Diseases Of The Joints & Spine

Diseases Of The
Joints & Spine

Diseases Of The Joints & Spine

Arthritis is a condition or group of conditions which involves extensive damage to the joints of the body. This condition happens primarily by inflammation of one or more joints, causing severe pain. There are many types of Arthritis; the most common are Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Gout & Pseudo Gout, and Septic Arthritis. Even though the types of Arthritis are varied, they have common symptoms like varied pain levels and joint stiffness, mostly either early in the morning or after awakening from incomplete sleep. Arthritis patients also notice a crunching or grinding sound in joints during movement.

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis begins in the cartilage and leads to two opposing bones corroding into each other. Gradually, it erodes the cartilage of the joint. In the beginning, pain is mild only when the joint is exposed, but it soon becomes continuous and debilitating. Osteoarthritis generally affects weight-bearing joints like the knee, spine, pelvis, etc. It is more common in females than in men. Overweight patients are more prone to this disease.

The exact cause of osteoarthritis is not known. Some commonly associated factors with this disease are previous injuries, heredity, being overweight, repetitive overuse, deposition of crystals such as uric acid crystals in gout, prolonged dehydration, malnutrition, decreased vitamin, decreased calcium, autoimmune antivirus, leprosy, and syphilis.

As osteoarthritis progresses, the affected joints appear larger, stiffer, and more painful and usually feel worse with usage throughout the day. In smaller joints, such as the fingers, hard bony enlargements may; though they are not necessarily painful, they do limit the movement of the fingers significantly. Osteoarthritis at the toes leads to the formation of bunions, rendering them red or swollen. Some patients notice these physical changes even before they experience any pain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disease. The autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system erroneously attacks the body’s tissue. The immune system contains a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed typically to “seek and destroy” invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in their blood that target their body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause inflammation of the tissues around joints as well as in other organs of the body. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic disease that lasts for years. Patients may experience long periods without symptoms. It is a progressive disease that has the potential to cause joint destruction and functional disability. It causes swelling, pain, stiffness, and redness in the joints. Its inflammation can extend to tissues around the joint, e.g., tendons, ligaments, and muscles. In some patients, chronic inflammation may lead to the destruction of the cartilage, bone, and ligaments, causing deformity of the joints. Damage to the joints can occur early in the disease and be progressive.

Further, progressive damage to the joints does not necessarily correlate with the degree of pain, stiffness, or swelling present in the joints. It is more common in women than in men. It may begin at any age but is more common between 40 and 60 years-of-age. Multiple members can be affected in some families, suggesting a genetic basis for the disorder.

Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis come and go depending on the degree of tissue inflammation. When body tissues are inflamed, the disease is active. When tissue inflammation subsides, the disease is inactive (in remission). Remission can occur spontaneously or with treatment, lasting for weeks, months, or even years. During remissions, disease symptoms disappear, and patients generally feel well. When the disease becomes active, symptoms return or relapse. The return of disease activity and symptoms is called a flare. The course of rheumatoid arthritis varies among affected individuals, and periods of flares and remissions are typical. When the disease is active, symptoms can include fatigue, loss of energy, lack of appetite, low-grade fever, muscle and joint pain, and stiffness. Stiffness is notable primarily in the morning and after periods of inactivity.

Joints frequently become red, swollen, painful, and tender during flares. This condition happens because the synovial membrane becomes inflamed, resulting in the production of excessive synovial fluid. The synovial membrane also thickens with inflammation, known as synovitis. In rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints are usually inflamed in a symmetrical pattern (both sides of the body are affected). The small joints of both the hands and wrists are often involved. The small joints of the feet are also commonly involved. Occasionally, only one joint is inflamed. When only one joint is involved, arthritis can mimic the inflammation caused by other forms, such as gout or joint infection.

Chronic inflammation can cause damage to body tissues, including cartilage and bone. This inflammation leads to a loss of cartilage, erosion, and weakness of the bones and muscles, resulting in joint deformity, destruction, and loss of function. Since Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systemic disease, its inflammation can affect organs and areas other than the joint. Inflammation of the glands of the eyes and mouth can cause dryness in these areas and is referred to as Sjogren’s syndrome.

Rheumatoid inflammation of the lung lining (Pleuritis) causes chest pain with deep breathing, shortness of breath, or coughing. The lung tissue can also become inflamed and scarred; sometimes, nodules of inflammation and rheumatoid nodules develop within the lungs. Inflammation of the tissue (pericardium) surrounding the heart, known as pericarditis, can cause chest pain that typically changes in intensity when lying down or leaning forward.

Rheumatoid disease can reduce the number of red blood cells (anemia) and white blood cells. Decreased white cells can be associated with an enlarged spleen (Felty’s syndrome) and can increase the risk of infections. Firm lumps under the skin (rheumatoid nodules) can occur around the elbows and fingers where there is frequent pressure. Even though these nodules usually do not cause symptoms, occasionally, they can become infected. Nerves can become pinched in the wrists to cause carpel tunnel syndrome. A rare, serious complication, usually with long-standing rheumatoid disease, is blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis). Vasculitis can impair blood supply to tissues and lead to tissue death (necrosis). This condition is often initially visible as tiny black areas around the nail beds or leg ulcers.

Gout: Gouty arthritis is a form of arthritis caused by deposits of needle-like crystals of Uric Acid. It is one of the most painful rheumatic diseases. Gouty arthritis usually strikes a single joint, most commonly the big toe. However, it can also affect the foot (instep/heel), ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, elbow, etc. Gouty arthritis is rare in children and young adults. Men are more likely to develop it than women.

Psoriatic Arthritis: This type of arthritis is, again, a chronic disease typically characterized by inflammation of the skin (Psoriasis) and joints (Arthritis). It consists of patchy, raised, red areas of skin inflammation with scaling. Psoriasis often affects the tips of the elbows and knees, the scalp, the navel, and around genital areas or the anus. The onset of psoriatic arthritis generally occurs in 40 – 50 years of age. Both males and females are equally affected. The skin disease (psoriasis) and joint disease (arthritis) often appear separately. In about 80% of patients, psoriasis precedes arthritis. In some patients, diagnosing psoriatic arthritis can be difficult if the arthritis precedes psoriasis for many years. Some patients may have arthritis for over 20 years before psoriasis eventually appears. Conversely, the patient can have psoriasis for over 20 years before developing arthritis. Psoriatic arthritis is a systemic rheumatic disease and can also cause inflammation in body tissue away from the joints other than the skin, such as the eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, etc

Ganglion: A ganglion is a sac-like swelling or cyst formed from the tissue that lines a joint or tendon. The tissue, called synovium, typically produces lubricating fluid for these areas. A ganglion is a cyst formed by the synovium filled with a thick jelly-like fluid. Causative factors can be local trauma to the tendon or joint, but usually, their cause is idiopathic. Often, ganglia are early signs of arthritis that may become more prominent shortly.

Ganglia can form around any joint but are commonly found in the wrist and ankle joints. They are usually painless and often barely visible as localized swellings. They typically do not appear to be inflamed. The largest ganglions form behind the back of the knee, causing a sense of fullness or tightness.

Diseases of the Spine

Spine-related degenerative diseases mainly include:

Spondylosis: This is a degenerative osteoarthritis of the joints between the centers of the vertebrae. It causes pressure on nerve roots with symptoms like pain, an abnormal tingling or pricking sensation (“pins and needles”), numbness, burning sensation, etc. Such sensations are typically felt in the hands, feet, arms, or legs but can also be felt elsewhere. If vertebrae of the neck are involved, it is called cervical spondylosis, and if vertebrae of the lower back are involved, it is known as lumbar spondylosis.

Spondylolysis: Spondylo means spine or vertebra, and lysis means a break or loosening. This is a specific defect in the connection between the vertebrae that can lead to small stress breaks (fractures) in the vertebrae. This break can weaken the bone to the extent that it may slip out of place, leading to spondylolisthesis.

Spondylolisthesis: This condition is the displacement of a vertebra or vertebral column about the vertebrae below. Spondylolysis is the most common cause of spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis can be of the following types/ nature:

Dysplastic: This is because of malformation of the lumbosacral junction joint.
Isthmic: This is the most common form of spondylolisthesis due to spondylolysis, as discussed above.
Degenerative: This is due to arthritis of the joints of the spine (vertebrae) and ligament weakness.
Traumatic: This is due to an acute fracture in a particular portion of the vertebrae.
Pathologic: This is due to some other disease of the bone, e.g., Paget’s disease (a disease that disrupts the normal cycle of bone renewal and repair, causing bones to become weakened and deformed), Tuberculosis, Tumors, etc.

The severity of the disease is measured in terms of the grade of the disease (severity/extent of slippage):

Grade I is 0–25%
Grade II is 25–50%
Grade II is 50–75%
Grade 1V is 75–100%

Over 100% of the cases are known as Spondyloptosis, when the vertebra completely falls off the supporting vertebra.

Spondylitis: This is a form of spondylarthritis arthritis. It normally affects the axial skeleton (skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum), joints in the spine, and sacroiliac joint in the pelvis and ultimately results in fusion of the spine, which causes stiffness and rigidity. Complete fusion results in a complete rigidity of the spine, known as a Bamboo spine.

Spinal Stenosis: In spinal stenosis, the spinal canal becomes abnormally narrow. This disease restricts the spine. As a result, symptoms like pain, numbness, pins, needle-like sensation, loss of motor control, etc., are noticed. The parts of the body that may get affected will depend upon the location of stenosis. Spinal stenosis is of the following types:

Cervical spinal stenosis, which occurs at the neck level, is the most common and most dangerous. It may lead to significant body weakness and paralysis.
Lumbar spinal stenosis at the level of the lower back may lead to symptoms of sciatica radiating from the lower back into the buttocks and legs.
Thoracic spinal stenosis– at the level of mid-back.

Kyphosis: It is also known as round back or Kelso’s hunchback. This disease leads to an over-curvature of the thoracic vertebrae (upper back). It can be due to degenerative diseases, e.g., arthritis, developmental problems, Osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebrae, or trauma. It may result in severe pain and discomfort, breathing and digestion difficulties, cardiovascular irregularities, neurological compromise, and, in severe cases, may significantly shorten lifespan.

Sciatica: This condition is a set of symptoms that include lower back pain, buttock pain, and pain, numbness, or weakness in various parts of the leg and foot. Other symptoms include pins and needles or tingling and difficulty moving or controlling the leg. Typically, the symptoms are only felt on one side of the body. The pain may radiate below the knee but does not always. Causes include compression of the sciatic nerve roots caused by a herniated (torn) or protruding disc in the lower back.

Slipped Disc: The disc in the spine, a crucial component of the body’s flexibility, acts as a shock absorber between adjacent vertebras. It also functions as a ligament that holds the vertebrae of the spine together and as a cartilaginous joint that allows for slight mobility in the spine. There are a total of twenty-three vertebral discs in the spinal column, each contributing to the body’s ability to move. Discs are composed of two parts: The outer portion of the disc, a thick exterior made of concentric sheets of collagen fibers that surround the inner core, and the inner core, which contains a loose network of fibers suspended in a mucoprotein gel.

Trauma, lifting injuries, or even some unknown reasons may cause a condition in which a tear in the outer fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft central portion to bulge beyond the damaged outer rings. Due to this tear, some inflammatory chemical mediators may also be released, and they may cause severe pain, even in the absence of nerve root compression.

Frozen Shoulder: Frozen shoulder is a condition characterized by inflammation and stiffness of connective tissues surrounding the shoulder joint. It also lacks fluid in the joint, restricting motion and movement of the joint and causing chronic and constant pain that may even extend to the neck and back. The pain is generally worse at night and in cold weather, making even small tasks impossible. Some movements or bumps can cause the immediate onset of tremendous pain that can last several minutes.

Brachial neuritis: Parsonage-Turner syndrome, also known as acute brachial neuropathy, is a rare set of symptoms resulting from inflammation of the brachial plexus (a complex network of nerves through which impulses reach the arms, shoulder, and chest).

This syndrome can begin with severe shoulder or arm pain followed by weakness and numbness. The onset of pain is sudden, radiating from the shoulder to the upper arm. Affected muscles become weak and atrophied, a condition explained as a “decrease in the mass of the muscle; it can be a partial or complete wasting away of muscle.” In advanced cases, they may even get paralyzed.

Writer’s Cramp: This condition, also called mogigraphia and scrivener’s palsy, causes a cramp or spasm affecting specific muscles of the hand or fingers, restricting the ability to write.

Tennis Elbow: This condition is known colloquially as shooter’s elbow and archer’s elbow or simply lateral elbow pain in medical terms. Lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender. A general cause of the disease is sports in which a player hits a ball with a racket. Still, other sports such as swimming, climbing, work of manual workers and servers, playing guitar or similar musical instruments, as well as activities of daily life may cause this condition. The patient may feel acute pain when he fully extends the arm. The leading cause is overuse or overexertion of the elbow, such as using the same repetitive motion for many years or from motions one is not accustomed to.

Osteoporosis: This is a disease of bones that reduces bone density, deteriorates bone microarchitecture, and alters the amount and variety of proteins in bone. As a result, the risk of fracture increases. We can classify the disease as Primary Type 1, Primary Type 2, or Secondary. The form of osteoporosis most common in women after menopause is referred to as Primary Type 1 or postmenopausal osteoporosis. Primary Type 2 or senile osteoporosis occurs after age 75. We can observe it in females and males at a ratio of 2:1. Secondary osteoporosis may arise at any age and affect men and women equally. This condition may result from chronic predisposing medical problems or disease, prolonged use of medications, etc. It is called steroid- or glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease that starts slowly. A weakening bone condition results in a slow, insidious loss of calcium. When calcium is pulled from the bones, the amount of bone is reduced, and the strength of the remaining bone is severely weakened. Osteoporosis is a condition that exists when bone mass has been reduced to such an extent that the skeleton becomes vulnerable to fractures arising from minor falls or the stress of daily activities.

Factors like smoking, consumption of acidic foods, alcohol, and coffee, medications particularly antacids, corticosteroids, antibiotics, sedentary life, paralysis and bed-ridden, history of osteoporosis in the family, early menopause, whether naturally or through a hysterectomy are the causative and responsible factors of osteoporosis. Our bones continually undergo a process of remodeling. This process involves bone reabsorption, where mineral removal happens from the bones, and bone formation, where minerals are put back into the bones. Osteoporosis occurs when there is too much bone reabsorption and insufficient bone formation. The reason for not having enough bone formation is that our lifestyle and food habits upset our body chemistries, giving rise to calcium homeostasis in the blood. The key to stopping osteoporosis lies in restoring balanced body chemistry and a delicate balance of minerals in the blood that helps the body function optimally.

Treatment of Joints and Spine based on alternative therapies like Homoeopathy, naturopathy, Yoga and Acupressure :

It may be essential to note that any bone deformity, once it occurs, is almost impossible to revert. However, with our integration therapy, you can manage it nicely without lifelong medication. Life-long medication may be a must in case of treatment with other therapies, particularly with allopathy. Any surgery will also require lifelong medication and can even worsen the case. With our therapy, after a few months of medication, you may be able to do your routine work without any problem. Medicines will be stopped forever. However, you will need to follow the suggested lifestyle changes. Even otherwise healthy lifestyle needs to be followed by everyone to remain fit and fine even if he does not have any disease.

Even though I have Grade III Spondylolisthesis of L5 over S1 and was unable to walk even for a minute, I had been suggested urgent surgery in the year 2008. I was pressurized to get the surgery done by all relatives, friends, and well-wishers, but I denied. With my therapy, I have attained gradual improvement with about three months of treatment and almost total improvement in about two years. I am absolutely fine without any problem or pain and fit for 16 hours a day of work, even at the age of 77 years. I do an hour continuous walk daily and am more energetic and active than many people under 50 years of age.

General treatment and even the specific treatment given below can be started and will be effective in almost all recent cases of such diseases. However, unattended, old cases or cases worsened by trying to suppress the disease or due to any other reason may require specific consultancy.

Give up non-vegetarian food, including eggs, alcohol, tobacco, and smoke.
Reduce weight if overweight and completely arrest constipation, without which you should not expect any relief from these diseases.
Give up artificial sweeteners, maida, besan, and conventional grains like wheat, polished rice, etc., and switch to millet and brown rice.
Totally avoid processed, frozen, chilled, junk, packed, and fried food (until you become entirely comfortable, and then avoid them afterward). Also, avoid Arbi (taro root), pumpkin, peas, brinjal (Aubergine), cauliflower, tea, coffee, cold drinks, pickles, and curd (you must consume buttermilk).
Check your Uric Acid. Avoid pulses, rajma (kidney beans), and chhole (white gram) if it is high. Moong (green gram), moth Turkish gram), and masoor (red lentil) dal can only be taken no more than once a week, though it is not necessary.
Take an empty stomach, two cloves of Kashmiri single-clove Garlic, slightly crush, and swallow with water. If you do not like garlic, you can even wrap it in jaggery to swallow. Along with this, take two spoons of coarse powder of dry roasted Flaxseed.
Fenugreek (methi) can be taken in green, dried (Kastoori Methi), or seed form. In the case of seeds, soak 1-2 spoons of methi seeds in water in the evening. In the morning, take the water and the soaked seeds after sprouting them. Also, take some raw ginger as a salad.
Take turmeric-added milk at least once a day. If milk in the morning does not suit your digestive system, take it in the evening.
Increase the intake of liquid- buttermilk, green vegetable soup, juicy fruits – orange, mosambi (sweet lime), pomegranate, pineapple, grapes, musk melon, plums, papaya, mango, litchi, berries, etc., and reduce grains or solid food.
Take fresh lime juice in warm water as many times a day as you can, but a minimum of three times a day is a must; you can add either black salt and pepper or raw honey as per taste you like.
Drink homemade herbal tea (as per the formula given for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases). If you cannot make it, you can buy SAUMYA HERBAL TEA from us. You can take it as many times as you like, but a minimum of twice daily is a must.
Massage affected joints with a reasonably good amount of either sesame seed oil, Dhanvantari oil, or Maha Narayan Tail. Do massage with a bearable hot oil. You can fry a few cloves of garlic in sesame oil, which you must heat up thoroughly. Let it cool down naturally for storage. Heat it again for your daily needs. In bearable hot conditions, add Eucalyptus oil and Pure camphor (Bhimseni Kapoor). Do massage gently without applying any pressure/force. After the massage, you may also do fomentation with an ultraviolet lamp for 5-10 minutes. After massage or fomentation, cover the joint for 10-15 minutes with a woollen or thick cotton cloth.
Apply hot and cold packs to the affected joints.
Take whole body steam for 30 minutes. Depending on the severity of the case, initially take 10 to 20 days regularly, and thereafter every alternate day followed by twice a week. Do not forget to drink 3 – 4 glasses of water just before sitting in the steam chamber, failing which you may feel discomfort while taking steam.
Walk regularly as much as possible, and perform light exercises, such as yoga and pranayama, because these activities will only lead to permanent relief. If, because of stiffness and pain, you cannot perform yoga or exercise, at least try to stretch the affected joint/part the way you can as many times a day as possible, but at least 3 – 4 times a day. It will relieve stiffness and make your joints flexible, enabling you to perform the required yoga and other exercises. Moreover, instead of keeping the affected joint stretched for a longer time, keep it stretched for 1- 2 seconds and repeat continuously for 10 to 15 times. Repeat at least three times a day.

Similarly, walk as much as you can. You need to walk for at least 50 to 60 minutes. If you cannot do so because of stiffness/ pain, walk as much as possible, sit down for a few minutes to relieve the joints, and restart after some rest. Even in this case, your practical walk (excluding rest time) should not be less than 25 – 30 minutes, and it needs to be increased in proportion to the improvement that comes to you. Do not unnecessarily confine yourself to bed and induce unnecessary rest. Just make a judicious combination of necessary rest and maximum activity.

16. For diseases of the spine, take a spine bath for 30 -40 minutes. Do not forget to drink 1 -2 glasses of water before taking a spine bath and cover your head with a wet, thick cloth or small towel.

17. In severe cases, you may also need to take some Ayurvedic medicines, particularly made from purified Guggulu, and in some cases, even Ayurvedic herbal massage may be necessary. In our opinion, for this, you need expert guidance and consultancy from a non–profit oriented center rather than going to any profit-oriented center. We suggest you consult Arya Vaidyasala, Kottakal (Kerala), which is not a profit-oriented center. Their consultancy is available online on their website at a very nominal cost of just INR 100 to INR 150. Moreover, it is a more than 120-year-old establishment, and its massage therapy is also more effective than many others. Many overseas patients with no relief, even after having multiple surgeries in advanced countries, come there in search of relief. The medicines they manufacture are more effective and economical than others. However, for their message therapy (if needed), you must get yourself hospitalized there for 2 to 4 weeks, but you cannot choose their hospitalization of your own. It is purely based on the recommendation of their doctor, which will be given only to genuine need-based cases. Before hospitalization, you may be required to take oral medication for some time, which may be necessary to make this therapy really effective. Further costs of their therapy, including traveling and hospitalization, will not be higher than those of any other local center.

In all cases, along with Ayurvedic medicines and their massage therapy, all other measures, as mentioned in points numbers 1 to 16 above, will be necessary to attain permanent relief.

Specific Treatments

Acupressure: For Arthritis, Gout, Spondylitis, Spondylosis, and Spondylolysis, you may follow the points below:

Acupressure: For all knee problems, you may follow the points below:

Arthritis

Homeopathy :

Flour 3X, Calc. Phos 3 X, Kali Sulph 3X, Natrum Sulph 3X, Magnesia Phos. 3X– one tablet of each four times a day.
Alternate above at a gap of 15-20 minutes with Aconite 30 and Rhus Tox 30, one to two drops each in about 10-15 ml water.

Yoga

Surya namaskar, Sukhasana, Tadasana, Setubandhasana, Balasana, Viprit Karni, Chair pose , Marjayasana – Bitilasana (Cat cow pose), Pavan muktasana, Supta Matsyendrasana.

Pranayama

Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Anulom Vilom, Bhramari.

Gout

Homeopathy :

Sulph 3X, Kali Phos 3X, Kali Sulph 3X, Magnesia Phos 3X, Ferrum Phos 3X—one tablet of each, four times a day.
Hymosa Q—Alternate with the above at a gap of 15-20 minutes (one tablespoon in 100 ml to 125 ml Hot water) four times a day.
Also, alternate with the above two at a gap of 15 – 20 minutes—Urtica Urens Q 50 drops in 100 ml to 125 ml hot water.
Drink plenty of hot water and herbal tea during the day.

Yoga

Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Pavan Muktasana, Makrasana, Januhastasana, Setu bandhanasana, Ardh Matsyendrasana, Sarvangasana, Naukasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana, Balasana.

Pranayama

Bhastrika, Kapal bhati , Anulom Vilom, Bhramari.

Ganglion

Homeopathy :

Sulphur CM – once a week.
Ruta 30 and Benzoic Acid 30 alternate at a gap of 20 minutes, 4 – 5 times a day.
Mix one part of Benzoic Acid Q with three parts of Glycerin. Rub it gently 3 – 4 times a day without applying any pressure.

Others

Do not exercise the affected joint. At the same time, do not let the joint become stiff. Do not bear any splint or brace. Any attempt to reduce movement in the joint will alleviate pain. Just keep slight movement many times a day to keep the joint mobile.
Do hot and cold fomentation for 40-45 minutes a day.
Pranayama. Do Bhastrika, Kapal Bhati, and Anulom Vilom.

All Diseases of the Cervical Region

Naturopathy : Some light exercises :

Do not wear a collar. It will weaken neck muscles. In contrast, we need to strengthen the neck muscles.
The cornerstone of relieving all cervical problems is through proper stretching and manipulation. Avoiding forceful stretching is crucial, as it can lead to more severe issues. Instead, stretch gently and slowly. To stretch, place your right palm on the right side of your head above your ear. Gently press your palm towards your head and your head towards your palm, feeling a slight stretch on the right side of your neck. Hold for one to three seconds. Repeat on the left side with your left palm. Then, place both palms with crossed fingers on the back of your head above your neck and, lastly, on your forehead. This completes one round. Repeat 10 times at a time and thrice daily. Slowly rotate your neck clockwise and anticlockwise 10 – 10 times at a time, three times a day.
Put your hands on your shoulders, with the elbow outside parallel to the shoulders. Now, rotate your hands clockwise and anticlockwise.
Hold a pen or pencil or form a fist, keeping your thumb towards the sky. Extend your hand forward completely. Slowly rotate your hand from right to left and left to right. While doing so, do not rotate your neck; rotate your eyeballs with your hand. This exercise is designed to improve the flexibility and coordination of your neck and eye muscles. Again, do the same thing, but rotate your neck along with your hand this time.

Homeopathy

Vertigo on ascending and turning the head, much sweat, worse towards the evening— Carb 30.
Tearing pains, unsteadiness of the muscles, numbness, and loss of sensation are better with warmth, especially in bed heat—Causticum 30.
Pain like electric shocks, stiffness and contraction in the neck and back, damaged nerves, nervousness—Cimicifuga 30.
Cracking of vertebrae when moving the head, pain in the shoulder and arms as if bruised, stiffness when moving the shoulders—Cocculus Indicus 200.
Lack of muscular coordination, least exertion causes fatigue, excessive trembling, pain on sides of the neck, worse damp weather, fog, thunderstorm, emotion or excitement, bad news, better bending forward, open air, continuous motion—Gelsemium 30.
Pain radiates from the neck to the arm, worsening when leaning forward, looking down, moving, or opening air. The pain shifts rapidly and is excruciating—Kalmia latifolia 30.
Neck drawn over to one side, pain as if dislocated—Lachnantes Tinctoria 6.
There is a sense of weight and weariness in the nape of the neck and across the shoulders. The arm becomes stiff, fingers are clenched, and fingers often feel numb. There is also numbness of the upper limbs—Paris Quadrifolia 6.
Severe aching pains are better when moving about, pain and lameness are worse when dropping the head forward, and pain is better when standing or sitting erect. The pain appears to be in the bone— Radium Bromatum 30.
Asunder tearing pains are better for a time from change of position, ailments from getting wet while perspiring, better lying on something hard, worse while sitting, and cold fresh air is not tolerated—Rhus Tox 30.

Yoga

Tadasana, Gomukhasana, Balasana, Ardh matseyendrasana, Trikonasana.

Acupressure

For all problems of the Cervical region, you may follow the points below:

All Diseases of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine, Including Slip Disc

Naturopathy :

Do not wear a corset belt. It will weaken the muscles, whereas we need to strengthen them.
Various types of vibratos are available in the market. Buy one fish shaped big size vibrator and vibrate the whole region of spine right from shoulders till lower back. Do not vibrate central part of spine but vibrate only the sides of the spine. Alternatively, you can apply pressure with your thumb also on both sides of the spine.

Homeopathy :

If the problem has originated immediately after injury or trauma- Arnica 200, 4 times a day.
General medicine, particularly If pain is relieved by motion- Rhus Tox 30, 4 times daily.
If pain is relieved by rest or lying on the painful side – Bryonia 30, 4 times daily.
Problems associated after laminectomy or spinal fusion surgery – Ruta 30, 4 times a day.

Magnesia Phos 3X and Calcarea Flour 3X– 2 pills of each to be altered at a gap of 20 minutes with anyone from the above.

Yoga

Surya Namaskar, Hasta Uttanasana , Vajrasana, Dandasana , Trikonasana, Ushtrasana, Bhujangasana , Parvatasana, Markatasana, Uttana Padasana, , Tadasana, Shavasana.

Acupressure

Sciatica

Homeopathy :

Rhus Tox 200 – thrice daily
Calcarea Phos 3X, Kali Phos 3X, Magnesia Phos 3X, and Natrum Phos 3X, one pill each three times a day. Alternate with Rhus Tox at a gap of 20 minutes.

Yoga

Balasana, Adho Mukha Śvānāsana, Bhujangasana, Salabhasabna, Ardha Chandrasana, Uttanpadasana, Markatasana, Pawanmuktasana, Shavasana.

Acupressure

For all problems of the Sciatica, you may follow the points below:

Osteoporosis

Naturopathy :

At the outset, do not take calcium tablets or any other supplement. Intake of these may cause the risk of myocardial infarction and kidney stones. Instead, get serum calcium and phosphorus levels, serum protein electrophoresis, and parathyroid hormone levels checked. If the results show any abnormality, write to us for specific consultancy.
You may also get a bone density test done to compare improvement with treatment in due course.
Remain fully active. Exposure to direct sunlight for at least 30-40 minutes per day is a must. More is better. Strictly follow general guidelines for all diseases of joints and spine as given above.
A daily morning walk, light exercises, and yoga are all must. If your job or profession requires sitting work, the importance of all three increases manyfold.

Homeopathy :

Calcarea Carb 30 – twice daily (Morning and evening).
Calcarea Phos 3X, Calcarea Flour 3X, Natrum Mur 3X, and Silicea 3X – one pill each four times daily.

Yoga

- Vrikshasana, Trikonasana, Virbhadrasaba, Parshvakonasana, Salbhasana, Setu Bandhasana, Supta Padangushtasana, Marichyasana, Matsyendrasana, Shavasana.

Diet (Naturopathy)

Take plenty of lemon juice with raw honey in water or lick it.
Take plenty of cow milk, curd, and buttermilk. Avoid paneer, cheese, etc. These are heavy in digestion, so they may be difficult for the digestive system to absorb.
Avoid Wheat flour and polished rice. Switch over to millet and brown rice.
Also, avoid refined sugar. Replace it with (in order of preference) Raw Honey, Stevia Leaf, Jaggery, Deshi Khand, and Bura. In the case of Stevia, please do not use any formulation of Stevia; simply use its dried leaf without any processing, preferably organic.
Green Salad, seasonal fruits, and seasonal green vegetables should be your main lunch and dinner. Some grains may be taken just for taste and not otherwise.
While leafy vegetables are generally beneficial, patients should avoid spinach, oxalate content of which can hinder calcium absorption. Similarly, Beans should be avoided as they contain Phytotates, which also interfere with calcium absorption. Add some nuts to your breakfast.

Writer’s Cramp

Homeopathy :

Gelsemium 30, four times a day.
Calcarea Phos 3X, Kali Phos 3X, Magnesia Phos 3X, Natrum Phos 3X – one pill each 4 times a day. Alternate with Gelsemium 30 at a gap of 20 minutes.

Naturopathy :

Apply a cold pack to the wrist for 20 to 30 minutes daily, or keep your hand dipped in slightly cold water for 20 – 30 minutes daily.
While writing, keep your arm on the table support and hold the pen 1½ inches away from its tip.

Some exercises

Extend your hand forward and touch all your fingers with your thumb one by one.
Extend your hands forward, form a fist, and open and close the fist–25 times.
Extend your hands forward, make a fist, and rotate both clockwise and anticlockwise-50 times.
Extend your hands forward and move your wrist right, left and up and down.
Extend your hands forward and shake your arm, keeping your body loose.
Keep hands on shoulders and rotate.
Extend your hands forward. Clamp – front, move your hands towards back, and clamp, keeping your hand back. Repeat 50-100 times.
Extend your hands forward and rotate front to right and left.

Yoga

Tadasana, Gomukhasana, Chakrasana, Sarvangasana, Garbhasana, Natrajasana, Dhanurasana.

Pranayama

Brashtika , Kapalbhati, Anulom Vilom, and Bhramari ( 21 times)

Acupressure

For all problems related to Writer’s Cramp, you may follow the points below:

Tennis Elbow

Homeopathy :

Arnica 200 twice daily – morning and evening.
Ruta 30 – three times a day
Calcarea Flour 3X, Calcarea Phos 3X, and Ferrum Phos 3X, two pills each, three times a day, alternate with Ruta 30 at a gap of 15-20 minutes.

Naturopathy :

On a fresh injury, cold pack ½ an hour for three days; after that, hot and cold pack daily for 40 minutes. On a remote injury, hot and cold pack daily for 40 minutes.
Apply turmeric paste for ½ an hour daily.
Gentle massage with Dhanvantari oil .
Take plenty of lemon water with raw honey.

Some Exercises :

Wrist Rolls – Gently give some movements to your wrists as under:

- In a standing or seated position, make fists with your hands and begin rolling out your wrist joints in a clockwise motion 10 – 20 times.
- Then, repeat in an anti-clockwise motion 10 – 20 times.

Wrist Extension – Release the muscles of your forearms by stretching as follows:

In a standing or seated position, extend your injured arm straight out into the space before you and mimic a stop sign signal.
With your opposite hand, draw your fingers toward you and press through the heel of your front palm.
Take three to five deep breaths here, and then switch sides.

Wrist Flexion – Release the muscles on the opposite side of your forearms as follows:

From the wrist extension exercise, flip the direction of your hand so that your fingers face downward.
Keep your arm fully extended, draw your fingers toward you with your opposite hand, and press through the top of your hand.
Take three to five breaths here and then switch sides.

Forearm Rolls – Warm-up and mobilize all the muscles within your forearms with these simple rolls: elbow touching body, hands towards the shoulder, and straight.

In a standing or seated position, extend your forearms like you’re holding a heavy platter and hug your elbows into the sides of your body.
Begin to externally rotate your forearms away from the center of your body and turn your palms to face up.
Next, internally rotate your forearms toward the center of your body and turn your palms to face down.
Continue to alternate between your forearms’ internal and external rotation about 10-20 times.

Elbow Rolls- Now, give some gentle rolls to your elbow as follows:

Keep your elbow glued to the side of your body and begin to create a circular action with your forearm in a clockwise motion 10 – 20 times.
Repeat in an anti-clockwise motion 10-20 times.
Release and repeat with your other arm.

Anjali Mudra-

Keep your arm fully extended. Bring both palms together to form a prayer pose. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat 10-20 times.

Yoga

As some relief comes, do some Yoga—Bhujangasana, Tadasana, Marjari-Bitilasana , Virabhadrasana, Trikonasana, Gomukhasana, Garudasana.

Acupressure

For all problems related to Tennis Elbow, you may follow the points below:

Frozen Shoulder

Homeopathy :

Rhus Tox. 30, four times a day.
Phos 3X, Ferrum Phos 3X, Magnesia Phos 3X, and Natrum Mur 3X, one pill each four times a day. Alternate with Rhus Tox. 30 at a 20-minute gap.

Naturopathy :

Some exercises

Before doing exercises, apply a hot pack to the affected area for 20-30 minutes.
Pendulum Stretch: Keep one palm on a table. Bend forward and rotate the other hand forward and backward like a pendulum. Reverse with the other hand. Once this becomes manageable, take some weight and rotate the hand with the weight.
Towel Stretch: Take a 3-foot-long towel, hold it in both hands towards your backside, and rotate it as if you want to sweep your back dry.
Finger Walk: Stand in front of a wall. Keep your hands on the wall and move your fingers upward as if you want to climb it. Move upward to as much height as you can. If moving both hands together is difficult, move one by one.
Let your palm rest on a wall, keeping your knee away from the wall, and rotate your thorax and shoulders left-right to the maximum possible angle.
Bend forward, relax the body, keeping it loose, and shake both hands.
Half an hour after exercise, a cold pack should be applied to the affected area for 10 minutes.

Yoga

As you feel some improvement do Yoga also. Balasana, Makrasana, Konasana, Gomukhasana (instead of trying to hold hands with each other, hold both ends of a towel and rotate like a pendulum). Finally, do Shavasana.

Acupressure

For all problems related to Frozen Shoulder, you may follow the points below: