November 20, 2015
The knee joint is the most important joint of the body. Healthy knee joint improves the quality of life. The knee are the most easily injured part of the body once knee joint damaged, worn out, painful, stiff and you are forced to restrict activities when need to knee replacement. (more…)
November 20, 2015
The knee joint is the most important joint of the body. Our daily routine activities like walk, sit, squat, turn around, drive or other activities depending on the knee for support and mobility. When your knee is healthy, you may take it for granted, not giving a thought about the job it does for you. (more…)
November 20, 2015
One of the key factors in building and maintaining strong bones is to consume enough of the mineral calcium. Until recently, most of the information about healthy bones focused on what you could do to keep from getting osteoporosis in your later adult years.
Calcium is a key nutrient for your body to stay strong and healthy. Almost every cell in the body uses calcium in some way, including the nervous system, muscles, and heart. It is also an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women. While the amount you need depends on various factors, everyone can benefit from eating calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete calcium, and getting enough magnesium and vitamins D and K-nutrients that help calcium do its job.
| 0-6 months | 210 milligrams / day |
| 7-12 months | 270 milligrams / day |
| 1-3 years | 500 milligrams / day |
| 4-8 years | 800 milligrams / day |
| 9-18 years | 1,300 milligrams / day |
| 19-50 years | 1,000 milligrams / day |
| 50+ years | 1,200 milligrams / day |
Building and maintain strong bones is a lifelong process. We actually build the foundation for a lifetime of strong bones during your teen and young adult years.
During teen and young adult years, your bones become as dense as they’ll ever be that is your peak bone mass as high as you can for the rest of your life. It is important to get 3 servings of calcium-rich foods everyday to make sure your bones keep the calcium they already have.
The most important component of good bone health is calcium. Each day, calcium is deposited and withdrawn from your bones. Foods like lowfat milk, yogurt, cheese, soy products, and leafy green vegetables are good natural sources of calcium. Here are some tips to help calcium supplements work best:
Where there’s calcium, there must be vitamin D: the two work together to help the body absorb bone-boosting calcium. Boost vitamin D consumption by munching on shrimp, fortified foods like cereal and orange juice, sardines, eggs (in the yolks) and tuna, or opt for a vitamin D supplement. The body also produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun — 10 to 15 minutes of exposure three times per week will do. Vitamin D’s importance to bone health.
Two types of exercise help build and maintain bone. Weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, dancing, and skiing increase bone density. Muscle strengthening exercises such as weight training and vigorous water exercises improve bone strength and muscle mass. Both types of exercise make you stronger and more agile.
For optimal bone health, a good goal should be to get at least 30-40 minutes of weight bearing exercise three to four times per week, and to add muscle strengthening exercise a day or two each week. Of course, consult your physician or personal trainer if you have any questions or concerns.
What type of exercise is most effective? Weight-bearing exercises like running, walking, jumping rope, skiing and stair climbing keep bones strongest. Resistance training has also been shown to improve bone health in several studies, so pick up the weights after going for a jog. Bonus for the older readers: improved strength and balance helps prevent falls (and the associated fractures) in those who already have osteoporosis.
November 18, 2015
Arthritis means join inflammation. Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. Arthritis is more common among adults ages or older but people of all ages can be affected.
Arthritis symptoms can develop gradually or suddenly. There are four key warning signs of arthritis.
There is no one permanent cause for arthritis; the cause depends on the type or form of arthritis. some causes for arthritis may include:
There are 100 types of arthritis which are divided into seven main groups.
To help your doctor diagnose the type of arthritis, be specific in examining the join of pain, when it started, related symptoms, and any history of chronic conditions. Your doctor will probably not need to order X-rays, CT (Computed Tomography) or MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans before starting treatment. Of the two, MRI is the modality of choice.
The focus of treatment for arthritis is to control pain, minimize joint damage and improve or maintain function and quality of life.
The following types of surgery:
Joint replacement surgery means replacement of one or both joint surface with artificial material. The goal of the procedure is to relieve pain and restore a sense of normal function and mobility into the damaged joint. Joint replacement surgeries are recommended for patients experiencing severe pain and disability as a result of progressive arthritis. The two major features have helped the joint replacement.
November 18, 2015
Low back pain is one of the most common problems people have. About 60 – 80% of the adults. population has low back pain, and it is the second most common reason people go to the doctor. Low back problems affect the spine’s flexibility, stability, and strength, which can cause pain, discomfort, and stiffness.
Most back pain can be prevented by keeping your back muscles strong and making sure you practice good mechanics (like lifting heavy objects in a way that won’t strain your back)
Over 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain during their lives. Low back pain is the most perplexing problem of man. Almost everyone over the age od 40 years of age has had some serious episode of low back pain. Most cases of lower back pain can be linked to a general cause—such as muscle strain, injury, or overuse—or can be attributed to a specific condition of the spine, most commonly:
Low back pain is a universal human experience , almost everyone has it at some point. The lower back, which starts below the ribcage, is called the lumbar region. Pain here can be intense and is one of the top causes of missed work. Fortunately, low back pain often gets better on its own. When it doesn’t, there are effective treatments.
Symptoms range from a dull ache to a stabbing or shooting sensation. The pain may make it hard to move or stand up straight. Acute back pain comes on suddenly, often after an injury from sports or heavy lifting. Pain that lasts more than three months is considered chronic. If your pain is not better within 72 hours, you should consult a doctor.
Symptoms of low back pain may include:
When determining the underlying cause of low back pain, both the type of low back pain and the area of pain distribution help guide the physician in making a preliminary diagnosis and determining the appropriate treatment plan. A detail history regarding the nature of pain, its onset (whether acute, insidious and so on), aggravating factors, factors which diminish the pain, the description and characteristics of the pain should be taken.
Getting an accurate diagnosis of the cause of low back pain is often more challenging than many people expect and often will involve a combination of a thorough patient history and physical exam as well as diagnostic tests. History of previous back pain, injuries or surgeries need to be obtained. A history of psychiatric disorders, alcohol dependence and psychosocial history needs to be noted.
To help your doctor diagnose the source of low back pain, be specific in describing the type of pain, when it started, related symptoms, and any history of chronic conditions. Your doctor will probably not need to order X-rays, CT(Computed Tomography) or MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans before starting treatment. Of the two, MRI is the modality of choice.
Treatment for lower back pain depends upon the patient’s history and the type and severity of pain. The vast majority of lower back pain cases get better within six weeks without surgery, and lower back pain exercises are almost always part of a treatment plan.
Rest: Ceasing activity for a few days allows injured tissue and even nerve roots to begin to heal, which in turn will help relieve lower back pain. However, more than a few days of rest can lead to a weakening of the muscles, and weak muscles have to struggle to adequately support the spine. Patients who do not regularly exercise to build strength and flexibility are more likely to experience recurrent or prolonged lower back pain.
Heat and Ice Packs: Heat and/or cold therapy helps relieve most types of low back pain by reducing inflammation. Often patients use ice, but some prefer heat. Both may be used alternately.
Medications: A wide variety of over-the-counter and prescription medications is available to help reduce lower back pain. Many medications reduce inflammation, which is often a cause of pain, while others work to inhibit the transmission of pain signals from reaching the brain. Each medication has multiple unique risks, possible side effects and drug (or food or supplement) interactions, which need to be evaluated by a physician.
Surgery: In the presence of neurological symptoms or deficit or intractable pain, surgical intervention is indicated. Common conditions needing surgery are disc disease, spinal canal stenosis and unstable vertebral articulation.
February 6, 2015
Osteoarthritis of knee joint is a major cause of concern among people who have been suffering from it. One has to bear constant pain, reduced functional activity, joint deformation, misalignment of knees and legs which goes on increasing with time and if ignored results in a situation where one has no other option but to go for a Total Knee Replacement (TKR).
Before all the above mentioned questioned be answered, one should be aware about osteoarthritis, its sign and symptoms, how does it damages the joint and what should be the precautions to be taken care of.
Osteoarthritis (OA) of knee joint is a major problem and one of the most common cause of disability among older and obese people and a main cause for Total Knee Replacement(TKR). It mainly occurs in weight bearing joints like hip and knee affecting middle or aged people and most commonly affecting the knee joint. Knee joint is mainly composed of three bones i.e. Femur (thigh bone), Tibia (shin bone) and the Patella (knee cap). Lower end of femur, patella and upper end of tibia makes knee joint along with other important structures like articular cartilage, ligaments, meniscus and muscles, synovial fluid and joint capsule.
Osteoarthritis primarily affects the articular cartilage of the joint which is present at the ends of bones and acts as a smooth surface on which the bones move. As the articular cartilage in the knee is avascular (devoid of blood vessels) and aneural (no nerve supply), with the absence of pain receptors and also lacks normal inflammation and repair response. These factors may lead to the advancement of degeneration of the joint without any symptom. Symptoms of pain, swelling and inflammation occur when the synovium gets hypertrophied and creates a stretch at the capsule of the knee joint thereby further deteriorating it.
it occurs generally in old age adults and is considered to be an ageing process or may be a result of wear and tear of joint.
It may be caused due to an underlying disease which may lead to degeneration of the joint. Factors like previous ignored injuries, any deformity and misalignment in knee, rheumatoid arthritis, ignored ligament injuries which causes further instability in the knee, obesity etc.
As soon as the osteoarthritis sets in, the already torn and eroded articular cartilage exposes the underlying bones to rub with each other with every movement of the knee. It ultimately causes inflammation, disturbance of distribution of body weight at the joint and new bone formation at the joint margins known as the osteophytes which causes a decrease in joint space.
This ultimately causes increase in compression forces either at the whole knee or at one compartment (side) of the knee leading to deformities like genu varum (bow legs) which is most common and genu valgum (knock knees).
A part of torn cartilage can get detached from itself and remain as a loose body in the knee which can also creates a hindrance in normal knee movement and can even cause a painful movement.
Two meniscuses (medial and lateral) rests on the upper end of shin bone on which the lower part of thigh bone sits, glides and move during the knee movement. These pad like structures act as shock absorbers, maintain joint congruency and provides smooth surface for the bones to move.
Alteration of any angulations between femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) like in case of mild genu varum (bow legs) increases compression force on medial meniscus by 25% which in turn will further deteriorate the joint and cause abnormal weight distribution on the already affected knee.
And for example five degrees of genu varum (bow legs) will increase the compressive force on the knee by 50%.
– which puts more than normal stress on your knees and other weight bearing joints like hip and spine whenever you stand, walk or run.
– sitting in cross legged position, using Indian style toilets, sitting on low height (chair, bed, sofa etc.), keeping in prolong or frequent squatting position other than exercise.
– whether it is primary or secondary OA, the knee will get damaged more rapidly if the muscles around it are weak. Hence regular exercising and muscle strengthening is very much important as strong muscles around the damaged joint will compensate the strain occurring at the joint.
All the above mentioned factors can deteriorate your knee joint faster than it is supposed to be and one will have to go for a Total knee Replacement if these factors will go ignored and unnoticed.
Conservative treatment includes treatment with analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, and corrective walking aids like knee braces.
In order to avoid Total Knee Replacement once your arthritis has begun or even before it, you can follow certain lifestyle modifications and exercise protocol which can help in prevention of further damage to the joint:-
Avoid sitting on low height (chair, bed etc).
Do not use Indian style toilets and do not sit cross legged or in a full squatting position.
Have a balanced diet and try to maintain weight within normal limits.
Always use chair with arm support: getting up from a chair without arm support increases the compressive force on knee up to 7 times the body weight whereas using a chair with arm support reduces the compressive force to less than half the body weight.
Avoid repetitive stair climbing during which the force on knee becomes 4.25 times the body weight.
If you feel pain in a specific posture, avoid keeping yourself in that posture.
Vigorous activities like jumping, twisting your knee should also be avoided.
Following are some exercises which can help in strengthening the muscles of knee joint and some corrective measures through which you can prevent further deterioration of knee.
Main muscle which supports the knee is quadriceps (anterior thigh) which helps in straightening the knee when it is bent.
Hamstring muscle which helps in bending the knee when it is straight is also an important muscle of knee joint.
lie flat on your back with your legs straight. Place a rolled towel under one knee and press the knee down for 5 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times and do it with other knee.
lie flat on your back with the legs straight. Press your knee down, pull your foot towards yourself and lift the leg up to 45 degrees, hold for 10 seconds then release. Repeat 10 times and do it with other leg also.
in the presence of effusion or swelling, speedy knee isometrics or knee presses are useful. Lie on your back with the legs straight, press and release the knee in a rapid manner.
sit on a chair with your back straight and legs hanging, with one leg pull your foot and lift your lower leg in front so that the leg gets completely straight. Hold for 5-10 seconds and take the leg down or release. Repeat for 10 times with each leg alternatively.
to prevent flexor deformity to develop in the knee, hamstring stretching is very much important. Following is a simple way to stretch this muscle:-
a) Sit straight on a bed with your back straight and supported with back rest, with your legs straight so that the back of knees are touching the mattress. Lean forward and touch your feet with both of your hands such that you feel stretch at back of your thigh. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times. Remember when you lean forward your knees should not get lifted up.
swimming is considered as a very useful exercise to strengthen core muscles of the body.
if the knee permits and there isn’t significant deformity, pain and acceptable amount of joint range of motion, practicing static cycling will help you lose weight and gain muscle strength.
In case of deformity in knee either genu varum(bow legs) and genu valgum(knock knees) where the compressive force is higher at one end of the knee and tensile force on the opposite side, having a properly measured wedge shoe insole provides significant relief from pain and thereby further decreasing the forces on the knee. A sloping wedge shoe insole of 7-12 mm may be tried on the outer or lateral aspect of foot sloping down towards medial or inner side in case of genu varum (bow legs) and vice versa in case of genu valgum (knock knees.
applying hot packs 2-3 times in a day over the knees can help increase blood circulation and thereby decrease the pain to some extent.
A surgical procedure in which a part of shin bone out of the joint is cut from the damaged side of the knee in order to realign the knee and shift the patient’s body weight off the damaged area and shift it to healthier side of the knee .
It resembles like surgically correcting the bow legs into knock knees kind of alignment. This procedure is indicative in young patients and at earlier stages of OA Knee and it can prolong the requirement of TKR up to 10 years.
Knee has three parts or compartments –
This kind of surgery is performed when only one part of knee has to be replaced, either outer part or inner part whatsoever part is damaged. The other part being kept natural.
In case of young patients who are in their early 40’s and in early stages of Osteoarthritis, procedures like UKR and Wedge Osteotomy have proven to be of great help and significantly delaying the requirement to go for a TKR.
Max Hospital
Phase 6 Mohali - 160 055
Tel : +91 172 665 2000
Emergency : 091 172 665 2000
Max Hospital
Phase 6 Mohali - 160 055
Timings : MON to THU 10AM to 5PM
Call : +91 172 665 2000
