allow you to carry on your daily activities and prevent any permanent damage to your spinal cord and nerves.

Medicines

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to reduce pain and inflammation. Example Ibuprofen.
2. Corticosteroids are oral medications to get rid of the severe pain. If these don’t work, your doctor can suggest steroid injections.
3. Muscle relaxants medicines relax the muscles in the upper part of the spine and help in curing neck pain and stiffness
4. Anti-seizure medications are also prescribed to dull the pain of damaged nerves in the spine. These include epilepsy medications, such as gabapentin and pregabalin.

Physiotherapy

1. Non surgical treatments are usually very effective in treating cervical spondylosis and surgery is usually not required. Physiotherapy is a bulwark for patients as it helps manage the condition very well.
2. Neck exercises that help stretch and strengthen muscles in your neck and shoulders can help manage debilitating symptoms of cervical spondylosis.
3. Few patients also benefit from traction, which can help provide more space for nerve roots within the spine.

Surgery

1. Surgery is the last resort for treating cervical spondylosis.
2. It is suggested when non-surgical treatments fail and the pain and neurological signs such as weakness in your arms or legs get worse.
3. It is done to create more room for your spinal cord and nerve roots.

Cervical spondylosis surgery typically involves removing:

1. Herniated disk
2. Bone spurs
3. Part of a vertebra. 

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Physiotherapist.

Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation. A joint is an area of the body where two different bones meet. A joint in the body functions to move the body parts connected by its bones. Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints.

Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain. Joint pain is referred to as arthralgia. When four or more joints are involved, the arthritis is referred to as polyarthritis. When two or three joints are involved, it is referred to as oligoarthritis. When only a single joint is involved, it is referred to as monoarthritis.

Cause of arthritis

It is difficult to narrow down a single cause for it, but a combination of reasons may trigger this disease.

1. Injury: A hurtful injury can cause your joint to get inflamed and may also damage the tissue around it leading to arthritis.
2. Heredity factors: In many cases, the genetic make-up of an individual can also cause this.
3. Diet and nutrition: Sometimes, consuming the wrong diet can cause your joint to either fall weak or affect the tissue around it. For example, sugar-rich foods are not good for your joints
4. Less cartilage: Cartilage is a firm but flexible connective tissue in your joints. It protects the joints by absorbing the pressure and shock created when you move and put stress on them. A reduction in the normal amount of this cartilage tissue cause some forms of arthritis.

Symptoms of arthritis

Most common signs on the onset of this disease are stiffness, redness of the skin around a joint, pain due to inflammation, it might also affect your immune system causing a loss appetite if the disease is because of your immune system.

How can Ayurveda help?

Ayurveda can work wonders for this disease since a right combination of nourishing herbs and stable yoga postures improve your joint health for a longer time. Since the treatment is totally organic, the calcium absorption of your body is increased naturally without any side effects. Even Ayurvedic oils work well for joint pain and give you quick relief. If you have been to able to find the right treatment then Ayurveda is for you. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an ayurveda.

Knee replacement is a procedure where the weight-carrying surfaces of knee joint are replaced surgically to ease the pain or any disability. People suffering from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis undergo knee replacement. All these conditions revolve around stiffness and painful knee. This surgery is usually performed on people aged over 50.

Surgery Types: 
Knee replacement is mainly of two main types:

1. Total knee replacement where both the sides of knee joints are replaced
2. Partial knee replacement where only single side of the joint is replaced

Procedure: In case of partial knee replacement with minimal invasion, a smaller incision, which is 3 to 5 inches, is required. This leads to minimal tissue damage and the surgeon can work between the fibres of the quadriceps muscles. Here, an incision through the tendon is not required. This may result in less pain, recovery time is reduced, and motion is better as scar tissue formation is less.

In total knee replacement, four steps are performed:

1. Removal of damaged cartilage surfaces, which is at the ends of the femur and tibia, with a small quantity of underlying bone.
2. Replacement with metal components, which help as a recreated surface of the joint
3. Incision of knee cap with a resurface made of a plastic button, which is optional based on the case
4. Insertion of a medical grade plastic spacer amid the metal components. This creates an effortless gliding surface.

After general or spinal anaesthesia, an incision of 8-12 inches is made in the front part of the knee. Joint part which is damaged is removed from the surface of the bones. The surfaces are then formed in a way to hold a metal or plastic artificial joint. The thigh bone shin as well as knee cap is attached to the artificial joint with either cement or a special material.

After Effects of the Procedure: After the surgery, patients may stay in a hospital for three to five days. Post surgery, notable improvement can be seen after a month or later. The patient is gradually relieved from pain with the construction of new gliding surface during surgery.

There will be slow progress in the movement. In the beginning, one may walk with a support of parallel bars and then with the help of crutches, walker, or cane. After full recovery in about six weeks, people can enjoy normal activities except running or jumping.

Presently, over 90% of total knee replacements function well even after 15 years of surgery. Hence, knee problem is no problem at all! If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.

Seeing multiple strands of your hair leave your scalp with shampoo, on the floor while combing or on clothes later on is terrible. It gives a feeling of going bald if such a situation continues unabated, and that feeling is disturbing.

Hair fall has become a major problem for many nowadays. Often lack of proper care and knowledge about hair care products causes damage to hair and eventually hair fall. According to Ayurveda, hair fall is associated with body type that varies from person to person and also the stability of mind-body structure. Hair is considered as a byproduct of bone formation, as stated by Ayurveda. The tissues which are responsible for the development of bones are also responsible for hair growth.

Here are some ways through which Ayurveda addresses the problem of hair fall:

1. Dietary modifications: It is important to identify the lifestyle habits that cause hair fall problems. Consumption of excessive alcohol, meat, coffee, tea and smoking are some of these habits. Hair fall can also be aggravated by indulging in intake of too much greasy, spicy, oily, sour, fried and acidic foods.

Here are some ways suggested by Ayurveda to beat hair fall:

• Hair growth can be stimulated by drinking fresh juices of pomegranate, carrot, spinach and kokam.
• Sesame seeds promote hair growth as they are rich in magnesium and calcium.
• Cow's Ghee is a trusted remedy to resolve all scalp problems.
• Green vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and hence help in preventing hair fall.
• To make the roots of hair strong, foods rich in vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, sulphur and zinc must be consumed, which are found in whole grains, soybeans, buttermilk, nuts and milk.

2. Ayurvedic herbs and medicated oil: bhringaraja, brahmi, amla, neem, ritha and ashwagandha are some ayurvedic herbs rich in essential nutrients that help in reducing stress and promoting hair growth. Different types of oils including coconut oil, brahmi oil, amla oil or mustard oil are useful in hair fall.

3. Yoga and meditation: Inverted asanas help in stimulating the blood flow to the head. Additionally, practicing deep breathing exercises to control anxiety, stress and keep the mind balanced is also advisable. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.

A tumor is formed due to the uncontrolled proliferation of living cells. Generally, the cells in the human body continuously die and are replaced by new cells. Some cells are replaced frequently, like intestinal lining and skin, while some like nerve cells live longer and may not be replaced once they die. Natural cell death is mediated by genetic information and the body’s bio-chemical signals. In the case of a tumor, some cells develop genetic mutations, and stop responding to the ‘cell-death’ signals. They do not die and continue to grow to form a mass, stealing nutrients and oxygen from surrounding tissue. Brain tumor can arise from any of the many types of cells in the brain or its covering. These can be benign (less harmful), or malignant (rapidly growing). These tumours cause harm by following methods: 

1. A rapidly growing tumor mass can press on normal brain tissue and damage them in the enclosed space of skull. 
2. Stealing food and oxygen from surrounding normal tissue thereby harming them. 
3. Increase the brain pressure and reducing its blood supply. 
4. Secrete harmful substances causing cerebral oedema. 
5. Some tumours like certain Pituitary tumours can secrete hormones abnormally and cause hormonal imbalance. 

Symptoms of Brain Tumour: 

1. Headache: New onset regular headaches, without any history of having such frequent headaches in past, which becomes worse because of other pressure related activities, such as sneezing, coughing, exercising might be a possible symptom of brain tumour and issues related to such sudden and frequent headaches should be taken up with the doctor without any further delay. If headache is associated with nausea or drowsiness, it is to be taken seriously. 
2. Seizures: Seizures or convulsions (fits) are amongst the most common symptoms of brain tumour, which might be limited to a particular body part or the whole body. It may manifest as frank convulsive movements of the limbs, twitching of one side of face, or may cause subtle and transient behavioral changes. New onset seizures in young people must be evaluated to rule out brain tumours. 
3. Numbness in arms/legs: Numbness in parts of the body may be caused by a tumour affecting the sensory tracts. 
4. Balancing problems: Poor coordination and balancing problems may arise as a prominent symptom for brain tumour affecting the hindbrain. 
5. Memory problems: Lack of concentration and memory loss may be the only symptoms for the presence of tumour in the frontal or temporal lobes. 
6. Nausea or vomiting: Nausea or vomiting might be the symptoms of many other possible health issues, but a headache associated with nausea and/or vomiting is a characteristic symptom of raised brain pressure. Such symptoms should be evaluated to rule out a brain tumor and should not be ignored. 
7. Facial paralysis: weakness of one half of face, like deviation of mouth, drooling of saliva from one corner of mouth, inability to close eyelids etc. may be due to facial paresis caused by a brain tumor in the opercular area or in the CP angle. Such symptoms need to be investigated for a tumor. 
8. Change in vision: A person suffering from brain tumor might also experience changes in the vision, dizziness, blurry vision, among other sight related issues. 
9. Change in speech: Sudden inability to speak or understand speech may be due to tumors of the dominant hemisphere of the brain.
10.  Hearing problems: hearing problems and other hearing related disorders might have the brain tumor of posterior fossa or temporal lobe as a possible reason. 

Diagnosing a brain tumour may include one or more of many tests, including CT scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), PET scan and biopsy. One should never ignore the symptoms discussed above and should visit a doctor, preferably a Neurosurgeon as early as possible. Brain tumors are easier to treat if diagnosed early. Certain small tumors can be treated with radiation alone. If surgery is required, smaller tumors diagnosed early have greater chance of cure. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Neurosurgeon.