Back pain

One of the most common over the counter drugs in every country are ointments and gels which relieve back ache. In India, the most memorable ads are those of these back ache ointments. The vast segment of patients suffering from this condition makes it a lucrative option for therapy. But have you ever thought about it? Is it as simple as common cold or flu? Why does back pain re occur in most cases and cause further complications many a times?

I have been thinking on these lines since the last few days. I considered myself to be fit and fine helping me to be more active physically and mentally than most of my peers. Ever since my cesarean surgery last year, I have been experiencing pain in my lower back, the lower region of my spine. This pain is quite persistent but is very much tolerable and has not affected my routine to a great extent. Its just that I cant perform yogic asanas as effectively as I used to do and perhaps I cant run for long. There are small changes in life at every step and I was just getting used to my lower backache that suddenly I was unable to sleep one night….due to pain. Not lower backache but right from the lower neck till the lower back. The pain was so sharp that even turning around or lying down straight was crucifying.

On consultation with the orthopedic, I was perplexed since he said that the pain was on account of my working schedules. The cesarean had very less role to play in this pain as it was in the upper back too. Since I sit in front of my P.C for more than five hours at a stretch and have been careless to use a not so comfortable chair while doing so, I have always been in wrong posture an the body had finally started warning me. In fact all these days my husband and parents have been warning me about my wrong posture but I have been adamant on grounds of over confidence that nothing would happen to me. But now the time was up!!

The right diagnosis of back pain is very critical as there could be several reasons for the pain and the treatment differs with the underlying cause. Some reasons for back pain could be:

• Injury to vertebrae or disc on account of accident or lifting heavy weight.
• Arthritis
• Bad posture
• Urinary tract infection
• Gastritis
• Many others which the orthopedic would know

Solutions for back pain

1. Stay calm.

2. A complete bed rest for 24 - 48 hrs relieves back pain in most of the instances. Walk a little every few hours to keep the blood flowing and the muscles toned.

3. Applying vata balancing oil like ksheerabala oil on affected region and Naadi sweda (mild steam bath on affected area ) of affected region relives the pain quickly.

Tips for software professionals to avoid back pain

1. Select a correct chair, with a relatively straight back and good lower back support. If the chair doesn’t offer lower back support, keep a rolled up towel or cushion to support the back.

2. Correctly position the chair, keyboard, and monitor. Feet should be on the floor, with knees at hip level; forearms should form a right angle with upper arms; and the computer terminal should be at eye level.

3. Adopt a relaxed, upright working posture and allow the chair to support.

4. Avoid slouching forward or leaning back too far.

5. When you are at work stand up, walk around, stretch forward, backward, and side to side once in 30 minutes.

6. Increased stress and strain enhances the chances of back pain. Hence remember to relax! Yoga and meditation are best techniques to relax

Ayurvedic Home remedy for backache

Collect fresh leaves of Nirgundi and Karanja. Tie them in a thin cotton cloth to form a big ball . Boil this leaves’ ball in water and when it is tolerably hot apply this on affected part. When the leaves become cold reheat them by putting the leaves’ ball in boiling water. After half an hour take out the leaves from ball , grind them to a paste and bind it on affected area.

Tags: medicine, chinese, weight loss, acupressure, natural, herbal, acupuncture, diabetes, herbs, remedies

If you have red dry patches of thick skin you probably have psoriasis. But don’t fret. It is not contagious. It does not cause hair fall. And, you can treat it at home with good effect.

Psoriasis is a non-contagious chronic skin disease seen worldwide affecting at least 1% of the population. It is commonly seen on the knees, elbow, scalp, hands, feet or lower back. If it is mild you might not even recognise it. With Psoriasis the skin becomes inflamed with dry, red, thick patches. These patches have well-defined silvery and flaky skin.Psoriasis usually has periodic ups and downs. In severe cases, it spreads over much of the body.

There are five types of psoriasis namely Plaque, Guttate, Inverse, Pustular and Erythrodermic. Out of this, the most common is the Plaque. Psoriasis also can occur on different parts of the body like nails, around the eyes, ears, nose or mouth, and even on the genital areas.

The exact cause of Psoriasis is unknown. The genes and a disorder in the immune system combined with environmental factors might contribute to Psoriasis. Other factors like smoking, drinking, exposure to sun and an HIV infection can worsen Psoriasis, according to doctors. An inheritable disease, psoriasis affects both children and adults alike. Psoriasis may be combined with arthritis. People with psoriatic arthritis have inflammation on their joints and symptoms similar to those of arthritis. Psoriasis would definitely need medical attention. In some cases, ultraviolet light treatments are suggested. But mild psoriasis can be treated at home and with great care.

What to do?

Forget Stress. Stress is linked with psoriasis.

The easiest and the most effective thing to do is to keep skin damp and moist. Avoid soap or use mild soap.Do not rub the skin with your towel after bath. Try to seal in the moisture apply medicated moisturizing lotions.

Using hydrocortisone creams on the patches can help. But do not expose the areas to sun as products for psoriasis can make skin sensitive to the sun.

Avoid Sun! Be particular on using sunscreen lotions before going out. Long exposure to sun or sunburn can worsen psoriasis while a little exposure may help psoriasis too. Sunburn can even cause it to appear on the new areas.

Be gentle to skin. No harsh skin treatments to make skin “beautiful”. Say “no” to cosmetics for a while. Skin treatments containing alcoholic ingredients can cause more trouble.

Humidifiers can often with skin problems and allergies. Use humidifiers or coolers in the house to add moisture indoors.

However, if psoriasis is beginning to spread all over and is painful with fever consult a doctor immediately.

-Aparna K V

Tags: chinese, alternative, acupressure, diabetes, obesity, diabetes, Ayurvedic, medicine, herbal, weight loss

As a child I was not very fond of the taste of coriander seed or its leaves as my mother used them liberally in our preparations. I would generously keep aside the coriander (aka cilantro) leaves from dishes like Rasam. When I grew up I read that coriander leaves are healthy things and that it is good to use them in daily diet. The blessing is that it is usually available through out the year. Coriander serves both as a herb and a spice. It is a healing herb that is used effectively in different parts of the globe. While Indians use it for its anti-inflammatory properties, many European nations use this perennial herb for its anti-diabetic qualities. It is not unknown in Mexico and in the Caribbean. Cilantro leaves have taken place in the American kitchens along with herbs like Goldenseal and Echinacea. Latin American and Chinese dishes also make optimal use of the plant. In Iranian folk medicine, Coriander has been used for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. It is also gaining popularity for it