Top Health Tips on Managing leg pain

A lower limb ulcer or a leg ulcer is characterized by the formation of a chronic sore. These sores take more than a month to heal, and tend to develop on the insides of the leg. It is characterized by symptoms of pain, swelling in the affected area and itching. The skin around the ulcer tends to harden and get discolored. A foul smelling discharge is also common.


Causes-

These sores tend to form if there is a minor injury in the leg. This tends to develop when the blood circulation inside the veins of the leg is hampered, that results in an increase in blood pressure. The high blood pressure can damage the vessels under the skin, making them fragile. The skin tends to break and form ulcers easily after a cut or a wound has been sustained.

There are certain factors that increase the risks of lower limb ulcer; them being:

Obesity: Being overweight can lead to an increase in blood pressure in the leg, augmenting the risk of lower leg ulcer.

Varicose Veins: This disorder is characterized by swollen veins resulting from malfunctioning valves. This disorder of the veins increases the risks of lower limb ulcers.

Age: Ageing increases the chances of lower leg ulcer. This is because old age and its related disorders tend to limit your movement.

Symptoms-

The symptoms of lower limb include discoloration of the skin, swollen ankles, a heavy feeling in the lower limbs, flaky and itchy skin and enlarged veins in the legs. A foul smelling discharge from the wound and high fever are common symptoms as well.

Treatment-

The treatment begins with cleaning the affected area. Medicines are applied on the area, following which the dressing is applied on the wound. In order to treat the swelling and improve the circulation in the legs, a compression bandage is also wrapped around the area. These bandages help in easing the blood circulation and relieving pain.

In order to facilitate quicker healing of the ulcer, it is recommended to remain active and ditch a sedentary lifestyle completely. It is advised to keep your leg elevated while you are sitting or lying down; this helps better the blood circulation. Avoid smoking and consuming alcohol as they inevitably slow down the healing process.

Masturbation, which has always been a taboo subject, is slowly gaining attention as an issue that can be discussed openly.

In fact, there are several myths associated with masturbation which have been long held. Let's debunk these myths first. The following ideas about masturbation are not only untrue, they are also misleading.

Myth #1: It causes weaknesses
Myth #2: It causes loss of energy
Myth #3: It leads to Impotence
Myth #4: It may induce problem in future sex life or causes guilt
Myth #5: It can cause Nightfall

So what is the truth?

People are beginning to understand that masturbation is not simply a superficial form of pleasuring the self, but an activity that can provide some benefits in terms of health and fitness as well.

Not only that, masturbation also helps men and especially women, learn more about their own sexual behavior, preferences, and desires. It helps them become more comfortable with their body and in tune with their own inner minds.

Here is how masturbation can lead to well-being

1. Masturbation as a process of stress relief: Pleasing oneself after a hectic and taxing day at work can reduce a lot of stress. The activity releases endorphins into the blood which helps to improve one's overall mood and helps the individual to relax. In the 21st century, this is indeed a great advantage where people are constantly under pressure from various areas of life.

2. Masturbation to strengthen the body: In case of women, masturbation makes the muscles of the pelvic floor stronger. Along with this, it decreases the likelihood of developing yeast infections in the vagina or surrounding areas. This improves bladder control and also improves sexual experiences. For men, masturbation helps to develop better resistance to prostate gland infections. It also helps to improve the health of the prostate. It also gives a boost to the immune system.

3. Masturbation also helps with Premenstrual syndrome: Most women go through a wide variety of PMS symptoms such as intense stomach cramping, mood fluctuation, anxiety, tension, and pain in the legs and the back. Masturbation has been found to ease these problems to a great extent.

4. Masturbation demystifies the concepts of sex and sexuality: In Indian society, discussing sex and sexuality is seen as taboo. Discussing these issues openly is regarded as immoral. This causes many people, especially young people, to have unclear ideas about their own bodies and bodily desires. This causes a lot of stress and anxiety in their minds. Masturbation helps them to come to terms with these issues by exploring their own bodies in a new way. This helps to promote well being by dismantling primitive ideas about sex and sexuality.

Leg cramps is a very common condition which is characterized by tight and painful leg muscles. The calf muscles are the most commonly affected; it can spread further down to your thighs and feet. Once the cramping gets better, you might experience a tender leg coupled with a numbing feeling for a few minutes.

The causes of leg cramps are varied. If it is caused due to an underlying condition, it is known as secondary leg cramps. The causes of secondary leg cramps include vigorous exercises, pregnancy and usage of certain medications. The cramps cause the muscles of the leg to shorten and contract, thus making you lose control of the affected muscle.

How can homeopathy help?

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which is very holistic in nature. The goal of homeopathy is to focus on the causes of a disorder rather than just curing the symptoms. Homeopathic remedies do not yield any side effect unlike the conventional treatments. Apart from treating the symptoms, homeopathic remedies also help improve your overall wellbeing.

There are many homeopathic remedies that can be used to treat leg cramps. The remedies are focused on treating any underlying condition that may be causing these leg cramps, apart from relieving the symptoms. The first step of the treatment is to diagnose the condition, which is done by a trained practitioner. You will be asked questions pertaining to the cramps and your diet. Once the diagnosis is complete, the medications are prescribed based on the diagnosis.

There may be certain dietary restrictions that you may have to follow for the medicines to work at their optimum best. This system of medicine might also require you to not carry out any form of heavy work that involves the legs as rest is required to boost the process of recovery.

The various Homeopathic offerings are:

Causticum

Calcarea carbonica

Arsenicum album

Colocynthis

Pulsatilla Nigricans

Arnica montana

Joint pains or muscles cramps are the usual suspects when it comes to leg pain. Joint pains are usually a symptom of arthritis, a common occurrence during old age. Leg muscles are mostly affected by muscle cramps. From an Ayurvedic point of view, all pains are caused by the vata dosha.

What are doshas?
The doshas define the natural inclination of the body and they comprise the three main energies that affect your health and well-being. The three doshas are Pitta, Vata and Kapha. Thus in Ayurveda, pain is caused when the doshas are vitiated. In Ayurveda, ama is the name given to the toxic materials in the body that are caused by improper indigestion. Therefore, pain occurs when there is too much ama build-up in your body.

Useful herbs for treating leg pain
1. Clove- It provides instant relief from pain, especially if they are due to muscle cramps. Apply clove oil in a poultice over the affected area.
2. Ginger- Since ginger has great painkiller properties, it can be added to a regular diet to deal with chronic leg pain.
3. Liquorice- Muscle aches can be treated with liquorice roots infused in water overnight.
4. Madhuca- Applying madhuca oil over leg pains, especially if they are due to rheumatism, then it can give great results.
5. Pepper- Pepper aids in proper blood circulation by helping dilating the superficial blood vessels.

Dietary regulations for leg pain
To help with chronic leg pain, leafy vegetables, green vegetables, Vitamin C-rich foods, plantains that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium must be consumed. Coffee and chocolate must be avoided at all costs. The consumption of water cannot be stressed enough as one of the leading causes of leg pain is dehydration of insufficient fluids in the body. Water helps flush out the toxins in the body, thus getting rid of the vitiated doshas.

Ayurvedic treatment for leg pain
For external use, Mahanarayana Tailam is extremely effective. Warming the oil before application will give best results.
For internal use, Simhanada Guggulu, a mild laxative, Laxmi Vilas rasa and Pratapa Lankeshwara Rasa are prescribed.

Acupuncture is a kind of therapy that combines needles with pressure and pain points in order to delicately apply pressure for pain relief. This form of physical therapy is being increasingly recognised as an efficient method of treating pain in joints, muscles, bones and even for migraine pain. So let us find out more about Acupuncture and pain management.


* Chronic or Long Term Pain: There are many ailments that cause chronic or long term pain. These include back pain, neck pain, stiffness in the joints, osteoarthritis, headache and migraine, and pain in the shoulders. All this can be treated over a long period of time with the help of simulated acupuncture which uses pointed apparatus for activating better blood circulation for overall improvement in the pain that is being experienced in the area. The use of this apparatus helps in avoiding the harmful medication that can have adverse side effects.


* Menstrual Cramps: A fine needle method at the right points can help in bringing down the symptoms of the painful condition called dysmenorrhoea during menstrual cycles. With acupuncture, the acupuncturist can administer acupoint therapy to relieve menstrual cramps. This will help in moving the qi, or life force, in a better way so that the pain will stop.


* Acute Pain: Over use of muscles, joints and repetitive, work related movements and strain can lead to acute pain. This includes wrist pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, back pain, lower back pain, neck pain and even leg pain. With acupuncture, the patient gets rid of the pain in close to twelve sittings.


* Pain due to Cancer Treatment: Cancer and its treatment can take a heavy toll on the body and lead to a series of complications which also includes pain. A clean needle procedure can be followed along with the chemotherapy and radiation or after it, so as to relieve the patient of the pain experienced. Also, it can be used to replace traditional chemotherapy and radiation.


* Better Rest: When the needles or apparatus touch the pressure points and circulate the blood and life force, it actually creates a soothing effect and helps the patient sleep and get better rest. This is also a requirement for pain relief. It can bring better blood flow to the area and help in removing anxiety and stress related to pain so that there is better chance of getting rest.
With the use of acupuncture, pain can be taken care of with the needles and various tools that come in various shapes. These tools and equipment can also use laser treatment along with the point focused treatment.

An occasional tingling sensation in the hands or feet is normal and probably happens to everybody. But if this happens at a higher intensity or frequency than the normal amount and if it is accompanied by pain, it needs attention.

Commonly called the pins and needles feeling, it is irritating and distracting. Sometimes, this is a symptom of more complicated underlying issues. For this reason, this problem should not be ignored, even if it doesn t seem like much of a problem.

Causes-

A tingling sensation anywhere in the body is usually the result of pressure on the nerves in that area. The hands and limbs having several nerve endings at the fingertips and toes are often at the receiving end of this sensation even if another part of the leg or arm is under pressure.

In rarer cases, this feeling might be more frequent or chronic. Sometimes, it might not even happen as a result of direct pressure. This is when the symptoms need more attention because it indicates the beginning of nerve damage. This might be the result of various causes like:

Diabetes
Injury affecting the nerves

Bacterial infection

Viral infection

Exposure to toxins

Systemic disease

Neurological disorders like Parkinsonism

Autoimmune diseases

Peripheral artery disease

The onset of a stroke

Kidney failure

Disc bulges in spine

Symptoms-

The pain and tingling are itself a symptom of possible neurological problems. But usually, it is just a result of the nerves being under pressure. If the symptom occurs in the absence of pressure, and it occurs frequently, it is likely that it is indicating a different health condition called peripheral neuropathy. It comes with a set of other symptoms like:

Other indications-

Most of the time, slight pain and some tingling in the hands and legs is not an indication of some complicated health condition. There are other simple causes like:

Alcoholism, anxiety, and vitamin deficiency need to be treated. Once this is done, the pins and needles sensation will be gone. During pregnancy, light stretching in the earlier stages and some comfortable massage during the advanced stages help avoid the tingling sensation.

Relieving the Symptom with Physiotherapy-

Treatment of this symptom involves the treatment of the cause. The wide range of possible causes needs to be diagnosed either by method of confirming the possible cause or ruling out the others.

If there is no grave underlying medical cause, physiotherapy is helpful in getting rid of the symptom. No medication is required if there is no complication involved. Also, the symptom should not be allowed to stay if it manifests frequently. Physiotherapist will use Exercise therapy like the knees to chest exercise, hamstring stretch, opposition stretch, backward bending of the spine, erect postures of the spine and the child s pose help getting rid of the pain and tingling.

Joint pains or muscles cramps are the usual suspects when it comes to leg pain. Joint pains are usually a symptom of arthritis, a common occurrence during old age. Leg muscles are mostly affected by muscle cramps. From an Ayurvedic point of view, all pains are caused by the vata dosha.

What are doshas?
The doshas define the natural inclination of the body and they comprise the three main energies that affect your health and well-being. The three doshas are Pitta, Vata and Kapha. Thus in Ayurveda, pain is caused when the doshas are vitiated. In Ayurveda, ama is the name given to the toxic materials in the body that are caused by improper indigestion. Therefore, pain occurs when there is too much ama build-up in your body.

Useful herbs for treating leg pain
1. Clove- It provides instant relief from pain, especially if they are due to muscle cramps. Apply clove oil in a poultice over the affected area.
2. Ginger- Since ginger has great painkiller properties, it can be added to a regular diet to deal with chronic leg pain.
3. Liquorice- Muscle aches can be treated with liquorice roots infused in water overnight.
4. Madhuca- Applying madhuca oil over leg pains, especially if they are due to rheumatism, then it can give great results.
5. Pepper- Pepper aids in proper blood circulation by helping dilating the superficial blood vessels.

Dietary regulations for leg pain
To help with chronic leg pain, leafy vegetables, green vegetables, Vitamin C-rich foods, plantains that are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium must be consumed. Coffee and chocolate must be avoided at all costs. The consumption of water cannot be stressed enough as one of the leading causes of leg pain is dehydration of insufficient fluids in the body. Water helps flush out the toxins in the body, thus getting rid of the vitiated doshas.

Ayurvedic treatment for leg pain
For external use, Mahanarayana Tailam is extremely effective. Warming the oil before application will give best results.
For internal use, Simhanada Guggulu, a mild laxative, Laxmi Vilas rasa and Pratapa Lankeshwara Rasa are prescribed.

Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments among adults all across the world. You may wake up in the morning with an energising drink before going out to work. After you arrive at work, you may have to sit there till lunch, which involves further sitting and you are required to sit for more hours for completing the remaining work. Then you come back home by sitting in the car and have the night s meal while again sitting. Did you know sitting through the day is the major culprit behind your back pain? Thankfully, yoga has effective ways of treating back pain to a considerable degree.

You can choose to do the following yoga poses for alleviating your back ache:

Supine hamstring stretch: You will have to lie back on your back and bend the right knee to the chest. Then you will have to place a rolled-up towel around the football and straighten the leg towards the ceiling and press both the heels. In case your lower back feels strained, you can bend your left knee and place the foot right on the ground. Hold the position for about 3 to 5 minutes and practice regularly for soothing back pain.
Two knee twist: You will have to bend your knees to the chest while lying on the back and try to bring out the arms forming a T-shape. Then try to exhale and lower down the knees on the ground towards your right side. Keep both the shoulders pressed down firmly and hold this position for about 2 minutes for best results.
Sphinx: You will have to prop yourself on the forearms while lying on the stomach. You will then have to align the elbows right under the shoulders and press through the tops and palms of the feet. You are likely to feel terrific sensations down your lower back, but it is advised to bear through it as it allows the flow of blood to that region which is required for healing. Practice the position regularly and hold it for at least one minute.
Thread the needle: This is quite an easier pose where you will have to lie flat on your back by bending both the knees with your feet flat on the ground. You will now have to bend the right knee by placing the outer left ankle through the right thigh. You will have to thread the right hand between the leg and interlace the hands behind the left thigh.
These positions would help in soothing your lower back pain, but it is recommended to consult a doctor if the pain still persists. Ayurvedic Tiktaksheer basti, massage therapy and certain oral medicines can help a lot in speedy recovery from spine/back related problems.

Ayurved has a very unique way of drug administration called Basti in which various medicines are given through the anus ( Rectal route)...For Lumbosacral / spine disorders a very specialised form of enema Tiktaksheer Basti (Medicated Bitter Milk enema) is given which shows amazing results. Kindly consult a specialized Ayurvedic practitioner for additional details.

Kati Basti (Vasti) is a traditional Ayurvedic treatment used for lower backache and disorders of lumbosacral region, including slip disc, lumbar spondylosis, sciatica, spinal problems etc. Kati Vasti is a part of external oleation (Snehana) therapy in Ayurveda. It is very safe, non-invasive and green category procedure.

In this procedure, you will get instant relief from backache. After completing a course of 7 to 21 days, you may not need any kind of oral medicines. It is a complete therapy for back pain and lumbosacral disorders.

However, the results vary person to person, but in most of cases, people get quick relief after the procedure.

Your knees are one of the most vulnerable parts of your bodies. In case of strenuous or vigorous activities, knees are more prone to damage and injury than the other parts. Several of the knee tissues are fairly delicate and often are easily impaired. Among the other knee tissue injuries, meniscus tears are perhaps the most frequent. Meniscus is essentially a cartilage that protects and stabilizes the knee joints. However, an untoward twist or a strain can lead to a tear in the meniscus. Meniscus tears are a common phenomenon among athletes and sportsmen. They have been noted to be more recurrent in older individuals.

Some of the early symptoms that indicate the onset of a meniscus tear are swelling and difficulty in bending or straightening of the leg. Sometimes a "locking sensation" in the knees also forebodes a torn meniscus. The inflammation potentially causes a lot of pain and irritation. While, it is fairly easy to ignore a meniscus tear for a normal knee injury, prolonged overlooking may only aggravate the pain and worsen the condition. The process of diagnosing a meniscus tear usually involves an MRI scan and an X-ray examination, over and above a detailed evaluation of the wound.



Treating meniscus tears vary according to the extent of the injury. Depending upon the location and the depth of the tear, various cures can be tried. The healing process, however, depends upon other allied factors such as age, level of physical activities and one's medical history. An external and minor injury is easily mendable. Whereas, graver injuries are resolved through surgical means. The other non-operative means include certain prescribed medicines and specific exercises. Some of the recommended ways of battling a meniscus tear can be enlisted as:

Resting the knee by limiting the activities that involve excessive use of the legs or they may potentially strain the leg muscles.
Applying ice pack can significantly bring relief to the swelling and the pain in the injured knee. Doctors advice regular use for a duration of at least 15 days.
Compressing the knee using an elastic bandage or neoprene sleeve reduces the swelling in the knee.
Prescribed medicines in the likes of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be effective remedies for a meniscus tear.

Exercising outdoors is always fun and refreshing for the body. It de stresses the mind and increases energy in the body. Most people prefer outdoors workout due to the pleasant weather. There are many advantages of working out outdoors but you need to follow some tips to make sure your workouts are injury free.

Here are 4 tips to make your workouts safe:

Warm up: Warming up before you begin your workout is very essential to a safe workout. A good warm up increases your heart rate and improves your blood circulation. It also improves the mobility of your joints, thus reducing the risk of injury. A sample warm up may consist of shoulder rotations, jogging in place, bodyweight squats and burpees.
Stretch: Stretching after your workout is essential for injury free joints. Stretching helps to ease the tension in your muscles and allows greater range of motion. Blood circulation also improves along with reducing soreness in your muscles. It lengthens the muscles and allows it to return to its natural position, thus improving posture of the body. Stretches are either classified as static and dynamic. Static stretches are stretches which are held for a fixed period whereas dynamic stretches involve moving through various postures.
Limit sun exposure: Make sure you are not over exposed to the rays of the sun. This may lead to various skin complications such as sunburns, tanning and even skin cancer. Too much sun exposure may increase free radicals in the skin, leading to various skin disorders. Apply a sunscreen before you head out as this will protect your skin. Wear proper gear such as caps and full sleeved clothing to protect your body from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Wear the right footwear: If you love running on roads, then you need to take special care in selecting your footwear. Running on roads without proper cushioning may increase your risk of injuries such as shin splints and other calf injuries.