Acute and Chronic Pain

Acute is that form of pain that occurs suddenly and lasts for a short period only. It can occur when an injury occurs to tissue, bone or muscle whereas chronic pain lasts longer and occurs due to some long term illness. It can be due to tissue damage also.

Knee pain or joint pain is a chronic pain condition that causes a person to suffer every now and then. It causes hurdles in the progress of an individual. Joint pain can be defined as pain or other discomforts in one or more joints. It can be caused due to an injury to any of the structures such as ligaments, bones, or tendons surrounding the joint. Thus it is important to secure the joint by maintaining the health of surrounding ligaments.

Here are some tips Dr. Amit Saini recommends everyone should follow to maintain healthy joints:

Shed weight, if obese: Knees are the pillars of the human body that carry whole weight. If a person is having extra weight than require, pillars will get damaged. Thus, to reduce pressure on the knees, a person should maintain body weight. He has to shed extra kilos to have healthy knees.

Do light exercises: Regular exercise can reduce some pain of the person suffering from joint pain. He should not go for harsh exercises as it can cause more damage to the tissues and ligaments. Brisk walking can ease mobility and reduce pain too.

Have a Nutritional diet: Consuming calcium and the right quotient of Vitamin D can help to improve the muscle strength. Thus, to maintain muscle strength, proper dietary requirements should be taken. Dairy products are the best sources of calcium, but other options are green, leafy vegetables like broccoli and kale.

Watch the Posture: Sitting, walking, standing and lying posture of an individual affects the joint health as the wrong posture will pressurize them in the wrong direction. Thus, we should maintain the right posture to prevent joint pain.

Be in movement: Anything that keeps on moving, stay active. Thus, to keep your joints healthy and active, do not sit in a single position for long. Try to change position more often to reduce joint pain.

If pain persists, see an orthopaedician right away for treatment.

So to keep the joints healthy and strong, follow the tips given by Dr. Amit Saini (Joint replacement surgeon at Sapra Multispecialty Hospital)

1. Replenish your diet with essential vitamins

Keep your bones strong this winter by packing your diet with healthy calcium-containing foods or vitamin-like D, K and C which helps in absorption of calcium. Milk and yogurt are the natural choices, but there are lots of vegetable sources too, from leafy greens to oranges, lemon.

2. Keep the joints and bones warm

It is crucial to keep the joints warm. Your muscles tense and stiffen when you feel cold and shiver, making them more susceptible to injury and general discomfort. Warm water shower and thermals will keep your joints warm, flexible and revive the arthritis pain.

3. Exercising

Frequent exercising and brisk walking are necessary for the active joints in the winter. Exercising helps in strengthening of muscles and maintaining the body weight.

4. Limit the use of sodas and tea/coffee

Caffeinated drinks and other fizzy beverages reduce calcium absorption. And calcium deficiency can cause bone problems. Therefore, apart from having calcium-rich food, one should avoid having fizzy drinks so that the body absorbs the calcium you are having.

5. Right posture is Necessary

Half of the problems of joints are due to wrong posture habits. Right sitting and standing postures are necessary to keep the joint strong. Take care of your joints when you lift and carry heavy stuff.

Thus follow these simple habits and keep your joints and bones warm. If pain persists and joints get stiff, ask for the help of orthopedists.

Dr. Amit Saini, an Orthopedic surgeon helps patients to restore mobility and reduce joint pain through total joint replacement surgery. The person who is tired of using non-surgical treatments for joint pain is suggested to look for an orthopedic surgeon. An orthopedic surgeon will be the one who will provide the best possible treatment for your joint pain.

There are some simple tips and tricks given by Dr. Amit Saini (Orthopedic Surgeon) that a patient must follow to find the best Orthopedic surgeon:

1. Consider the experience of the surgeon

 It is important to know the experience of the orthopedic surgeon in carrying out a specific procedure to ensure good results. Their rate of success, How successful they are in dealing with similar cases such as your complications and how often he/she performs the surgery are some of the factors you must ask the orthopaedician.

2. Look for an Orthopaedician who is easily accessible. An orthopedic surgeon’s location should be near to your area for your convenience. 

3. You must observe the doctor’s communication style by asking questions during the time of consultation. Choose an orthopedic doctor that will clearly explain the required information, treatment procedure, risks, and other relevant data and make you feel comfortable while communicating with him, or her.

4. An orthopedic surgeon credential is also important to ensure that they don’t have any malpractice issue in past. Check for the licensed and certified orthopedic surgeon.

Disclaimer: The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.

According to Dr. Amit Saini, Orthopedician at Sapra Multispeciality Hospital Hisar, Patellofemoral pain syndrome shows stiffness and pain in the kneecap and the sufferer may be unable to do his day to day tasks like climbing stairs and kneel down.

Patellofemoral is consists of two words Patella also called kneecap and Femur bone (thighbone). The patella rests in a groove on the top of the femur called the trochlea. While bending and straightening the knee, the patella moves back and forth inside this trochlear groove. The ends of the femur, trochlear groove, and the underside of the patella are covered by a sticky substance called articular cartilage. Articular cartilage helps in moving up and down of the bone. Synovium-— a thin lining of tissue that covers the joint’s surface also helps in movement. A thin pad of fat acts as a shock absorber just below the kneecap, cushions the kneecap.

The reason for the occurrence of Patellofemoral pain is due to nerve pain around kneecap and tissues due to over physical activity including knee joint.

Overdoing of squatting, climbing, and jogging can cause the syndrome

Muscular Imbalance: Patellofemoral pain can occur when the muscles around your hip and knee don’t keep your kneecap properly aligned. This is also known as PatelIar  Malalignment.

Injury, dislocation to the knee can cause Patellofemoral pain.

According to Dr. Amit Saini, patients suffering from Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome have the following symptoms:

Pain in the front of the knee

Pain occurs during running, climbing the stairs, jogging, and bending of the knee.

Pain on while sitting for a long time with bent knees.

There are some steps by doing which knee pain can be prevented. After all the knee pain persists, visit the orthopedics for the treatment.

1. Work on your extra weight. Shed the extra kilos of your body as they lay an unnecessary burden on the knees.

2. Before going any exercise, always try to warm up the body by doing simple exercises.

3. Ask an orthopedician or physical therapist about mobility and strength exercises to improve the technique of jumping, walking, and running — and help the groove control the patella properly.

4.  Always wear properly fitted shoes.

Some home remedies for Patellofemoral pain include

1. RICE Treatment: 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.

2. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be helpful.

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.

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 ( 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.