Everything Related to Orthopedics
Posts tagged joint pain
Topical Joint Pain Relief – Does It Really Work?
0378 days
For the over 43 million people who suffer from arthritis, they wish nothing more than for a cure. The painful swelling and stiffness can put an active lifestyle at a halt. There are a lot of suggestions floating around out there on how to relieve arthritis pain and it can be hard to navigate the waters. Some of the suggestions may seem a bit wild and crazy but many arthritis sufferers are willing to try pretty much anything before going under the knife.
One suggestion to relieve arthritis pain that is making a comeback recently is topical treatments such as roll-on ointments, sprays or creams. But, how do these types of treatments work and do they REALLY relieve joint pain? It may seem a bit too good to be true that a rub-on cream could relieve painful arthritis inflammation. So, how do these topical treatments work exactly?
These topical treatments will most likely contain what is called Capsaicin. This is the main ingredient that will help fend off any pain you are feeling. Capsaicin is actually derived from a variety of red pepper plants. The Capsaicin is thought to “interrupt” the signals from your nerves that trigger pain. Your body senses heat even though there really isn’t any. When you have pain from arthritis, it is a slow and constant pain. Capsaicin has been shown to help dull the nerves responsible for this type of pain.
The other ingredient found in these topical treatments is a type of aspirin medication. By applying it directly to the site of pain it can help relieve swelling and inflammation. While these topical pain relievers will not be a permanent solution to arthritis pain, it can give you some temporary relief. The relief could even be enough to get you up and moving again which is the best treatment of all for arthritis.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
0414 days
Carpal Tunnel is a syndrome we are seeing pop up in the news everywhere nowadays in this tech-savvy world. There is a nerve that runs from the forearm into the hand and when that nerve becomes pressed or pinched, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) occurs. This nerve controls sensation in the thumb and lower portion of the palm. When the nerve becomes suppressed, a portion of the hand and thumb can become numb.
Symptoms of CTS usually start out slow, with many patients describing tingling or itchy numbness in the palm, thumb or middle fingers. Most times the symptoms become worse at night because many people sleep with their wrists flexed. The pain and numbness often causes the sufferer to wake and feel the need to shake their wrists out. Other people may find it difficult to close their hand into a fist or grasp small objects.
While there are factors that increase your risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the main factor is genetics. Some people are simply genetically predisposed to this syndrome. People who have this syndrome built in to their genetics typically have a smaller carpal than others, making it more likely for the nerve to be pinched at some point. In accordance with genetics, women are 3 times more likely to develop CTS than men.
Many people believe that repetitive activities like typing and/or texting on a phone can cause carpal tunnel. There has been little data to actually prove this fact but according to studies, about 1 in 20 Americans will suffer from CTS in their lifetime. Another interesting fact that goes against the myth that typing causes CTS is that the group of people who suffer most from CTS are physical laborers like construction workers and movers.
To treat Carpal Tunnel, most doctors first go the non-surgical route. This includes immobilizing the wrists with splints or braces and resting them for a couple weeks. If the patient is experiencing a lot of pain, medicine may be prescribed to relieve it. If immobilization is ineffective, surgery may be required. Surgery to relieve CTS is a relatively simple operation using only local anesthesia. The doctor goes in and basically severs the tissue around the wrist to relieve the pressure on the nerve. Surgery typically relieves pain immediately but can take months to fully recover.
