Top Health Tips on Treating OsteoArthritis

Turmeric is widely used in cooking spicy dishes all over the world. But there are several pieces of research, which prove the efficacy of turmeric or haldi in warding off ailments like dementia and reduce the risk of cancer to a great extent. Turmeric has the highest usage in countries like India and Sri Lanka followed by other parts of the planet.

As per the results of the World Alzheimer s Report, it is found that only about 3.6 percent of South Asians aged above 60 suffer from dementia which is quite lower than 6.4 percent of people in Australia as well as 7.2 percent of people in Western Europe. In similar lines, the World Health Organisation says that the rate of cancer patients is lower in India in stark comparison to the higher rates of more developed countries. If an individual is looking for the benefits of turmeric, he would come across several reasons to add more turmeric to foods on a daily basis.

Reduces the risk of cardiac problems: Curcumin present in turmeric can have a positive effect on people suffering from high cholesterol. Animal studies opine that it can considerably lower down cholesterol levels as well as prevent building up off LDL or bad cholesterol. Thus, it is a viable means of preventing plaque build-up which in turn may block the arteries and lead to strokes and cardiac arrests.
Fights inflammatory diseases: The anti-inflammatory qualities of turmeric can work as a potential anti-inflammatory medication without causing any unwanted side effects. It is also helpful in treating minor nicks and cuts and it can be administered with warm milk to heal any kind of inflammatory disease inside the body. There has been a study which showed turmeric to be useful in treating pain and disability stemming from osteoarthritis. Turmeric is also found helpful in combatting seasonal flu and viral infections.
Helps in digestion and supports weight loss: Turmeric stimulates the gall bladder which in turn produces bile. As bile helps in digestion of fat, health experts are of opinion that turmeric improves overall digestion and may also aid in controlling weight. It is useful in treating bloating and excessive gas formation caused by improper digestion.
Helps in maintaining blood sugar levels: Turmeric plays a crucial role in improving glucose control as well as controlling activities of insulin. It has the potential to bring about a drop in blood sugar levels. So, an individual with high blood sugar should add optimum amounts of turmeric in diet along with diabetes medication to help in reducing the blood sugar levels. But it is important to monitor the sugar levels continually to avoid conditions like hypoglycemia which is characterised by sugar levels dropping lower than required.
In addition to all these, there is a clear indication that turmeric helps in cancer prevention, reducing breast cancer, skin, and pancreatic problems along with multiple myelomas and juvenile leukemia.

Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes cartilages in the joints of a human body to wear away. The joints in your body are made of bones and the ends of each bone have cartilages to prevent friction between them. Certain factors like age, nutrition or health threats can cause the cartilages to break down into bits and pieces. As a result, bones come into direct contact with one another causing the joints to swell or to turn tender.

Take a look at the following factors that can cause osteoarthritis

Stress on specific joints due to certain postures: The triggering cause behind acute joint pain could be the way you sit for long hours in a day. A sportsperson might face joint pains due to his or her occupation. Similarly, any person required to sit or stand for a long stretch of time due to his/her jobs can suffer from osteoarthritis as well.
There might be a deformity in any of your joints: A person born with joint deformities might suffer from arthritic problems later in life. Severe accidents can lead to deformities too.
You may have suffered injuries that resulted in the condition: Joint pains needn t always require an impactful injury. Mild or heavy injuries can lead to arthritis all the same. Defects in the joint cartilage could be passed on through genes.
Age could also be a contributing factor: If a person is aging, his or her chances of developing osteoarthritis increase manifold. Age can make your bones and cartilages go weak. As you grow older, the capacity of your bones to absorb nutrition also decreases.
Prevalent symptoms that help you identify osteoarthritis

A grinding sensation in the joints: A person suffering from osteoarthritis will experience continual bouts of grinding pain in the joints. This may keep him or her from walking, sitting, working or even resting. The grinding sensation is indeed disabling.
You tend to face stiffness in the bones: Patients with this kind of arthritis have been reported with lacking flexibility in their joints. If they are sitting for too long, or have been inactive for some time or might have just woken up from sleep, they are likely to experience stiffness in their bones. Joints even turn sore in such situations.
Extra bits of bones could create trouble: Extra bits of bones that develop at a later age are also referred to as bone spurs. They stick around the sore area and make movement a real challenge.
Modes of treatment
If osteoarthritis is detected at an early age, it can be fought against using medications. However, when the disease is really discomforting, treatment procedures like acupuncture or regimented exercising can help a patient. Yoga also does wonders to remedy joint pain. Surgical procedures are also available but they should be fallen back upon as a lender of the last resort.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects the various bone and joints health, leading to painful movement and thereby limiting the patient's mobility. Knees, hips, joints of hands and legs are affected.

Symptoms of OA

The symptoms revolve around the bones and joints including:

Pain and stiffness of the joints
Swelling of the joints
Inability to form a clench
Difficulty holding things
Stooped posture
Weakness of legs and hands
Reduced height over time
Treatment options in allopathy are limited to nonsteroidal analgesics to control pain and in severe cases, surgical correction, in case of OA. However, homeopathy takes into account the triggering symptoms, the associated symptoms, and the status of the immune system before deciding on a treatment regimen.

With this holistic approach, homeopathy achieve the following:

Reduce the pain, swelling and stiffness
Slows the pace of further degeneration
Improves mobility of the affected joint(s)
Improves the body's overall immune system, thereby allow the body to promote healing on its own
Homeopathic intervention in the early phases is particularly helpful, as it will arrest disease progression
It also enable better absorption of minerals and nutrients essential for bone health. This allows healing of existing bone fractures and avoids further bone damage by strengthening the bones
Homeopathic treatment also enables the body's chemical state to withstand stress and illnesses better
It vitalizes the body's natural healing and ability to repair itself, to create a better state of health and well-being
Some of the popular homeopathic medications based on areas and associated symptoms are listed below:

Knee joints:

Bryonia Alba: Pain worsened with movement, relieved with rest; associated with swelling and stiffness of the joints; difficulty in climbing stairs.
Calcarea Carbonica: Swelling and pain that is worsened when getting up from a seated position. The joints feel cold and painful.
Sulphur: Worse with climbing stairs, prolonged standing, feeling of warmth in the knees.
Hip Joints:

Colcynthis: Cramping pain improved by pressure.
Rhus Toxicodendron: Pain when getting up from a seated position.
Pulsatilla Nigricans: Associated with muscle stiffness and cramping.
Finger joints:

Antimonium Crudum: The pain pain gets worse in cold weather, improved by applying something warm)
Benzoic Acid: There is an associated crackling sound when the fingers are moved or if there are nodes in the area of joints. . The urine is highly offensive in these people.
Calcara Fluorica: There are stony hard nodes formed in the joint area, greatly reducing the mobility.
These medications are safe, completely natural, do not induce habit formation, and are approved by FDA. They don't just treat the symptoms but help manage the patient as a whole. This justifies why homeopathy is definitely a good option in treating osteoarthritis.

Cervical osteoarthritis is also known as cervical spondylosis. It is a medical condition which involves changes in the joints of neck, bones and discs. This is generally caused due to the deterioration of the muscles owing to old age. With age, the cervical spine breaks down and loses all its fluids. This leads to stiffness in the spine. It occurs usually in middle aged and old aged people. This causes stiffness and severe neck pain. Corrective surgery is helpful to cure Cervical Osteoarthritis.

Symptoms of Cervical Osteoarthritis:

Pain and stiffness in the neck.
Headache which usually emerges from the neck.
Severe pain in the arms and shoulder.
Not being able to turn the head or neck fully while driving.
Muscle spasm and abnormal reflexes.
Grinding sensation or noise caused while bending the neck.
Cervical Osteoarthritis can be cured by physiotherapy in the following ways:



Heat modalities- In this method the pain and stiffness is reduced by putting heat on the affected area. This type of therapy is called heat therapy.
Neck exercise- Regular stretching and bending exercises for the neck can reduce pain and stiffness
Manipulating therapy- This form of therapy is used by massage therapists. They massage and manipulate the joints so that the muscles can function smoothly.
Hydrotherapy- This therapy involves exercising in a pool. Hydrotherapy is extremely beneficial for people having severe joint pain and stiffness.
Cervical traction- This is a common non-surgical treatment which cures pain in the neck by opening the cervical foramen (hole or passage).
Physiotherapy is the most natural and safe way of curing cervical osteoarthritis. If you are diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, you should start physiotherapy as soon as possible.

It cannot really be a nice situation to be in when a person happens to have osteoarthritis. So, while a lot of the effort to improve the situation is focused on making use of painkilling medicines, can physiotherapy help in such cases?


Well, the answer is a resounding yes! When osteoarthritis patients practice some physiotherapy on a regular basis, what they will find is that a fair amount of the freedom they had before the condition affected them would have returned. Is this not some great news?


When it comes to active physiotherapy in order to improve a situation of osteoarthritis, it is generally divided to fall into categories. These categories are namely exercises in strengthening and exercises in flexibility. While the former group aims to make the joints stronger, the latter makes an effort to restore the normal functioning as a result of increasing the range of motion.


Truth be told, it can be said that both are of very high importance in order to cause an improvement. In addition to this, following the directions of the physiotherapist is vital, as an expert knows what hero she is talking about!


While a lot has been told about active physiotherapy, in order to fight osteoarthritis, what can be said of passive physiotherapy for the condition? There are three general categories of treatment under passive physiotherapy. They are heat therapy, cold therapy and hydrotherapy. The aim is to use the different sensations the three have so as to cause an improvement in the circulation of blood in the area or to reduce the extent of the pain and symptoms which are part and parcel of having osteoarthritis.


Cold therapy usually takes place by the way of a cold compress which is applied to the knee. What the aim is, in this case, is that the amount of swelling in the region will reduce and so, the pain that is being felt will also recede, to some extent.


On the other hand, in the case of heat therapy, improved blood flow helps decrease the amount of stiffness. Mobility is obviously an issue when it comes to having osteoarthritis and the best way to get mobile again is to do so in water where the impact is very minimal, as compared to other surfaces. This is why hydrotherapy exists and is so successful.


A lot of osteoarthritis exercises can be done at home after the proper technique is learnt and with such benefits, everyone would wish to learn!

Hi,

I am Dr. Varun Shanbhag, Physiotherapist. Today I would like to talk upon the topic which is most common and prevalent among the population in Mumbai as well as India. It is known as osteoarthritis of the knee. Many symptoms and many signs which come to our mind which people experience. The most common symptom is a lot of knee pain, swelling where knees are not able to bear the body weight. As well as this occurs usually in the morning. It does not allow you to work freely. It restricts a lot of movements. Evidently, what will happen is the quality of life will degenerate because you are not able to work better and not able to socialize better. This will restrict your lifestyle. today we will talk about what causes these symptoms. Now the main cause is age. So, the age-related problem is most common and that doesn't mean that age is going to cause the problem to everyone.

We talk about the concept of healthy aging. So, you should have good exercise, diet plan, and a good lifestyle so that this problem should not come in. People have certain job demand. Especially, the one who has a standing job.or you have to sit for too long without giving your body too much mobility. This causes too much pressure in the knee. What can we do for knee arthritis pain? The first thing to approach is pain killer medications. You also take a lot of medications to maintain cartilage. Along with cartilage preservation, what we can also do is to do good exercises.for lower limb joints. If lower limb exercises are not happening, you tend to have knee pain. A sedentary lifestyle does not allow you to have a good life. What we need to ensure that muscles around the knee joint need to be worked on much optimal rate. So, what we do in the clinic for entire lower limb, not only the knee but also hip, ankle, all need to be functioning at the normal rate.

Sometimes, some muscles tend to work more than the other. Even that also causes certain stress on the joints. Because one muscle is not allowing the other muscle to work better. We have to maintain the balance between quadriceps and hamstrings. For this, you have to do exercises properly. In most of the conditions, pain is just a symptom. What you need to take care of is the causative factors of pain. It is basically the muscle weakness around which is causing that pain. So, you have to make sure that the muscles weakness should not go beyond a particular limit and you have to take quick action. Otherwise, the next thing will happen is operation and we also have to do a lot of other things For further details, you can contact me through Lybrate.

Thank You!

If we need to name this age of medical science with a word- certainly this is the age of Joint problems Osteoarthritis. Those were the days when joint pains were thought to be associated with the old age only, but nowadays these pains are presenting in all age groups. There is no age of Joint pains as of now. In an age of 25, even you can find a patient with osteoarthritis.

Age was a limit for such conditions but now things are changing fast.

We are eating more nutritious foods, we are in better comforts still our joints are giving up? There is something wrong with us and with our system. Certainly, we need to look back at the things and need to check everything so that we can manage the things in a better way.

When a person comes with Gout that is increased uric acid in the body western system of medicines he will be told to lower down the uric acid simply by taking some of the medicines. But this is not the solution for the problem. Problem is not increased uric acid the core problem is- why this uric acid is being produced in the body in this much of quantity, until unless we don't rectify the system due to which uric acid is being produced in abundant. This is the difference in Ayurveda and western system of medicines. We at Sukhayu follow the same tradition of Ayurveda to rectify the metabolism of proteins so that we can remove the extra uric acid from the body.

So culprit is the system which is producing the extra uric acid not the uric acid. We need to address the culprit for sure, not just the uric acid, alone.

The same is applicable to the osteoarthritis. It is now in a fashion to give Vitamin D, Calcium, Glucosamine along with some pain killers and they just tell that Cartilage is damaged in your body. These things they continue for 6 months and one day they tell us that no, now you need to go for the knee joint replacement?

Is it the solution!!

The first and foremost solution for the problem is to save the knees and cartilages from the damage and basic way to that is education what we need to share with a patient as a physician. Second thing is to promote certain types of the diet for a patient according to his/her Prakruti so that he/she can get a proper amount of the calcium and vitamin D. We are not nourishing human bodies by using all these medicines we are only nourishing the pharmaceutical companies.

Ayurveda says that these are age related problems and we need to work on a pattern to reduce the momentum of the age. If age appears aggressively, it will bring its all complications along with and will shatter the quality of the life for sure. So the main concern should be to slow down the process of aging with certain remedies along with certain diet and lifestyle modulations.

In last many years we have seen a lot of patients who came to us and asked for weight loss, even they were suffering with osteoarthritis. Because every second person asked them to reduce weight only. But as per Ayurveda osteoarthritis is a condition of Vata Dosha and if we kept on loosing weight in a patient we will be aggravating the Vata dosha which will again increase the problem, that is why we cannot do it scientifically (as per Ayurved) but beyond this the question is of a different approach-

If a person cannot walk or stand even, how can you ask him/her to loose weight?
Are we promoting some of the surgical techniques to reduce weight in hide of the osteoarthritis?

Things are not easy with joint pains, we do agree on this but when it comes to Ayurved, it is the only science which deals with the health-happiness and life not only about diseases. Sukhayu, as name tells Life full of happiness!! We are committed to give the best of the health facilities to promote the complete of health of a person.

As per a research More than 60% of the knee replacement are done without a requirement.

Do we need to say something else?

We do believe in Restoring the joints in spite of Replacing the joints!!

The human body is able to move fluidly because there are various joints, muscles, tendons and cartilages that work together to make this happen. Movements of the hands, legs, back, hips, knees and wrists are controlled this way. For various reasons, however, these tissues grow stiff, thereby, reducing free movement. Any movement causes pain and stiffness and swelling of the joints, which forces the patient to reduce physical activity. This reduced activity further leads to the joints becoming stiff, thus putting the patient in a difficult position.

What causes it?

The ends of the bone are covered by softer tissue called cartilage, which is responsible for allowing the free movement. In patients with osteoarthritis, this cartilage is lost and the bones rub against each other, producing pain and a crackling sound with the movement. Some of the most common causes include the following:

Age is the most common cause for osteoarthritis, with lifestyle habits playing a major role in this condition. Most joints would be affected here.
Obesity is another major cause for osteoarthritis, as the additional weight of the person puts extra pressure on the knees and the legs, leading to the wearing of the joints. The back and lower extremities are more affected than the hands in this case.
Joint injuries are another common cause for osteoarthritis, which is more localised to the area of injury.
What are the signs and symptoms?

As noted already, painful movement is the most common symptom of osteoarthritis. There could also be swelling and redness around the affected joint(s).
Diagnosis: The doctor will usually be able to identify osteoarthritis after an examination, but in some cases, an X-ray or MRI may be required to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatments available

The treatment for osteoarthritis is multipronged.

For immediate relief of the pain, non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. In cases of localised symptoms, even topical creams or gels may be used.
Weight loss is extremely essential, if there is obesity that is causing the osteoarthritis.
Vitamins and supplements in good amounts can improve bone health and help in preventing and reversing the damage in some patients.
Heat therapy has proven to be quite useful in many cases to provide temporary relief
As much as the movement of the joints is painful for the patient, it is only with regular exercise that the joints can be made more flexible and mobile.
The affected joints need to be specially cared for by avoiding injury and reducing unnecessary movements.
Role of physiotherapy in the management of OA - Strengthening exercises, Taping, Manual therapy, Education/lifestyle changes, Modalities, Agility and perturbation training.
The definitive therapy of OA is joint replacement (total/partial knee/hip joint replacement).
In addition, support groups and counselling may also help significantly in patients who find their quality of life being reduced due to this condition. Remember, not all is lost with osteoarthritis. It is definitely possible to get your life back to its earlier days when you were able to move about freely.

What are the Different Kinds of Arthritis and How to Treat Them?

Arthritis is a very common medical condition that affects a lot of adults as they age. It occurs due to inflammation of the joints, which can be caused by a number of factors such as aging, injury or infection.

There are over a hundred different kinds of arthritis that cause various sorts of problems to those affected. However this condition can be broadly classified into two major types, which include the following:

1.Osteoarthritis - Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is the most common kind of chronic condition to affect the joints. This occurs when the cartilage that surrounds the joint wears away and allows the ends of bones to rub against each other causing immense pain and is often accompanied by inflammation and swelling. The primary cause of osteoarthritis is aging and occurs mainly due to pressure on the joints from lifting heavy weights.

2.Rheumatoid Arthritis - This is the most common type of arthritis that occurs due to joint inflammation. It is an autoimmune condition, which means that it is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system that leads to inflammation of the joints. Chronic inflammation causes joint deformities and even the development of rheumatoid nodules on the skin around the joint. Two-thirds of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis are women.

Depending on the nature of the condition and the age and medical history of the patient, diagnosis, and treatment of arthritis varies. Although there is no permanent cure for arthritis, especially the type caused by aging, a number of remedies exist that provide relief from pain.

Some of the common methods of treatment for arthritis are:

Medication - Some medicines provide relief from the pain of arthritis if it is not too severe. These include painkillers, anti-inflammatory pills, sprays, and ointments, etc. In case of high-intensity pain, codeine is often prescribed.
Stem Cell Therapy - This method involves drawing platelets from the patient's own blood and injecting it into the inflamed parts of the joint in order to repair damaged muscles and alleviate pain.
Injections - A number of anti-inflammatory substances and lubricants can be injected into the affected joints to decrease pain. Ozone gas injections are an example of this.
Surgery - In extreme cases, surgical procedures are resorted to for treating arthritis. However, successful surgery cannot always be guaranteed and it comes with its own set of risks.

Osteoarthritis is a Non Inflammatory disease that affects many joints, knee joint most common. In normal joint, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In Osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. This disease, that mostly affects women, worsens over the time and should be treated as early as possible.

Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis
Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary, depending on which joints are affected and how severely they are affected. However, the most common symptoms are pain and stiffness, particularly first thing in the morning or after resting. Affected joints may get swollen, especially after extended activity. These symptoms tend to build over time rather than show up suddenly. Some of the common symptoms include:

Sore or stiff joints after inactivity or overuse
Limited range of motion or stiffness that goes away after movement
Clicking or cracking sound when joint bends
Mild swelling around a joint
Pain that is worse after activity or toward the end of the day
Treatment Options For Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease. There is no cure, but treatments are available to manage symptoms. Long-term management of the disease will include several factors:

Managing symptoms, such as pain, stiffness and swelling
Improving joint mobility and flexibility
Maintaining a healthy weight
Getting enough of exercise
Physical Activity: One of the most beneficial ways to manage OA is to get moving. While it may be hard to think of exercise when the joints hurt, moving is considered an important part of the treatment plan. Simple activities like walking around the neighborhood or taking a fun, easy exercise class can reduce pain and help maintain (or attain) a healthy weight. Strengthening exercises build muscles around OA-affected joints, easing the burden on those joints and reducing pain. Aerobic exercise helps to improve stamina and energy levels and also help to reduce excess weight. Talk to a doctor before starting an exercise program.

Weight Management: Excess weight adds additional stress to weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, feet and back. Losing weight can help people with OA reduce pain and limit further joint damage. The basic rule for losing weight is to eat fewer calories and increase physical activity.

Stretching: Slow, gentle stretching of joints may improve flexibility, lessen stiffness and reduce pain. Exercises such as is great ways to manage stiffness.

Braces: For varus and valgus deformity of knee joint, brace very helpful like Unloader Knee Brace has importent role in Osteoarthritis knee.

Management: Medical:
Glucosamine/Chondroitin- Glucosamine/Chondroitin 1500 mg/1200 mg daily, they are diet supplement used in mild and moderate osteoarthritis knee. Major component of joint cartilage. Supplements are derived from the shells of shellfish (such as shrimp, lobster and crab) or from vegetable sources. Slows deterioration of cartilage, relieves osteoarthritis(OA) pain and improves joint mobility.

For Pain Management
NSAIDs
Cox-2 inhibitors
Opioids

Intraarticular Injections

Intraarticular Glucocorticoids: Mainly Indicated when pain persist despite of pain killer. Its effective for short-term pain relief < 12 wks. There may be acute flare in pain 48 hrs post-injection.
Hyaluronans (e.g. Synvisc): Its indicated when pain persists despite other agents. Its like Synthetic joint fluid. Pain relief similar to steroid injections. 60-70% patients respond well , pain relief approx 6 months to 1 year
Surgical Management

Knee pain or functional status has failed to improve with non-operative management

Types of Surgery

Arthroscopic Irrigation
Arthroscopic Debridement
High Tibial Osteotomy
Partial Knee Arthroplasty
Total Knee Arthroplasty
Which type of surgery you require it will be decide by your orthopaedic surgeon after clinical and radiological examination.

Joint Replacement Surgery: Joint surgery can repair or replace severely damaged joints, especially hips or knees. A doctor will refer an eligible patient to an orthopaedic surgeon to perform the procedure.
Knee replacement has become the most common form of joint replacement surgery. Between 1991 and 2010, the incidence of knee replacements increased by over 161%, due partly to improvements in the science of knee replacement implants, experience of surgeons, and the growing population of knee replacement patients. Although public perception can be influenced by negative advertising and press, the fact is that knee replacement surgery is one of the most successful surgical procedures performed today.

Success rates and quality of life improvements for knee replacement patients are reliably very high. Nine out of 10 knee replacement patients experience an immediate relief from knee pain, and 95% report they are satisfied with their procedure. Approximately 90% of replacement knee joints last 10 years, while 80% are good for 20+ years, depending on patient health and activity levels. Outcomes vary from patient to patient depend upon level of deformity and grade of Osteoarthritis.

Positive Attitude: Many studies have demonstrated that a positive outlook can boost the immune system and increase a person's ability to handle pain.

Preventive Measures

People with endocrine disorders are prone to osteoarthritis. This includes hypothyroidism. You must immediately begin medications if you are diagnosed with thyroid conditions.
In several cases, osteoporosis is genetic. One may inherit a tendency to develop bone deformities as he/she ages.
X-ray after regular intervals helps the doctors to understand the condition of your bones and joints. This helps to prescribe exercises, medications and diet accordingly.
Yoga helps to maintain joint flexibility and increase bone strength. It also helps to prevent stress and anxiety.
A diet rich in protein and calcium helps to prevent degeneration and brittleness in bones. It is important to go out into the sun once in a while and soak up as much vitamin D as possible. This is a very healthy habit and contributes to the well-being of the entire skeletal systems.