Strain: Tendons are tissues that connect our muscles to bones and injury to this tissue is known as Strain. Strain can be of mild, moderate and severe based on tearing of tissue, pain, and swelling.

Sprain: Ligaments are the thick fibrous connective tissue that connects one bone to other bone and injury to the ligaments causes sprain in the body.

Causes:

The Strain is caused when excessive pressure is put on the muscles due to which they get stretched or pulled away from the bone whereas Sprain is caused due to an injury to the ligament which makes the joint difficult to move in the right direction. 

Symptoms:

Symptoms for sprains and strains are similar which include pain and swelling in the injured area, difficulty using or moving the injured area in a normal way, warmth, bruising or redness in the injured area.

Areas Affected:

In Sprain: most common is ankle joint, then knee, fingers, toes, and wrist.

In Strain: Lower Back, legs, Elbow. Elbow strain can be of two types: tennis elbow and Golfer’s elbow.

Treatment

Both Sprains and Strains are treated in a similar way. Mild sprains and strains can be treated using home remedies and over-the-counter medications.

The main treatment for all sprains and strains is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Rest: Stay away from any physical activities that would put any pressure on the affected area.
Ice: Apply ice to the affected area every 2 to 3 hours for about 20 minutes each time.
Compression: Reduce swelling by wrapping the affected area with a stretchy bandage.
Elevation: Raise the injured area if possible.

For pain, over-the-counter pain relievers can be helpful.

If pain persists even after doing RICE treatment, evaluation by a specialist doctor or Orthopedician is required then. An orthopaedician will diagnose the root cause of the problem and determine how much damage has been caused due to an injury. If the injury is severe, like a complete tear, he may recommend surgery.

Knee exercises:

Straighten your knee and hold it for 5 to 10 seconds

Lift your leg several inches for 5 to 10 seconds.

Do ankle pumps by moving your foot up and down rhythmically by contracting your calf and shin muscles. Perform this exercise for 2 to 3 minutes. This will help in reducing swelling on the ankle and lower leg.

Sitting, standing and assisted Knee bends

Cycling

Stair climbing and descending

Hip exercises:

Do Ankle pump and Ankle rotation for 5 or 10 minutes daily.

Do buttock contractions by tightening the buttocks and holding it to a count of 5.

Slide your leg out to the side as far as you can and then back. Do it 10-15 times.

Do standing exercises which includes knee raises (stand straight and bend your knee upward to create a 90-degree angle at the hip),

Hip abduction (Stand with your back against the wall, slide down until your hip is at a 45-degree angle. Hold for 5 seconds and then return to a straight position)

 Hip extension procedure

Dr. Amit Saini recommends that patient should exercise for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day for early recovery in any joint replacement surgery. Proper walking is the best way to help your knee and hip recover. In the starting months, walk with a crutch or walker to maintain the balance.

Dr. Amit saini explained the joint replacement procedure to the patients suffering from arthritis as he observed that public is afraid of surgery despite of so nuch success of joint replacement surgery. He encouraged the attendes by saying “you can live better! You can do it! Don’t be afraid of joint replacement.

With free bone health checkup, digital X-ray, experienced staff and renowned orthopaedic Dr.Amit saini, Sapra Multispecialty provides solution to all joint and muscular problems.

 Dr. Amit Saini, Consultant orthopedician at Sapra multispeciality Hospital, Hisar aware that Spine osteoarthritis is common among all and extremely painful. In this case, joint become stiff due fluid buildup during the long inactivity of bones. That’s why stiffness became worse in the morning but with some physical activity, it reduces later on.

The symptoms of spinal Osteoarthritis include back pain. When a person sits upright or stand, the pain became worse. The flexibility of the joints reduces in the spinal osteoarthritis. A sensation of pinching, tingling, or numbness in a nerve or the spinal cord can occur. Sound of bone rubbing can also be heard in some extreme cases.

As this is a progressive degenerative disease, it became worse with the passage of time. Dr. Amit Saini said “early diagnosis with the help of orthopedic surgeon and following the steps prescribed can help in treating the spinal osteoarthritis:

• Do strengthening exercises

• Reduce weight

• Anti inflammatory medications

• Heat or cold therapy

• Make some changes in lifestyle. Include walking, swimming, aerobic activities, and yoga.

Never ignore the symptoms and talk to your orthopedician if you have pain, numbness, weakness, or swelling in your back — or in any part of your body.

Dr. Amit Saini ( Orthopaedician, Sapra Multispeciality Hospital, Hisar) gave some sports injuries prevention tips to follow for healthy bones.

 1. Good diet: Feeding your body the correct blend of healthy protein and carbohydrates will increase stamina. It is essential to maintain a healthy diet on a continuous ground, not just on days when you participate in your favorite sport. Fruits, vegetables and right amount of calcium are essential for overall health.

2. Use the correct safety equipment: Dr. Amit Saini warns that athlete or sports person should take care of their protective pads and helmet to be used in the sports. These protective things shouldn’t be faulty or defective in any case.

3. Keep the body hydrated: Before, during and after your activities and gaming sessions, it is essential to drink liquids including water and electrolyte-rich liquids. Proper hydration enables your brain function at its finest, reducing the probability of cramping and showing bad shape that can result in sports injuries.

4. Always look for therapy:  Dr.  Amit Saini suggests whenever an athlete met with an accident or an injury, he/ she should stop playing for some moment and take a rest before going to join for next match. Meeting an orthopedic surgeon, particularly one who is a sports medicine partner, is a good method to determine how long you have to take rest.

5. You can take advantage of strength training activities to improve efficiency and preventing injuries. Which conditioning exercises are ideal for you, always consult specified trainer and coach.

Being an athlete or sports person, at any point in time you can experience injuries in spite of following all the preventive measures. Be sure to consult an orthopedic surgeon if you do sustain an orthopedic sports injury.

When there is a need for Revision Knee Replacement?

Dr. Amit Saini, Orthopaedician at Sapra Multispeciality Hospital, Hisar explain the need for revised knee replacement is when pain increases or knee activity decreases in an unsuccessful knee replacement. Persistent pain and inflammation may show loosening or inflammation, and the place of pain may occur throughout the knee or in a specific region. Declining knee function can result in slump, inflexibility, or disorder. Patients who show these symptoms and indications may require joint surgery for restructuring.

What Happens in Revision Knee Replacement?

The revision knee replacement surgery requires more time than first surgery said, Dr. Amit Saini. The first stage implants extraction. If important bone loss has occurred, it may require bone grafts to complete the voids. Either bone grafts can be your own bone taken from another body site or another person’s bone tissue from a bone bank.  Metal wedges, wires or screws may be used to reinforce the bone in some cases. Finally, revised knee implants are inserted.

Care After revision Knee Surgery

After knee revision surgery, post-operative care is very comparable to main knee replacement care. This involves, where needed, a mixture of physical therapy, blood management, and pain medication. In any emergency, call your orthopaedician as early as possible.

What basically happens to hip joint: Hip Joint is basically a ball and socket joint covered by cartilage. When wear and tear of this cartilage occur due to inflammation or infection, loss of hip joint makes a person unable to walk. After total hip replacement surgery, orthopaedician replace this ball and socket joint so that a person can walk and sit without pain.

Before undergoing the Total Hip Replacement, a patient must know the various risk factors that are associated with it:

• Infection from the prosthetic components is very rare. But if this happens, then by doing further surgery and antibiotics it can be cured of.
• A Blood transfusion may require as in any surgery, one can experience bleeding both during and after the procedure.
• The new part that has been added may not move as your normal one thus patient should be cautious while walking and sitting to prevent any dislocation.

The total hip replacement surgery involves the following steps:

• First of all, anesthesia will be given, general and regional to numb you down below the waist and keep you unconscious.
• Your hip joint will be exposed and the ball will be dislocated from the socket by the surgeon.
• The physician removes the femur’s head (thighbone) and removes the socket’s surface
• A prosthetic cup (socket) made of polyethylene is secured by the doctor.
• Then the surgeon secures a metalhead (ball) and stems either with a press-fit or bone cement into the femur.
• The doctor puts the ball in the cup and takes your fresh hip through a variety of movement to guarantee adequate stability and mobility.
• Your incision is closed by the surgeon and you are taken to the recovery room.
• After the surgery, Physiotherapy will be started from the next day to secure the mobility of new hip replacement. This therapy continues at home and may last for weeks to months after your surgery.
• Call the doctor/ortho surgeon if you face any pain in calf, thigh, and hip or develops a fever or infection.

Replacement surgery is generally utilized if all else fails by any specialist when attempting to facilitate a patient’s pain. You may require joint substitution medical procedure if your orthopedist has endeavored other treatment choices. By changing or replacing the joint, hip pain can be reduced permanently.

Numerous reasons are there for pain in the hips. The joint can be damaged in a single occasion or from long wear and tear of tissue and bone. The accurate reason for the pain can assist the orthopedist in determining in the event that you need a medical procedure and the best treatment to facilitate your pain.

If there has been extreme harm to the hip, the specialist may prescribe a joint replacement. This might be done for extreme hip pain. Talk to your orthopedist about any worries you may have about this. No two individuals are similar, and your orthopedist will possibly prescribe medical procedure on a particular condition that you are facing.

The Patient should follow the consultations given by ortho surgeon and exercises that are prescribed by the physiotherapist diligently in the initial weeks after surgery.

The things that a patient should do’s and don’ts after knee replacement surgery can be:

1. Cleaning wounds in knee replacement surgery is easy and fear-free. After removal of stitches, the area must be cleaned, washed with soap and make it dry with a soft cloth. Apply coconut oil on a regular basis. Never scratch the wound.

2. Daily Exercise: Exercise on a daily basis is must to do task post-operation. Exercise is essential before surgery too but after it, it’s an integral part of the routine. A 30 min exercise, is necessary that strengthen the muscles.

2. Walking is necessary but after 4-6 months, increase in distance and speed should be there. Walking is much more necessary than exercising. After 3 months, a person should walk approx. 3 km in a day.

3. Weight reduction is desirable before and after surgery for high mobility of bones.

4. Diabetic patients should take extra care and work in controlling the blood sugar level-so that wound gets no infection.

5. Don’t try to sit with cross legs or on floor.

6. Total Knee replacement patients must visit the orthopaedician on a timely basis for checking of any defect or loosening in the joint.

Apart from all these steps, the positive attitude of the patient and the moral support of family is more important for a patient to recover from the surgery.

Maintaining a good posture is quite necessary for the ligaments, bones, and muscles to work smoothly, otherwise, they become hard and stiff and causes pain. If it continues for a long time, then it may cause deformity of the spine.

Therefore, maintaining a good posture only requires some of the easy steps that every individual should follow:

1. Straighten the body: whether you are sitting or standing, always do it straightly. Working on the desk for long hours is tiring and sometimes you slay down on your chair, which is not right for the body. Do keep your body straight and shoulders back and head up. When getting tired from the work, do a brisk walk for refreshing yourself.

2.  Lift heavy objects correctly: Take extra care while lifting the heavy objects. You can injure your back if objects are not lifted correctly.

3. Footwear plays an important role in improving the posture as feet holds the whole of the body. If they are strong only then they are able to hold. Properly fitted shoes provide a supportive base that helps the spine and body remain in alignment.

4. Diet containing Vitamin D: Vitamin D is very essential for bones and muscles health. A healthy diet containing all the essential vitamins and minerals should be taken by everyone. The sun is a natural source of vitamin D.

5. Exercise:  Strong hip, pelvic muscles are important to provide support for the lower back and avoid injury. Exercise like walking, climbing staircase —increases blood flow to the spine, which supplies healing nutrients and hydration to the structures in your lower back.

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general orthopedic topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.