Shoulder Pain Excersices

Posted on August 8, 2011 by admin-bv

It’s funny how you don’t notice a certain part of your body until it starts giving you problems. Imagine this, you use your arms everyday and connected to your arm is your shoulder which mostly moves with your arm.

Now all of a sudden somewhere along the line you hurt your shoulder. You’re not exactly sure when or why, but something is different. A nagging pain is nibbling on your nerves and you can barely pick up your fork to take a bite of your supper.

Sounds familiar?

We only notice that we can’t be without the functionality of a certain part of our body as soon as that part of our body starts acting up.

When it comes to the subject of shoulder problems, many a person will tell you about the pain and suffering that their shoulder problem caused them. According to research it seems that shoulder problems are common in the general population, with up to 47% of adults complaining about their shoulder/s.

Before going for surgery, many will go to physical therapists to help them sort out the problem. Effective methods used to help alleviate shoulder pain include anti-inflammatory medications or pain medications, cortisone injections are also popular and of course physical therapy.

One of the very popular treatments for shoulder pain is therapeutic exercise. In contrast to this, shoulder pain can actually be caused when hurting oneself while doing gym exercises.

A relatively normal activity for many people, which in actual fact has the ability to be responsible for your shoulder problems or aggravate an already existing shoulder problem.

Thus, certain exercises are beneficial to the shoulder, but there are others which may place the shoulder at risk for injuries and pain.

Following are four gym exercises that you should watch out for- they might just be the cause for your shoulder problems:

1. Bench press: There may be an association between bench press and arthritis of the shoulder due to the fact that the shoulder is loaded with compression. The shoulder is strictly speaking a hanging joint. Such heavy loading may cause early wear of the cartilage.

2. Acromio-clavicular (AC) joint: AC joint (the joint between the collar bone and the shoulder bone on top of the shoulder) is also referred to as weight lifters shoulder. Lifting heavy weights may lead to wear of this joint but the incident is so low that one probably should not be too concerned about this.

3. Overhead exercises like military press: Military press loads the rotator cuff in a disadvantageous position and can lead to rotator cuff injuries. There are other exercises with equal benefits and less risk eg. lateral raises, horizontal row, etc.

4. Contagious exercises: One of the top exercises is seated rowing. When the weight is pulled back it also squeezes the shoulder blades together ? this does not only exercise the rotator cuff muscles but also the stabilisers of the shoulder blades.

As mentioned above, contrasting to these four exercises, there are therapeutic exercises that will help treat your shoulder problems. Therapeutic exercises usually consist out of motion, strengthening and conditioning exercises.

Isn’t it ironic how the same thing, exercise, can either heal or harm you? So next time you go to the gym, be sure to watch out for potentially dangerous exercises.

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Plantar Fasciitis Reason Behind The Harrowing Heel Pain

Posted on August 7, 2011 by admin-bv

Plantar Fascia is the tight band of muscle placed beneath the arch of the foot. It is the connecting tissue which holds the arch foot and extends to the forefoot. This inflammation of plantar fascia is the main cause of pain for plantar fasciitis. It is known as one of the most common reasons for heel pain and very commonly known as heel spur. Excessive stretching of plantar fascia causes the heel pain, arch pain and heel spurs.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

-The increasing age makes plantar fasciia it less flexible and is devoid of stretching causing the pain

-Being overweight adds extra pressure on the foot

-Wearing the wrong footwear

-Exerting your feet through sudden inclusion of exercises in your daily routine

-Being flat-feet

-The foot with a high arch

-If you are suffering from diabetes

-Passing most part of the day standing

Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

-Pain in the heel while taking first few steps in the morning

-Increasing physical activity leads to further pain

There are no Home Remedies on Planatar Fasciitis but you can use basic home care measures to prevent it and cure it.

Self-Care Measures

-Having an ice massage to the bottom of the foot once you start feeling the pain

-Taking up new sporting activities like swimming or bicycling other than running or jumping

-Avoid wearing shoes which look good but are not comfortable

-Wear Shoes with soft insoles which would keep your feet from overexertion

-You can also tape the area for soothing the tense areas

-Ample amount of rest

-Try losing weight so your feet bares less pressure

Stretching Exercises

Stretching is the best way to deal with this problem and here are some of the most common stretches to prevent plantar fasciitis -

First step for this exercise is to lean forward against a wall by keeping on knee straight and the heel on the ground. The other knee is bent and your face is trying to touch the wall. This stretches the heel cord and the foot arch. Remain in this position for 10 seconds, relax and come back to your position. You can repeat this 20 times for each foot.

Use cold-juice-can to roll your arch over it, the cold minimizes the inflammation and the massaging loosens the tense tissues

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

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Complications Concerning Middle Back Pain

Posted on August 3, 2011 by admin-bv

Many symptoms of thoracic pain or middle back pain are rare and hardly distinguishable when compared with the more common types of back pain. Usually, middle back pain may be closely related to neck pain (or cervical neck pain) and chest pain. This is why signs of this condition may be misinterpreted as symptoms of other related ailments.

The reason why people have differing opinions on middle back pain is because most are only considered as referred pains. The pain that the sufferer feels is much different in location than that of the actual location. You and your doctor may never find the real cause of middle back pain if you look for them in the middle back. The same is true with lower back pain and upper back pain.

Contrary to what is popularly believed, middle back pain is simpler than what we were made to believe. It may be stimulated by the trigger points in the muscles at the back. These trigger points include erector spinae, infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi and multifidi, rhomboids, serratus posterior inferior, serratus posterior superior, subscapularis, and trapezius.

That long list of Latin terms may have complicated things for you but it will get even more complicated when the actual location of pain is displaced in the upper back and especially in the middle back. The following are few of the complications that we are to talk about:

The trigger points located at the scalene muscles that cover the front and the back of the neck may stimulate a continuing pain between the blades of your shoulders in the upper back. This fact is rarely known among people experiencing the actual pain. As it is, the pain may be a referred pain causing people to frequently misinterpret the pain in the shoulder blades as pain that occurs in other locations.

Often, there is a trigger point in the serratus anterior located under your arm that may cause frequent middle back pain. This pain may be felt at the tip of the shoulder blades. This condition is so subtle that even an expert on trigger points may overlook the symptoms.

There are also trigger points at the rectus abdominus or the stomach that may cause the excruciating middle back pain. This is often undiagnosable and even the best therapists may not be able to determine this condition. In this form of middle back pain, no therapy may be applied.

You see, the actual pain may be complex enough to make things hard both for the sufferer and the physician. If the condition is triggered on some other place undefined, it may even be harder to diagnose and treat.

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Home Remedies For Muscle Spasms And Cramps

Posted on July 25, 2011 by admin-bv

One of the easiest ways to deal with muscle spasm is to have a hot bath or shower. You can also do some simple stretch exercises. This will improve blood circulation and help the connective tissue around the muscles. Before you pump up those muscles, hit the showers, it would prevent any occurrence of muscle spasm.

Muscle spasm mainly happens due to calcium deficiency, so include calcium in your diet. You can find good source of calcium in low-fat dairy products such as yoghurt, skim milk and ricotta cheese. Before eating and drinking calcium rich diet, consult your doctor.

If you are prone to muscle spasms it may be because of the acids that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Lessen the intake of acidic foods like tomatoes and vinegar. Inadequate supply of potassium to your body is another reason for muscle spasms. Increase your intake of potassium, eat good amount of bananas, potatoes, soya flour, bran wheat, ready-to-eat apricots, tomato puree and such.

Do not exert yourself by overusing your muscles. Take it easy for while and relax. Too much of physical exertion takes its toll on the body. Frequent muscle spasms could be the manifestation of this over exertion. If while doing some activity you get a muscle spasm, take a 15 minute break. This prevents muscle spasm in the long run.

Celery seeds have anti-inflammatory properties. It can reduce arthritic pain and relieve muscle spasms. Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) can be used to treat muscle spasms. Hot and moist herbal packs are very useful in increasing blood circulation. It can treat painful areas by consuming tea or juices to soothe muscles and nerves.

If you get a muscle spasm while you are lying in bed, stretch your leg straight out, bend the toes back towards the head. Hold this position for 30 seconds, relax and continue till the cramp is gone. This stretches your calf muscle. This can also be done while you are standing.

Spasms usually occur when your body is exerted, mainly in the gym. Keep yourself hydrated as you tend to lose valuable electrolytes, which is required to prevent cramps. Before exercising you can take calcium, magnesium and potassium supplements daily.

Chamomile tea helps in relieving muscle spasms. Glycine, an amino acid present in the tea, help relax the muscles. Magnesium deficiency is usually caused due to alcohol, renal disease and diabetes mellitus.

To stop muscle spasms use this ayurvedic solution. Soak your feet in a large tub of hot water, steeped with homemade tea bag of black or brown mustard seeds, for 15- 20 minutes.

You can use an herbal oil massage by using 1 cup extra-virgin oil or almond oil, add herbs in tincture form like 1 ounce Cramp bark, 1/2 ounce Lobelia, 11/4 ounce of Willow bark or Wintergreen ( wintergreen tincture is not available you can use 30 drops of wintergreen oil). You can store all these in a jar or bottle and use it as massage oil.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

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Heel Pain Treatment

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin-bv

The most common causes of heel pain is a condition called plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a broad band of tissue which originates from the heel, runs along the sole of the foot and connects to the toes.

The plantar fascia works like a rubber band between the heel and the ball of your foot to form the arch of your foot. If the band is short, you’ll have a high arch, and if it’s long, you’ll have a low arch, what some people call flat feet. A pad of fat in your heel covers the plantar fascia to help absorb the shock of walking. Plantar fasciitis is often referred to as a heel spur which is a calcium deposit in the plantar fascia attachment. The heel spur does not cause pain.

Taping

Athletic tape is applied to the plantar fascia and works be reducing tension by preventing the fascia from stretching.The tape is strapped from the heel to the base of the toes. Tension is maintained by the tape thus allowing the fascia to rest and heal. The tape has to stick to the skin for it to work due to the tension being transferred through to the skin. Specific athletic tape should be used. Podiatrists recommend that the tape be applied every morning and removed every evening to allow the skin to breathe.

Shoe Inserts

Shoe inserts are by far the most effective treatment used to manage plantar fasciitis. They help reduce stress at key weight points. Keep each foot properly aligned and cradle, which stabilises your heels. A strategically placed heel insert made of poron foam absorbs the pounding foot shock of each step.

Rest

Intially you should decrease any strenuous activities such as sports and long walks to allow inflammation in the fascia to decrease.

Ice and Heat

Proven therapy for plantar fasciitis by alternating application of heat and cold coupled with massage works wonders to relieve pain, reduce swelling and promote healing. Use ice pack in morning and heat pack in the evening.

Hot/Cold Packs provide therapy that’s constantly in touch with sore muscles, tendons and tissue. Microwave or freeze the packs depending on the desired treatment cold therapy is especially beneficial in the treatment of plantar fasciitis (heel pain). Apply cold therapy initially and heat therapy when the heel is in the healing phase.

Night Splints

Heel pain night splints maintain the ankle in a upward position and toe extension, creating a constant mild stretch of the plantar fascia that allows it to heal at a functional length.

Speed up the heeling process of plantar fasciitis FXT Night Splints with this low profile, thermal lined bootie from Swede-O. The PF FXT allows you to sleep comfortably while gently stretching out the plantar fascia, the band of connective tissue that runs from the heel to the toe. Slip on the bootie and adjust the dorsal flexion (amount of tension) to pull back the toes towards the ankle.

Stretching

One of the most effective treatment options for plantar fasciitis is stretching. Tightness in the plantar fascia occurs if the achilles tendon and calf muscles tension increases. Tightening in these muscles increases dorsiflexion (upward movement) of the large toe which stretches the plantar fascia causing it to inflame.

Therefore it makes sense that reduction of the tightness of the achilles tendon and calf muscles will have a positive effect on heel pain.

Example Stretch

Plantar fascia-specific stretch. Patient crosses affected foot over contralateral leg, grasps the base of toes, and pulls the toes back towards the shin, until a stretch in the arch is felt. The stretch is held for 10 seconds and repeated. Three sets of 10 repetitions are performed daily.

Corticosteroid Injections

Limited evidence supports the use of corticosteroid injections to manage plantar fasciitis. I have known patients that have had a corticosteriod injections in the heel by their doctor and they have reported extreme pain with very little benefit.

Emu Muscle and Joint Gel

This gel, blended with Blackpepper and Eucalyptus Essential Oil is excellent for relieving muscular aches such as heel pain.

Directions: gently rub in a thin coat of gel to the affected area. Repeat up to four times daily with 3-4 hours between applications. If symptoms persist, consult a health professional.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)

A relatively new treatment option for heel pain is ESWT which involves the usage of high intensity sound waves to cause neovascularization (tissue repair). ESWT should be used in conjuciton with other conservative options such as stretching, orthotics, activity modifications and maintaining a healthy weight. The success of ESWT is difficult to establish due to different levels of intensity being use by different practitioners. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that this treatment option can be successful, ESWT is not available in all podiatrist surgeries and is generally only available in specialist clinics.

Casting

Casting is rarely a treatment option for heel pain. Podiatrists have applied well-padded fiberglass walking casts with the ankle in a neutral to slight dorsiflexion (upward position). There has been many long term studies carried out on this treatment option but overall casting works in a similar fashion to plantar fasciitis night splints.

Surgery for plantar fasciitis should be the last option as success rates can be as low as 37% and as high as 60%.

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