Category: bonejoint2
Make your own hot and cold packs
You can find relief for minor injuries using heat and cold packs.
Sprains and strains feel better after cold is applied; muscle aches respond better to heat therapy. You can buy commercial products that will provide both kinds of relief.
You also can make your own.
For just a few dollars, you can create a supply of reusable hot and cold packs that work just as well as their commercial counterparts.
Here are two simple ways to make a hot pack.
If you need a hot pack in a hurry, simply pour rice into a clean sock and tie […]
To stretch or not to stretch?
Dear Dr. Messerly: Should I stretch before exercise?
To stretch or not to stretch? That is the new controversial question in the athletic world.
Actually, athletes and healthcare providers alike believe that stretching does provide benefits. The real questions that we need to ask are, “Which stretches should I do?” and “When should I do them?”
There are two basic types of stretches: static stretches and dynamic stretches.
Static stretches are stretches that hold the position of a muscle or joint for 30 seconds or more while allowing the body to relax into the stretch. Holding the position for 30 to 60 seconds can increase […]
How can I support a family member who suffers from chronic pain?
The fact that you are asking the question is a great start.
There are many ways you can offer support to someone who is in constant and chronic pain.
First, understand that chronic pain is not just a symptom.
Chronic pain can be debilitating and life-changing. Until recently, pain was considered an indication of an injury or illness. But, now we know a malfunctioning nervous system can create a vicious cycle of pain on its own.
Chronic pain is real, invisible and unmeasurable.
Your loved one may look healthy in every way but may feel unbearable pain. Even when there’s […]
Work and school can mean pain for your neck
There’s a reason we adopted the phrase “a pain in the neck” to describe something annoying.
There’s nothing quite so irritating as neck pain.
Just think about it. How many times do you turn your head, look down at your desk, or look up at your computer screen. When your neck hurts, it limits your movement, causes headaches and interrupts your daily life.
Your neck is a vital framework of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves attached to your spine. It’s less protected than the rest of your spine and is especially vulnerable to injury. Neck strain also […]
10 Tips for Safe Shoveling
It’s coming. By tomorrow, we may have 9 to 12 inches of snow to move.
If you shovel snow the “good old fashioned way,” it’s a great workout. You can burn nearly 400 calories an hour.
However, shoveling snow incorrectly could be one of the main reasons 80 percent of Americans suffer from back pain. So, we’ve put together a few tips to keep your back healthy and pain-free.
First, a word of warning: If you have back problems, DON’T shovel. Call a plow, hire the neighbor or phone a friend. The act of bending and twisting the shovel […]
What’s the difference between acute and chronic pain?
Acute pain starts suddenly. It’s the type of pain you feel when you are injured or have surgery. It can be treated with a short-term prescription for medication and usually lasts for a few weeks or months as healing takes place.
Chronic pain can last for months or years, well beyond the normal healing time for an illness or injury. It can be intermittent or persistent.
Intermittent Pain is episodic. It may occur in waves or patterns. Mild-to-moderate intermittent pain is often treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), adjuvant medicines and non-drug therapies. Moderate-to-severe intermittent pain may be […]
I’m not an athlete, why did my provider refer me to a sports medicine specialist?
Your healthcare provider knows that sports medicine specialists are experts in body mechanics and movement. They know how the body should move, what tendons and ligaments are involved, and most importantly, if you are not moving properly, they can determine the reason why and provide you with a solution.
You don’t have to be an athlete…you just have to be a person who wants to move better.
Sports medicine specialists treat athletes who have been injured during the game and people who have been stopped by arthritis pain.
Originally, the discipline of sports medicine was designed to help […]
Keep your hamstrings strong for pain-free movement
Your hamstrings are not the strongest muscles in your legs, but they play a major role in your ability to move. As a result, hamstring injuries have sidelined more than one professional athlete for an entire season.
So, what are hamstrings?
Your hamstrings are actually a group of three muscles located on the back of your leg. This trio, which includes the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and the biceps femoris muscles, run from the top of your thigh to your knee joint. They play a part in posture, pelvic positioning, knee support and leg movement.
How do hamstring injuries occur?
When […]
I live with someone who has chronic pain. How can I be supportive?
The fact that you are asking the question is a great start.
There are many ways you can offer support to someone who is in constant and chronic pain.
First, understand that chronic pain is not just a symptom. It can be debilitating and life-changing. Until recently, pain was considered just a symptom of a disease or condition. But we know that ongoing pain is harmful to the body.
Realize that chronic pain doesn’t go away. Many people who suffer from a chronic and painful condition stop complaining or talking about their pain, but that doesn’t mean the pain has […]
What causes heel pain?
Heel pain is a common complaint. The question is, “What’s causing it?”
Is it plantar fasciitis? A bone spur? Ill-fitting shoes? An overuse injury?
You could experience heel pain due to any of those reasons.
Planter Fasciitis
One of the most common sources of heel pain is plantar fasciitis. The plantar fascia is a band of tissue stretching from your heel to your toes. It supports your arch as you move. When this band becomes damaged or torn from the pressures of walking or running, it becomes irritated and inflamed, causing pain in the heel where it attaches to the […]
