What Are The Causes of Joint Pain?

What are the main causes of joint pain?

Arthritis: Arthritis means inflammation of joints. Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the wearing off of the cushioning between two bones in a joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is the body’s immune system working against the joints causing joint pain. Even Lupus does the same mischief as rheumatoid arthritis. In gout arthritis uric acid deposits on joints and causes joint pain. Septic arthritis is an infection which affects the muscles and the fluids around the joint.

Such joint pains could be accompanied by low functioning of joints, tenderness, swelling, stiffness, reddening of the skin above and warm sensation in the affected area.

Osteonecrosis: This is characterized by low blood supply to the bone because of which they are not able to function properly, become painful and weak, sometimes causing even bone death. Mostly thighs, legs and arms are affected. This can be due to injury, damage or thickening of blood vessels or blockage in the blood vessels which supply oxygen to bones. Joint pain increases on bearing weight with the afflicted bone.

Bursitis: Bursitis is the inflammation of bursae which are small fluid filled sacs found between tissues giving cushioning to these tissues. Most of these bursae are found in joints of shoulder, elbow, hips and knees.

This can be caused by injury or infection or even rheumatoid arthritis. Here joint pain could be with inflammation, tenderness, pain on movement and sometimes calcium deposits on the bursae.

Osteochondritis Dissecans: In this case joint pain is experienced when the bone and the abutting cartilage do not receive enough blood supply. The most likely spots to be targeted by this sort of joint pain are the elbows and the knees. Pain is accompanied with stiff joints limiting the movement of the affected joint.

It is yet to be known why they are caused but theories have been postulated on the causes being repeated injuries on that joint or some disturbance in its growth.

Chondromalacia patella: This joint pain is characterized by the degeneration of the cartilage underneath the kneecap. The knee makes a grating-grinding sound when stretched, becomes tender to touch and is more painful on the front. It aggravates while climbing on stair and stressing on it to lift oneself from the chair.

Sickle Cell Disease: Some people due to hereditary reasons have abnormal haemoglobin due to which the some red blood cells of the body lose shape and even rupture. These cells block the blood carrying vessels. The organs and tissues to which these vessels lead get damaged or ache for want of blood supply.

Joint pain ensues with possibly weariness, anemia, inflammation, arthritis, infections, blood collecting at spots, liver congestion, injury to the heart or lungs, ulcers in the legs, bone death, damage to the eyes, abdominal pain, fever, kidney damage, brain damage, etc.

Steroid Drug Withdrawal: It takes time for the body to get adjusted to steroids in the first place. But having been on steroids for a long time, the body gets used to these. Once these are withdrawn once again the body suffers. One of the symptoms could be joint pain.

Infectious diseases: Diseases like hepatitis, influenza, measles, mumps, rheumatic fever, chickenpox, rubella, lyme disease also cause joint pain.
Other Causes:

A fracture causes immense pain in the joints.

Cartilage getting torn, sprains tearing or stretching of the flexible ligaments around the joints, tendons getting inflamed could cause joint pain.

Synovial sarcoma, is the presence of tumour in the tissues close to the joints which give pain to the joint. Bone tumour could also lead to joint pain.

Some joint pains are caused due to disturbance in gait. When a person suffers pain, say after an injury, he changes his gait to be least impacted by the pain. This disturbed gait of the person additionally causes joint pain in some other portion of the body.

Knowledge is indeed healing. Knowing the cause of joint pain is half the pain conquered. The rest can be conquered with treatments and remedies for joint pain.

Nail biting – Nail biting, a Health and Social Issue

Nail biting, known as Onychophagia in medical terminology, is a compulsive urge in children and even adults to bite on their nails. As many as 30 percent in the 7-10 age group of children and 45% of teens are addicted to finger nail biting. Boys are more often found to be biting nails than girls. Baby nail biting could include biting of toe nails as well as babies are flexible. Most of the addicted people give up the habit when they reach 30. But some adult nail biting cases are also there.

Raw edges of nails ravaged by nail biting look unsightly. Even the finger tips look unsightly with the skin around the nails puckering away. Why even the teeth get bitten off in the course of nail biting!

Aesthetics apart, they damage the skin around the nails allowing germs to breed around on them and causing infection. Damaged nails are prone to attracting fungi which cause nail fungus infection. They could also infect the nail bed and cause paronychia or warts. A debilitating inflammation could also result. In extreme cases of nail biting a hemorrhage could develop. Finally you also face the risk of nail loss.

The infecting germs get transported to the body through the mouth causing dental infection while passing through the mouth and gut infection while passing through the gut. It could even be the other way around. Germs might get transported from the mouth to the site of nail biting. Nail biting need not necessarily be with the mouth. One may even pick at the nails with fingers and infect the picking finger as well. All in all, a chain of health disorders get let on the loose.

Voluntarily or involuntarily, nail biting is accompanied by skin picking, termed dermatillomania in medical terminology, and skin biting, dermatophagia in medical terminology. Therefore, the negative effects of nail biting get permuted with the negative effects of skin picking and skin biting. The combinatorial effect of the three could play havoc with the person’s health.

Health issues of nail biting apart, nail biting gives rise to some ungainly social issues as well. The nail biting person may be ostracized by family, friends as well as office acquaintances. The person himself may, as a consequence, end up having a low self esteem. His salability gets reduced. The chances of his getting fruitfully employed are questionable. Marriage becomes a remote possibility for him.

Nail biting should not be left untreated. The health and social let downs because of nail biting are stupendous. Surely you do not want to scare people off their pants with your blood dripping fingers?

Nail Fungus – Key Basics

Nail fungus infection is also called Onychomycosis or Tinea unguium. It starts as a small whitish yellowish spot under the nail tip and spreads across the nail in a few days time.

A nail fungus infected nail will display a few characteristic symptoms. The affected nail(s) has a raw edge and surface, gets discoloured and lustreless, turning thick yet fragile, smelly and painful. In severe cases, termed as Onycholysis, the nail may also come ripping off the nail bed.

The fungi causing nail fungus infection are found to proliferate in damp and warm places like the shoes, swimming pools, locker rooms, showers, garden, gyms, spa, etc. They belong to the dermatophyte family. Candida yeast and mould too can cause this infection. More often the former is a toe nail fungus and the latter the finger nail fungus. These micro organisms feed on the keratin present on the nail surface.

A person’s nails need to be continually exposed to these micro organisms to get nail fungus infection. The toe nails are more susceptible to get the infection than finger nails. This is because the toes are mostly confined in compact shoes without much blood circulation. The immune system thus fails to check the infection on its onset.

Although nail fungus can affect anyone, those suffering ailments like diabetes, poor blood circulation or weak immune system are more susceptible to this infection.

Working in damp surroundings, working in non-airy sweaty places, walking in shoes which are neither airy nor lined with sweat absorption lining and walking barefoot on damp floors can cause nail fungus to grow. Not drying yourself dry after a bath makes you equally susceptible to this infection.

If you visited the doctor with this problem, the doctor will conduct a physical examination of the nail first. Then he will have a sample of the infected nail scraped off from under the nail. This sample will be viewed under the microscope to check for signs of nail fungus infection. The sample will also be sent for laboratory culture to identify the micro organism causing the infection. The idea here is to establish if it is nail fungus infection or some other similar affliction.

There is no need for anyone to live with nail fungus. There are treatments, remedies and cures to take care of this horrible condition – and you will not have to hide your nails all the time due to your nail fungus.

Home Remedies for Arthritis – The Home Pharmacy

If only one could clock back one’s life and start all over, Arthritis could probably have been avoided. Now that it is here visiting or to stay, it is in best interests to make friends with it. Orthopaedic doctor suggested medications do not suit everyone. They sometimes come trailing some side effects with them which, not all are able to cope with. Some are ineffective too.

A few alternative medications like massage based home remedies for Arthritis are:

A light massage of olive oil or castor oil, on the affected joint as a natural remedy for Arthritis is said to give relief.

Massage of hot vinegar before going to bed is another easy to follow home remedy for Arthritis.

A tablespoon of lightly warmed coconut oil or mustard oil in which a one centimetre cube of camphor is added is very effective when massaged on the affected area.

Even better would be to add one part of garlic, juniper, lavender, sage, thyme and rosemary to ten parts of olive oil and then massage. The additive oils with their medicinal properties make for an even better natural remedy for Arthritis.

Essentials oils juniper, cypress and lemon combine to give a boost to the blood circulation around the joints.

Lavender, rosemary and chamomile together provide an analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment for the aching joints.

Powder four pods of garlic and two grams of Sprague and heat the powder in 30 ml of mustard oil. This can be used as massage oil on painful joints. This is an excellent home remedy for Arthritis.

Another sure fire home remedy for Arthritis, is a concoction of 10 gm of camphor in 200 gm of mustard, closed tight in a bottle and warmed through indirect heat from sunlight. The oil is to be massaged over the affected area daily.

Hot and moist fenugreek seeds pack can be used on aching joints for relief.

The topical application of cayenne brings about a sweet tingling burning sensation to the aching joints. This is an easy to follow natural remedy for Arthritis.

A few alternative medications like bath based home remedies for Arthritis are:

Regular steam bath brings profound holistic health benefits to the subject. Contrary to this cold water bath should be avoided by them. Cold and damp environment are said to aggravate Arthritis. They constrict blood circulation. Similarly tight fitting garments and accessories are to be avoided by these patients.

A bath in sea or at least with sea salts, Epsom salts, is highly recommended. The iodine contained in sea water and sea salts get absorbed through the skin and correct the acid-alkaline imbalance in the body. Such a full bath at night before going to bed is a very effective natural remedy for Arthritis.

Bath water with hay flower is another natural remedy for Arthritis.

A strained infusion of yam seeds, celery seeds and willow leaves added to bath water is also helpful.

Five drops of angelica oil added to bath water controls spasms.

It is said of home that home is where the heart is. Home by itself is a home remedy for Arthritis. When you have a pharmacy at home, why step out?

Herbal Remedies for Arthritis

Arthritis can be really difficult to treat. Some Arthritis suffers retain Arthritis pain despite medications and therapy. However, arthritic patients can now find solace in herbal remedies for Arthritis. The symptomatic conditions of the problem define the remedy to be administered. Ease of procuring and administering of the herbs is another deciding factor. A few herbal remedies for Arthritis are presented below:

Oral intake of a few grams of ginger daily is a good herbal remedy for Arthritis, especially Rheumatoid.

Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties. If taken regularly it can keep Arthritis at bay. This is a simple and easy to follow herbal remedy for Arthritis.

A tablespoon of fenugreek seeds taken thrice a day daily is a preventive herbal remedy for Arthritis.

Juice of a lime diluted in a cup of water taken on empty stomach first thing in the morning is found to be very effective. The citric acid in lime dissolves the uric acid deposits around the joint afflicted with Arthritis.

Three four cups of tea made with a teaspoon of alfalfa seeds taken for a couple of weeks brings great relief to patients of Arthritis.

A teaspoon willow bark steeped in a cup of hot water for ten minutes and taken twice daily for ten days in another form of herbal remedies for Arthritis to reduce inflammation.

Thriving on just bananas, eight to nine a day, for three four days, is found to be one of the simple home remedies for Arthritis.

A tablespoon of green gram cooked with two pods of garlic in a cup of water taken twice a day brings good relief from joint pains.

Two teaspoons of warm castor oil mixed into a glass of orange juice if taken before breakfast and continued for three weeks brings relief if not cure to the afflicted. Alkaline diet is prescribed for the three weeks of treatment.

Taking Omega 3 fatty acid is another very beneficial home remedy for Arthritis. This explains why the coastal genre who thrive on fish are agile boned.

A teaspoon of black sesame seeds soaked in water overnight if taken first thing in the morning on empty stomach along with the water is a preventive measure and recurrence of Arthritis.

Potato juice diluted with equal portion of water on empty stomach first thing in the morning is a highly recommended natural remedy for Arthritis.

Equal portions of juices of a leafy green vegetable, red beetroot, carrot and celery, if mixed and taken, help clear up the mess of deposits around joints.

Fresh pineapple juice enables reducing of the inflammation around the affected joint.

Black cherry juice, a quarter cup a day, consumed regularly over a period of three to four months is said to being relief.

Turmeric, celery seeds, as a culinary additive will provide relief with its anti inflammatory properties.

Dandelion leaves help flush out the kidneys and bowels well. They also double up as a tonic for the functioning of the liver.

The herb Boswellia is a fine herbal remedy for Arthritis.

Drinking of water stored in copper vessels is found to be therapeutic to the muscles.

Arthritis invades your life

It is morning. The bell of the alarm clock on the bedside table goes off. Tom wants to switch it off but is not able to move! He feels as though his spine is stuck to the bed. He twists and turns in great pain and with great difficulty gets off the bed. He has been an athletic jockey all his life. What could have gone wrong? Could it be Arthritis?

Dick is a writer. He is one who is at his creative best after a night’s sleep. He wants to finish off his part time work before leaving home for his full time job. Try as he may, he is not able to hold his pen. His fingers have frozen stiff. By the time he flexes his fingers free it is time to leave. Why do his fingers refuse to come under his command? Is it Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Often at the end of a hard days work as a packaging assistant, Harry’s elbows ache as though he has Arthritis. They subside the next morning. He came home yesterday with pain in his elbows. The whole night the pain kept increasing and by morning the elbow had swollen to double their normal size and had turned red. The pain had become unbearable by now. He is dialling the orthopaedic to check if he has Arthritis.

Anne is in her eighth month of pregnancy. The weight of the baby is telling on her back and especially her hip joints. If she sat she remained immobile in that position for long. And if she stood up after a lot of strain she dreaded sitting back again. Surely she couldn’t be having Arthritis at such a young age. She thought of inviting her mother over for a few days to help her out. She telephones her mother.

The mother of Anne, Marie, listened patiently and pathetically at her daughter’s rhetoric.
Marie is undergoing menopause. Her body has been behaving strangely of late. Her joints feel weak at times. She feels as though someone is bolting and unbolting her joints repeatedly. Mother and daughter decide to see the orthopaedic together. They doubt they have Arthritis.

Janet has been a saleswoman for as long as she can remember. She is looking forward to her retirement. She wonders if she will be able to withstand the chronic pain in her knees till then. All these years of standing on her feet for long hours had taken their toll on her knees. The doctor had diagnosed her to be suffering from Arthritis. She has been on medication for sometime now. The medicines are giving her nausea and constipation. She wonders if she is better off with Arthritis alone and not these three together. She needs to call on the doctor again for natural remedies for Arthritis.

Six calls land up simultaneously for appointment at the clinic of the orthopaedic who is known to be a specialist in Arthritis. All the callers complained of Arthritis like symptoms.

Arthritis – Why me?

Anger and frustration are typical of a person diagnosed of Arthritis. Destiny is not in our control. Determination to overcome is. There is always a way to make the best of the situation. Take stock. Get down to analyzing the underlying cause.

Trauma on the joints is one of the main reasons for the occurrence of Arthritis, especially osteoarthritis. Trauma affects changes in the very structural construction of the joints.

Those who are in occupations wherein they have to be on their feet a lot are likely to get osteoarthritis of ankles, knees and hips. This is because these joints bear their weight all day long. Obese are also very likely candidates. Same is the case with pregnant women with the extra weight they carry on their tummy. Sports persons are likely to affect the joints which they stress a lot. Over clocking computer operators are likely to afflict their fingers with this problem.

Study on families of persons suffering from Arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, gives evidence that hereditary factors play a role, in making a person susceptible to this affliction. The bone-structure of different human race is not similar. So some are more likely and some less likely to take the brunt of this problem.

Another type of Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, occurs more due to the constituency of blood of the subject afflicted with Arthritis. The blood pathology of some is such, like those of diabetics, those with thyroid problems, those with hormonal problems, that it triggers Arthritis. Imbalance of blood components, of thyroid hormones, other hormones, in the afflicted person’s blood bring about physiological changes in the body leading to Rheumatoid Arthritis. Women undergoing menopause face erratic hormonal changes in their body making them prone to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The energy packets in the body fail to get carried efficiently quantitatively and qualitatively to the joints. The joints get less nourishment than they ought to. As a result they are unable to perform their functions in top form. This happens even with those who are under nourished in essential food components like calcium, manganese, magnesium, proteins and fatty acids.

Even mental and emotional trauma which bring about negative chemical changes in the body, indirectly bring about Arthritis.

Some theories even postulate that damp environment bring about Arthritis.

Research is still underway to establish that certain food allergies, especially wheat, potato, tomato, peppers and animal products, are catalysts bringing about Arthritis.

Less stressful but regular movement of the joints is said to trigger the body into secreting the lubricating fluids around the joints. Sedentary and near immobile persons fail to bring about extraction of these fluids. The joints, the muscles around, become stiff as a result. This is the reason why those having Rheumatoid Arthritis experience symptoms of Arthritis soon after waking up but begin to feel normal as the day progresses. This is precisely why Arthritis patients, and just about everyone in general, are advised to keep moving.

Now you know why you suffer. Having been able to successfully pin-point the cause of Arthritis, the next step is to find relief, a remedy, a cure, for Arthritis. Non-invasive and non-allopathic medications like herbal remedies for Arthritis, natural remedies for Arthritis and home remedies for Arthritis are the craze of the day. Shun Arthritis and have fun.

Heartburn – The How and Why Story

Belch. Burp. Yuck. You have a distasteful liquid enter your mouth from the wrong direction. You could be having a bout of acid reflux or heartburn. The food served at the party was simply yummy. Ignoring the commands of your wits and etiquette, you hogged a lot. Here you stand with the after effects.

The food that you pop into your mouth walks over your throat, down the esophagus tube, knocks at a door called the sphincter valve and then into the stomach. The stomach secretes certain acids to digest the food. These acids are so potent, if you dip your fingers in it, you could burn your fingers. But the stomach is protected because it has an acid-proof lining.

Sometimes the acid in the stomach squirts up the sphincter valve, the esophagus, the throat and into the mouth. When this happens you know you have gone through an episode of acid reflux. It leaves a burning sensation in the stomach, the esophagus, the throat and the mouth. Since the esophagus, the throat and the mouth do not have the protective lining that the stomach has they get scalded and scarred with the acids. These are the fallout of long term suffering from acid reflux. Repeated erosion on the lining of the esophagus, throat and mouth, could also result in cancer at a later stage. Sometimes heartburn or acid reflux is accompanied with gas, bloating, nausea, vomiting and breathlessness.

The symptoms feel such that one wonders if one is suffering from a heart attack. That is the reason the problem got the name heartburn. Though there is absolutely no link to the heart. If it were a heart attack, the symptoms would be, pain in the chest radiating to neck and shoulder, pain in swallowing, vomiting of blood, blood stained motions or black coloured stools, breathlessness and giddiness. Similarly, if the heartburn like symptoms is felt before intake of food, it could be ulcer instead. Ulcer is a prefix to meals while heartburn is a suffix to meals.

Ideally the sphincter valve should not allow the food to back out of the valve once it has entered the stomach. The sphincter valve is so designed. Certain conditions render this sphincter valve to fail. When the muscles around the sphincter valve get weak, they loose control. When the subject has overindulged, the pressure exerted by the stomach walls, push some part of the food in the stomach up forcibly through the valve. A pregnant women’s enlarged womb pushes the stomach against the diaphragm thus inadvertently opening the sphincter valve the wrong way up.

Other reasons causing heartburn are intake of acidic foods, partaking alcohol and smoking. These addictions again loosen the sphincter muscles leading to the malfunctioning of the sphincter valve. Also they corrode the lining around the stomach and esophagus causing even more damage.

There are many other names for heartburn or acid reflux depending on the causative reasons and accompanied symptoms. Gastroesophageal reflux, dyspepsia, chronic heartburn or simply acid indigestion, are some of the names.

Take care to consume smaller or medium portions of food howsoever enticing they may look and taste. Do not help yourself to larger portions. Help yourself with smaller portions. It really helps.

Home Remedies for Heartburn

Buckled and doubled over with pain and burning sensation in the chest, bitter feeling in the mouth, driving to the doctor or the pharmacy is the last thing you wish to or could do. You have gone through these episodes of heartburn before. You know by now that one trip to the doctor and the pharmacy is just a precursor to another a few days ahead. Under the circumstances the best bet would be to totter around your house and see if you could fix up any of these below given tricks of home remedies for heartburn.

Heartburn finally boils down to be the after effects of acid production in the stomach. A simple home remedy for heartburn is to stock and take medication to reduce acid production.

A simple case of one-off heartburn case can be treated with a single dose of antacid every six hours. Too many antacids and you will end up in the loo. Beware.

Those of us, who are frequently visited by heartburn, especially at night, could do well, increasing the level of cot at head-side. The gravitational pull will contain the collection of acids in the stomach from rising up. This is a very reliable home remedy for heartburn. This wouldn’t work with a waterbed as the waters will bunch up at the lower end.

An easy to follow home remedy for heartburn is to take meals a good couple of hours before bed time and to avoid snacking just before hopping into bed. The idea is to avoid going to bed on a full stomach but when the food has travelled further from the stomach in its digestion journey. Also never take mint the last thing in the day.

A generalised home remedy for heartburn to be followed is to eat less at a time to keep the bulk low and to chew food well and make it less bulky.

Obesity is another cause for heartburn. The bulk of muscles along the mid-riff are sure to press against the stomach. Hence cutting down on fat could be jotted down as another home remedy for heartburn to be followed rigorously.

Smoking leads to sagging of muscles and weakening of the lining of stomach, which lead to heartburn. Hence smoking should be curtailed. Alcohol produces the same effects as smoking. So alcoholism should also be brought under check. Caffeine is another product close on the heels producing the effects as smoking and alcohol consumption. This should be consumed in measured quantities if not avoided.

Consumption of soda at measured quantities brings relief in heartburn. But the same if taken out of proportions will cause heartburn out of proportion.

The pregnant suffering from heartburn would do well to consult the doctor to provide a remedy to suit their specific conditions.

Sometimes some medicines especially painkillers are known to bring about heartburn like symptoms as a side effect of the painkiller medication. The physician should be consulted and counter medication decided upon.

Simple and easy to follow hints seem to bring so much relief. Overturn your home, your home life, to accommodate home remedies for heartburn. Nudge out heartburn from your home.

Acid reflux – Homeopathic Remedies to Get Rid of Acid Reflux

Homeopathy is one of the most effective ways to cure many ailments today, including heart burn.

While prescribing acid reflux homeopathic remedies, the subject’s family history, personal history, other simultaneously existing medical problems, physiology, likes, dislikes, psychiatric influences are studied. It would appear as though the homeopathy practitioner is querying on irrelevant aspects of the problem. But the fact is they intend to give you a holistic cure and not a cure for the currently petrifying one alone.

The homeopathic medications will initially increase the very same symptoms for which you had initially sought help for. The idea behind homeopathy is that the body shows up symptoms when its own immune system is trying to fight out the problem on its own. Homeopathic medications trigger the immune system further to root out the problem. So the symptoms are bound to show up a severity to begin with. The best part of it is the cure lasts longer if not permanent.

Also in extreme cases of acid reflux where the subject is experiencing excruciating pain and internal bleeding, acid reflux homeopathic remedy is just not the treatment to be sought out. In such cases pain and bleeding has to be contained first with the help of a physician. Thereafter one may seek out acid reflux homeopathic remedy. Sometimes physicians themselves prescribe or recommend acid reflux homeopathic remedies. Such is the popularity and effectiveness of acid reflux homeopathic remedies for some specific conditions of acid reflux.

But if you need to get cured and not merely relieved temporarily then acid reflux homeopathic remedies is the way to go. Not only acid reflux but other medical problems of yours too get taken into account by the acid reflux homeopathic remedy prescribed. Another fact that will cheer you on taking up acid reflux homeopathic remedy is that they do not leave any side effects.

The medicines by themselves are minuscule globules unlike the huge throat jamming allopathic ones. Interestingly, the homeopathic medicines, remedies as they are called, are labelled with the symptoms to which they are applicable. The components of these medicines are sourced from plants, animals, minerals, synthetics, and, plant and animal wastes.

One needs to go to a reputed homeopathy practitioner. Likewise one needs to purchase the medicines prescribed by them from suppliers who have legal sanctions to sell these medicines. Spurious and adulterated medicines for heartburn would otherwise lead to pocket burn.

All roads lead to Rome. You need to find the shortest and most comfortable one for yourself. If acid reflux homeopathic remedy is the one for you, then grab it quick.

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