by admin | Apr 9, 2015 | Uncategorized
Getting fit feels great, but you’ll probably have some aches along the way. Don’t let the wear and tear derail your quest for a fitter body. Find out what’s causing you to hurt, how to treat minor injuries, which medications work best for pain relief and how to keep healthy in the future…
Working out is one of the healthiest moves for your body.
But it’s also one of the easiest ways to hurt yourself.
While minor aches are unavoidable with exercise, more serious pain can mean injury or that you’re pushing too hard.
“Playing while hurt is the reason so many former professional athletes have chronic musculoskeletal problems,” says Lynn Millar, Ph.D., P.T., professor of physical therapy at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich.
How can you distinguish normal soreness from a more serious problem, and what should you do if you’re injured?
Good Pain: Minor Muscle Soreness
Hours after a tough workout, you may feel sore and stiff in the muscles you exercised.
That’s known as delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it’s caused by taxing muscles you haven’t used much before or pushing conditioned muscles too far.
When they’re pushed beyond conditioning, some muscle fibers tear, explains Scott Hasson, Ed.D., University of Connecticut professor of physical therapy.
The body responds to the injury with inflammation, which causes dull, aching soreness 12-72 hours later.
These micro-injuries are actually key to developing stronger muscles. After the muscle fibers tear, they regenerate bigger than they were.
“To build larger, well-defined muscles, you have to tear some fibers – ideally during carefully planned workouts that cause minimal DOMS and no other injuries,” Hasson says.
DOMS most often occurs at the beginning of a new exercise program.
But if you develop a bad case – where you can barely walk – ease off intensity.
“Increase workouts slowly,” Hasson says.
Stop if you feel “any pain or muscle weakness during the workout,” Hasson says. “You’re overdoing it.”
Bad Pain: Injuries
Other kinds of exercise pain signal injury, which means you’re doing something wrong.
One of the most common overuse injuries is tendinitis, marked by painful inflammation of the fibrous tissue connecting muscle to bone. It’s also known as “tennis elbow.”
But tendinitis can strike not only the elbow, but any major joint, says Millar.
It’s a sign that the muscle attached to the affected tendon – in tennis elbow, the forearm muscle, for example – isn’t strong enough to handle the demand, so it becomes overworked, inflamed and painful.
Sprains cause similar pain and inflammation in ligaments, fibrous tissue that attaches bone to bone.
Then there’s bursitis, which also causes an ache and swelling of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs around major joints.
Traumatic injuries are often caused by hyperextension, usually a quick move that the affected muscle isn’t conditioned to handle.
For example, while diving for a ball, you might strain – or “pull” – a groin muscle.
Fibrous muscle tissues are like fibers in cloth, Millar explains.
If you pull them too hard or quickly, some rip.
If many tear, you have a pulled muscle.
If they all go, it’s a “torn” muscle.
With tendinitis, and pulled and torn muscles, pain typically appears suddenly and feels sharp and severe, causing weakness, Hasson says.
It requires immediate treatment.
First Aid for Minor Injuries
For muscle strains and DOMS, apply a warm heating pad or hot, wet towel to relax the area, especially before (but not after) activity.
Holms also recommends liniments such as Bengay and Tiger Balm.
“They produce warmth that helps relieve pain and soreness,” he says.
But for tendinitis, a sprain or a pulled muscle, stop what you’re doing.
If it’s serious, see your doctor.
The most important home care is R.I.C.E.: rest, ice, compression and elevation.
R.I.C.E. treatment promotes healing and minimizes excessive swelling.
Some inflammation is good, because it brings more blood to the injured area and promotes tissue repair.
“But unchecked swelling causes unnecessary pain and restricts movement.” Millar says.
(If you have diabetes or any condition that reduces blood flow, don’t use R.I.C.E. Instead, see your doctor right away.)
Rest: Stop using that body part, even if it means postponing workouts for a while.
“Forget ‘no pain, no gain,’ ” says Robert Moore, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the McWhorter School of Pharmacy at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
“Pain is the body’s way of saying you need rest,” he says.
Ice: As soon as possible after the injury – during the first 24 hours – put a cold pack on the affected area for about 20 minutes, then remove it for 10 minutes before reapplying.
You can use a regular ice pack, a large bag of frozen peas, or make your own pack by placing a few ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrapping that in a clean cloth.
Don’t apply ice directly to skin – it might cause frostbite.
“Icing constricts local blood vessels, which minimizes swelling,” says Richard Holm, R.Ph., a pharmacist in North Pole, Alaska, and spokesman for the American Pharmaceutical Association.
Compression: This also reduces swelling – it’s like squeezing a sponge, Hasson says.
Wrap the injured area with an elastic bandage, but not so tightly it cuts off blood flow.
The area shouldn’t hurt or throb, and fingers and toes shouldn’t change color or feel tingly.
Remove the bandage for a few minutes at least every four hours and reapply.
Elevation: Raise the body part above the level of your heart.
For leg injuries, put your feet up.
For arm injuries, try a sling.
This restricts blood flow to the area, further shrinking swelling, Hasson says.
After R.I.C.E., Heat: When the swelling starts to subside – usually in 48-72 hours – try a heating pad or soaking in warm water.
Heat promotes blood circulation in the area, which speeds healing.
As soon as you can, resume light activity, such as walking or gentle stretches, Hasson advises.
“Rest, but don’t immobilize painful muscles or joints,” he says. “That limits blood flow through them. You want blood flow to bring oxygen and nutrients to repair damage.”
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
Most non-serious exercise pain will respond to over-the-counter remedies.
But because tendinitis, sprains, pulled muscles and DOMS all involve inflammation, you need a pain reliever with anti-inflammatory action.
That means one of several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – aspirin, ibuprofen (sold as Advil or Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) or ketoprofen (Orudis).
Medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), on the other hand, relieve pain but not inflammation.
Which one you take is up to you, Holm says. The standard dose of each provides about the same pain relief.
Price isn’t an indication of quality, Moore says.
More expensive name brands, cheaper store brands and generics all are effective.
All may also cause side effects, which can be exacerbated if you take them frequently.
Aspirin is notorious for causing stomach upsets, so take it with food or use a “buffered” variety that contains antacids.
It can also increase bleeding or bruising with long-term use. If you develop hives shortly after taking it, stop – you’re probably allergic.
Ibuprofen is somewhat less likely to cause stomach distress and doesn’t impair blood clotting as long as aspirin does.
But don’t use it if you have kidney disease or diabetes because it can damage organs.
And if you’re allergic to aspirin, you may have the same reaction to ibuprofen.
Naproxen and ketoprofen have side effects similar to ibuprofen and also may cause constipation, diarrhea and headaches.
If you take other medications regularly, pain relievers may cause adverse drug interactions. Consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking them.
If you use heating pads or ice packs while taking a pain reliever, be extra-careful not to leave them on too long – the medication can mask the discomfort of burning or freezing.
Prescription Pain Relief
If over-the-counter drugs don’t provide enough relief, a doctor can prescribe either larger doses or stronger NSAIDs.
But with their extra power comes a greater risk of side effects, particularly stomach problems and bleeding, Holm warns.
A few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new class of NSAIDs. These COX-2 inhibitor – celecoxib (Celebrex) – provides the same pain relief and anti-inflammatory action as older prescription NSAIDs but with fewer gastrointestinal side effects.
As a result, they’re popular for chronic pain, notably arthritis.
But COX-2 inhibitors have been linked to kidney damage and even heart attacks. Such side effects showed up in elderly people taking the drugs as a long-term arthritis treatment. Ask your doctor if they’re right for you.
For severe sprains, tendinitis or bursitis, a doctor might inject the inflamed area with corticosteriods, which are a strong anti-inflammatory, or anesthetics, which provide quick – but temporary – relief.
“Steroids and anesthetics don’t cure the problem,” says Francis O’Connor, M.D., director of the sports medicine fellowship at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. “They just mask the pain a while.”
Some physicians will inject corticosteroids many times. But repeated injections weaken tendons and ligaments, and can slow the healing process, O’Connor warns.
Alternative Pain Relief
Acupuncture: Among its benefits, this traditional Chinese treatment has been shown to be effective for athletic aches. In a 2001 University of Iowa study, 86% of participants reported improved or resolved tendinitis.
Source: Lifescripts
by admin | Apr 7, 2015 | Uncategorized
Pain is something that many Americans live with every day. In a survey conducted by the National Institute of Health Statistics Survey, respondents said that back pain was the most common (27%), which was followed by migraines or severe headaches (15%), neck pain (15%), and facial aches and pains (4%). In some cases, the pain may become very chronic and hard to treat. If the relief of pain cannot be achieved through the typical treatments for pain — medications and exercise — some chronic pain patients receive sympathetic nerve blocks.
1. What are sympathetic nerve blocks?
A sympathetic nerve block is a form of pain therapy that targets the sympathetic nervous system, or the part of the nervous system that controls unconscious bodily functions. A nerve block targets those nerves, which can fire pain signals throughout the body. This is commonly used for chronic pain. Some 52 million Americans report having been diagnosed with some form of arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.
2. What is the procedure like?
If a nerve block is right for you, you will meet with your doctor and a pain specialist with experience in performing nerve blocks to discuss your symptoms and to create a plan of care for you. You may be asked to fast for a number of hours before the procedure is performed. Your vital signs will be closely monitored, and the area of your back or neck (where the injection will be) will be prepared and perhaps anesthetized. The block is an injection which goes directly into the nerve itself and is usually comprised of an anesthetic or some other chemicals.
3. How do I know if it’s right for me?
If you’re finding that typical chronic pain medications aren’t working for you, you might want to discuss whether or not a nerve block is right for you with your doctor. Americans spend $86 billion on back and neck pain alone, and in many cases to no avail. If you live with chronic pain and aren’t finding any relief you might consider a nerve block.
Do you have any questions about sympathetic nerve blocks? Feel free to ask us.
by admin | Feb 26, 2015 | Uncategorized
Once every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to an emergency medical care center with a migraine or severe headache pain. Not only do migraines rank in the top 20 most debilitating illnesses in the world, but a number of Americans suffer from them frequently. Part of being able to manage migraine pain is knowing who suffers from it, what their side effects entail, and what the treatment options are for the pain that migraines cause. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Who suffers from migraines?
Practically anyone can suffer from migraine pain, but generally, more women get migraines than men. Eighteen percent of women and only 6% of men suffer from migraines. Age is also a factor in whether or not a person is likely to suffer from a migraine — most migraines occur during the most productive years of life, between the ages of 25 and 55.
2. What do migraines feel like?
Migraines feel like a terrible and severe headache and often include a throbbing pain in one part of the head. What is characteristic of migraines, though, is a plethora of other unpleasant symptoms like vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and dizziness. Chronic pain patients can also experience a few different phases of the migraine: the prodrome, the aura, the attack itself, and the postdrome.
3. What are treatments for pain from migraines?
There are a few different treatments for chronic pain like migraines. Usually, chronic pain medications like narcotics can help with severe pain, but for milder migraines Advil or Tylenol can offer relief of pain. For more chronic migraines, there are other measures that can be taken like sympathetic nerve blocks (which are injections of nerve numbing medication) or other minimally invasive procedures.
Do you have any other questions about migraines or treatments for pain caused by them? Feel free to ask us in the comments section below.
by admin | Feb 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Speak with your doctor before making changes to your diet or exercise routine. Physical activity may help you to manage fibromyalgia. Studies show that even light exercise can have a positive effect on your symptoms and daily activities.
Being more active may help to:
- Reduce the pain associated with fibromyalgia
- Improve your sleep
- Increase your physical fitness so that your daily activities are less painful
Sometimes even light activity can be painful when you have fibromyalgia, but incorporating exercise into your daily routine may help ease the pain. You could go to the gym or simply increase the amount of physical activity within your day.
Before you begin incorporating physical activity to treat fibromyalgia pain talk to your healthcare provider about how your pain affects you. Work together to identify an exercise regimen that fits into your fibromyalgia treatment plan, and that suits your lifestyle.
Types of exercise for fibromyalgia
Some studies have shown that physical activity is one of the most effective ways to manage symptoms of fibromyalgia. Try one of these activities:
Walking
You can incorporate walking into your everyday life by walking around your home or yard, taking the stairs, walking in the mall, or parking at the far end of the parking lot.
Water-based activities
If you have access to a warm pool, water-based activities, such as swimming, water walking, and aquarobics, are a great place to start.
Stretching
Gentle stretching is good for you both physically and mentally. It can help improve flexibility, increase blood flow to the muscles, reduce stress and calm your mind.
Movement and breathing exercises
Less strenuous exercise such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates and Gyrotonic may help to increase your balance, core strength and flexibility.
Strength training
Light weight training or resistance training, where you use your own body weight to strengthen your muscles, may help to make you stronger and fitter.
Important things to keep in mind
Start low and slow.
Start with a few minutes a day with one of the recommended exercises and stick with it. Over time, gradually increase the amount of time and intensity.
Don’t push yourself too much.
If you overexert yourself, you may do more harm than good. Even if you feel great and want to do more in the moment, you could feel the pain and soreness the next day.
Pace yourself.
If your physical ability is limited one day, don’t overcompensate by overdoing it the next day when you feel more up for it. Find a balance of short periods of activity and rest that works for you.
Be patient.
Anyone starting an exercise routine can expect to experience some soreness in the beginning. If you continue at a pace that suits your capabilities, this may subside over time.
Warm up your muscles before and after each exercise session.
Set goals and track your progress.
Setting realistic goals in partnership with your healthcare provider will help you to stay motivated. By tracking your progress, you’ll be able to see the effect that physical activity may have on your fibromyalgia pain.
Recognize your barriers.
Understanding and anticipating the things that could stand between you and your physical activity can help you find ways to address and plan around them. If you don’t have access to a gym, can you exercise at home or outside? If you exercise outside, can you walk in the mall if the weather is bad?
Get support.
Starting and maintaining an exercise routine is easier with support from your family and friends. Connect with other people who have fibromyalgia in your local community or online; discuss your activity goals and invite them to join you in your efforts. Keep your family involved as well.
Keep at it.
While it may be painful to exercise with fibromyalgia, try to stick to your routine so you can experience the benefits. Always listen to your body and tailor your activity based on how you feel.
Keep track of your fibromyalgia management
Keeping a daily record can help you manage fibromyalgia and communicate better with your healthcare provider. Over time, you’ll be able to see how your exercise regimen is impacting your pain and how you feel every day. Print a free “Fibro Log” from the American Chronic Pain Association today.
by admin | Jan 26, 2015 | Uncategorized
One of Americans’ most common medical complaints is chronic pain. According to Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Furthermore, it is one of the most common causes of disability in America — for example back pain is one of the leading causes of disability in Americans who are younger than the age of 45, and more than 26 million Americans have frequent back pain.
According to data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics, about 76.2 million Americans have had pain that lasts longer than a day, and millions more live with acute pain — one of the common culprits responsible for chronic pain. Here’s what you need to know.
1. What is CRPS?
Complex regional pain syndrome is a medical condition that causes chronic pain. It usually affects a limb after the area suffers an injury or a trauma. The condition is believed to be an issue with the nervous system, which transmits pain information through the body. The nervous system is comprised of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, and in some cases nerves fire pain signals more frequently than they need to. This is the cause of the chronic pain.
2. What are the symptoms of complex regional pain syndrome?
Symptoms of chronic pain are not limited to experiencing pain itself. Common symptoms of chronic pain include things like skin texture changing near the pain, abnormal hair or nail growth, stiff joints, changes in sweating patterns, and abnormal movements and reflexes in the affected area. Studies have shown that migraine pain could be connected to CRPS, and in the United States, every 10 seconds someone goes to the emergency room because of a migraine or a headache.
3. What are the treatments?
There are a few different types of treatment for CRPS. Rehabilitation and physical therapy exercises are sometimes used, which help improve blood flow. In some cases, chronic pain patients are prescribed medications to help them manage their pain. In others, relief of pain can come from minimally invasive procedures like nerve block injections which can help stop the nerve from firing pain signals.
Do you have any other questions about CRPS? Feel free to ask us in the comments section below.
by admin | Jan 21, 2015 | Uncategorized
By: Diane Wedner.
Hispanics and African-Americans have worse symptoms of arthritis than the general population and face greater disability and work limitations. Lifescript’s Health Detective explains why, and what minorities with arthritis can do to take care of themselves…
Aching, swollen knees hobbled Kimberly Felder for nine years.
“I could barely move,” says Felder, 41, a New York City educator. “It took 10 minutes to walk to the bathroom. My knee was the size of a grapefruit.”
Her doctor’s diagnosis: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory disease that causes joint pain and inflammation.
Felder, who’s African-American, is one of 7.7 million minorities with arthritis. The disease hits minorities harder than the general population. They develop more crippling arthritic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus. They also face more disability, according to a 2010 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Minorities also are twice as likely as whites to have severe joint pain and lose work days because of the disease, according to the study.
Doctors aren’t sure why – but there are clues, says Patience White, M.D., a professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
“Many patients in [the minority] community don’t go to the doctor early enough” in the disease’s course, Dr. White says. “By the time they’re diagnosed, they have worse disability.”
They also have higher rates of obesity, which worsens symptoms of arthritis.
Here are the main reasons why African-Americans and Hispanics may suffer greater arthritis disability, along with arthritis remedies to help reduce the risk.
1. Obesity
African-Americans and Hispanics have higher rates of obesity in the U.S. than Caucasians, putting them at greater risk for arthritis and other conditions that worsen arthritis symptoms, according to the CDC report. About 44% of African-Americans are obese, while 38% of Hispanics are, compared with about 33% of whites.
Chronic conditions associated with obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes, make it more difficult for arthritis patients to exercise, worsening their arthritis symptoms and making them more dependent on others, doctors say.
Obesity is the biggest factor in disabling symptoms of arthritis, says Melvyn Harrington, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
“I talk more about weight loss with my arthritis patients than joint replacements,” he says.
Here’s why: If you’re overweight, every step puts eight times that weight’s force on your knees and hips, says rheumatologist Eric P. Gall, M.D., professor of clinical medicine and interim director of the Arizona Arthritis Center at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
“If you’re 10 pounds overweight, you’re adding 80 pounds to that joint with every step,” Dr. Gall explains.
-Shedding pounds is the best way to avoid the worst symptoms of arthritis, doctors contend. “Losing just 10% of your weight decreases your pain by 50%,” Dr. White says.
-Walking, swimming and tai chi are gentle ways to lose weight and keep pounds off, Dr. White says. Strengthening and stretching exercises toughen the muscles around joints, delaying wear and tear on knees and hips, she adds.
2. Family history
Minorities face more pain and disability from arthritis because they often experience the most severe, systemic forms of the condition, such as RA and lupus, which attack many organs and the whole body, says Jennifer Hootman, Ph.D., a CDC epidemiologist and co-author of the study.
Sometimes those conditions are passed down genetically. Lupus patients, for example, may inherit a susceptibility to the condition from their parents, according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
Although there are no genetic tests to determine whether you’re at risk, researchers are conducting “linkage studies,” in which they evaluate families with more than one member who has lupus.
RA isn’t hereditary, but certain genes may increase your risk of developing the disease.
You have up to a 4% chance of developing RA if your mother, father, sister or brother has it, according to Harvard Medical School. In the general population, 1% runs that risk.
Arthritis remedies:
-Get as complete a family medical history as possible.
-Consult with a rheumatologist if one or more members of your family have lupus or RA.
3. Ignoring symptoms
-Minority women are more likely to ignore their aching joints and inflammation. One reason: cultural attitudes.
“If you ask people with arthritis what their No.1 issue is, it’s pain,” Dr. Gall says.
But in some ethnic communities, “they’re told by family members … that you just get arthritis when you’re old and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Dr. Gall says. “So they don’t seek help.”
Many also are more worried about having bigger health problems, such as heart disease, hypertension or diabetes, three of the leading co-conditions of arthritis.
“When you get [minorities] with all the co-conditions, arthritis is way down on their list of complaints for their primary care physicians to address,” Dr. Harrington says. “They’re worried about heart disease and blood pressure, so they don’t even mention achy joints.”
That delay carries a high price. Hispanic and African-American patients typically have worse preoperative hip and knee function before surgery than white patients, according to a 2010 report published in The Journal of Arthroplasty.
Ignoring symptoms of arthritis leads to more severe conditions later, doctors say.
By the time patients do seek help, the remedies aren’t as effective or are more invasive. And at these later stages, the outcome may not be as beneficial.
For example, a white male with 75% joint erosion will enjoy a 90% improvement after surgery, Dr. Harrington says, while an African-American woman’s joint will improve only 80%.
“There’s no catch-up phenomenon when you’re advanced,” he says. “It’s too late for less-invasive tools.”
Arthritis remedies:
-Visit a doctor if any symptoms of arthritis flare, such as painful, swollen joints, rashes, fatigue and fevers. The earlier the diagnosis and treatment by a rheumatologist, the better the result.
-Even if you have heart disease, diabetes or other serious health conditions, speak up about your symptoms of arthritis to your doctor. Don’t assume that aching joints are a minor problem.
-Educate yourself and others.
“It’s vital to get the word out about arthritis,” Dr. Harrington says. “Minority patients – and everyone, for that matter – need to know the effects of this condition” and the damage it causes.
4. Lack of health insurance, and other impediments
Even when African-American and Hispanic arthritis patients want care, they may not be able to get it, doctors say.
“Some minority patients don’t have health insurance,” Dr. Harrington says. “They also may not have access to an orthopedist for surgery.”
If African-American patients do have access, “often they want to see African-American orthopedists,” Dr. White says, because they place their trust in black doctors more readily than white ones.
But, depending on the geography, they may not be easily available.
About 75% of physicians identified themselves as white, while 4% were African-American and 5.3% Hispanic, in a 2008 Health Tracking Physician Survey by the Center for Studying Health System Change.
Meanwhile, some patients with insurance don’t know that orthopedic surgeries are covered, so they don’t consider that option, Dr. White says. Undergoing the surgery without insurance coverage would be prohibitively expensive.
“Access and health insurance are the two biggest obstacles to arthritis treatment,” Dr. White says.
With undocumented Hispanics, immigration fears may prevent them from seeking a doctor’s care at county facilities, making them especially at risk for advanced disease, doctors say. Family responsibilities keep them away from doctors too.
“Women who are the mainstays of their family units don’t have time for surgery,” Dr. White says.
For example, knee surgery is a “major operation,” with full recovery taking 6-12 months, Dr. Harrington says. Patients must be healthy enough to undergo physical therapy before and after the operation, and be able to undergo anesthesia. Patients return to most activities in 2-3 months.
Arthritis patients who also have diabetes and heart disease may be poor candidates for surgery, even if they have insurance. And those who wait too long before seeking relief may be out of luck.
Arthritis remedies:
-Get informed. Hispanics and African-Americans seeking safe, affordable care for arthritis may find information at local churches and schools.
-Know your options. Patients should ask their primary care physicians about surgical options under their health insurance policies, and seek detailed information from doctors about the disease.
While many challenges exist for African-American and Hispanic patients with symptoms of arthritis, they can manage the condition.
It takes the right information and attitude, says Felder, the New York schoolteacher.
“The best way to do that is to not just take care of yourself through exercise and diet, but by getting the medical attention you need,” Felder says. “That’s what I did. And it worked.”
How Much Do You Know About the Types of Arthritis?
About 46 million American adults – nearly one in five – suffer from some type of arthritis. It’s estimated that number will rise to 67 million by 2030. Do you or someone close to you have arthritis? Take this quiz to see how much you know about this disease.
