SAVE YOURSELF, TREAT YOUR OSTEOPOROSIS

'Osteoporosis - 'osteo' is for bones, and 'porosis' means porous, is a condition of thinning of the bones is one of the most common ailment which can result in painful fractures.

The clinically definition would be 'a condition that makes bones thinner and more fragile due of reduced bone density', which increases risk of fractures, especially of hip, spinal vertebrae and wrist. 

There are various of risk factors that result in osteoporosis. These factors include both Non-modifiable and modifiable risks.best physiotherapist in delhi

Non-modifiable risk include: Age, bone structure, genetically or injury.

When old bone is replaced by new it leads to turnovers but the density of bone and the purity of its honeycomb structure are maintained.  A we get older after 35 years of age, bone density reduces for everyone i.e. our bones naturally become gradually weaker, leading to osteoporosis and fractures in some people.

Modified risks include: Reduced sex hormones, a nervosa and bulimia, Tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol intake, reduced calcium and vitamin D or  Inactivity or immobility

Apart from above mentioned risks there exists various other factors that can increase the risk of osteoporosis like diseases or drugs, hormone-changing diseases and lastly Rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis also increase the risk.

Certain medications also create a risk of osteoporosis, like Glucocorticoids/corticosteroids, Excess thyroid hormone replacement, Heparin, the blood-thinner, Anastrozole (Arimidex) and other treatments that deplete sex hormones, Letrozole (Femara) used against breast cancer and Leuprorelin (Lupron) for prostate cancer among other uses.

Now let me take you through the signs and symptoms of osteoporosis

• The osteoporotic hip is prone to fracture.
• The bone loss that slowly leads to osteoporosis
• An unexpected fracture after a minor fall can also lead to osteoporosis
• A slip or strain on the joints may result in a fracture
• Loss of posture that breaks the spine lead to stooping appearance that is often seen in older people.

Osteoporosis can be diagnosed through the use of a bone scan that measures bone mineral density (BMD).physiotherapist in delhi

The Bone Mineral density is scanned by X-ray technology which is also known as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA for short) and bone densitometry.

DXA indicates the likelihood of fractures occurring due to the osteoporosis and is also used to track response to treatment.

The bone density is determined by the difference between two X-ray readings - one energy peak that is absorbed by bone and another absorbed by soft tissue. The result of this test comes as DXA T-score  and if the score of not lower than -1.0 that the result is normal but if it is between -1.0 and -2.5 than there is mild bone loss.

Osteoporosis ailment is diagnosed when the DXA T-score is -2.5 or below.

After DXA, the second most common testing option in the US does not involve radiation: quantitative ultrasonography of the calcaneus (heel bone), a method using ultrasound that can also be carried out in the primary care setting. It is not as commonly used as and the measurements cannot be compared against DXA T-scores.

Now coming to the most crucial aspect that is the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis

Change in lifestyle can help to maintain a healthy bone mineral density and some such changes are:

1. Get enough calcium
2. Get enough vitamin D
3. Stop smoking if applicable
4. Drink alcohol only in moderation
5. Exercises such as yoga also promote posture and balance and so reduce the risk of falls and fractures.

For people who are already suffering from osteoporosis, then nutrition, exercise and  prevention from injuries will play a huge part in reducing risks and bone loss.

Apart from this natural therapies like yoga and acupuncture have also proven extremely fruitful in actually controlling this problem.

I have personally witnessed the remarkable results and would request you all who are suffering from this to experiment with alternative healing techniques.

UNDERSTANDING SPORTS INJURIES

Injury is a part of life and struck us down if we aren't careful to our bodies, whether you are an elite athlete, enjoying playing pickup games, or simply live an active lifestyle.

However, for the most part we can prevent injuries. The most basic way to be properly warmed up and stretched before doing any physical activity and making sure to cool down after exercising.

However, there are certain injuries which tend to be most common than others. I have compiled a list of seven most common sports injuries and talked about the ways to prevent or treat them at your level, so your schedule doesn't get hampered.

The most common sports injuries are : 

physiotherapist in delhi Shoulder Injury

3.    Ankle Sprain

4.    Tennis or Golf Elbow

5.    Pulled Muscle

6.    Lower Back Pain

7.    Groin Strain

1. Runner's Knee

Knee injuries constitute about 55% of total sports injuries and approximately all problems treated by orthopedic surgeons. Torn ligaments and cartilage are very  common injuries, a lot knee problems are classified into the category of "runner's knee," that  comprises a variety of aches and pains allied to the kneecap. Not only runners are victims of these injuries; they can be strike cyclists, swimmers, people who practice aerobics, and basketball, football, and volleyball players.

Prevention and treatment

·         Change shoes and insoles frequently;

·         select a softer running surface ;

·         Plan more rest days between workouts.

If you injure your knee, don't exercise for minimum two or three  days and take an anti-inflammatory medication. After resuming your workout, warm up properly without any negligence and apply ice to your knee for about 10-20 minutes.

2. Shoulder Injury

Shoulder Injuries consists of 20% of sports injuries, including sprains ,dislocations and strains. They are most common in weightlifting, tennis, swimming, volleyball and baseball. Any sport that involves a lot of overhead movement can give rise to spots injuries. These problems are  due to excessive use, which loosens the group of tendons and muscles that surround the shoulder. Slipping in the shoulder , weakness and pain are symptoms of this injury.

Prevention and treatment

·         Strengthen the muscles through weight training.

·         If case you still get injured, then anti-inflammatory medication would be the best immediate treatment.

3.Ankle Sprain

They occur among  basketball, soccer, hockey, and volleyball players. They are almost unavoidable in sports that involve running, jumping and turning rapidly; these movements can lead to twisting ankle and even possibly tearing a tendon.

Prevention and treatment

·         Strengthening ankles by doing exercises such as ankle lifts on stairs.

·         Treat an ankle sprain with RICE and anti-inflammatory drugs.

·         In order to heal your ankle faster, try to move it slowly  to get the circulation going and reduce swelling.

4. Tennis or Golf Elbow

Elbow injuries consist 7% of all the  sports injuries. In Tennis elbow  the tendon starts degenerating because of the backhand strokes in tennis. It causes pain in the outer side of elbow. While Golf elbow, usually affects within the elbow, also this can also attack the outside. The pain that is felt is a result of an inflammation of the epicondyle.

Prevention and treatment

·         Do more of forearm exercises, such as wrist curls, their movements  and squeezing a soft rubber ball to strengthen this area.

·         Enhancing  swing technique and wearing an elbow brace can be very useful.

·         Treatment can be as simple as an anti-inflammatory spray or lotion, however in some cases physiotherapy treatment and a prolonged break from the sport may be necessary

5. Pulled Muscle

Not warming up properly, lack of flexibility, and weakness can cause athletes to pull a muscle. The most commonly pulled muscles are known as hamstrings  and calves .The hamstrings are the muscles behind thighs; pulling them is painful and can even led to bruising.

Prevention and treatment

·         Proper stretching at the start and end of exercising routine helps a lot,

·         Avoid working out when you are tired and sick.

·         As with most injuries, RICE and anti-inflammatory drugs are helpful,

6. Lower Back Pain

Although lower-back pain is very  less common among athletes ,it can affect runners, cyclists, golfers, tennis, and baseball players. Lower back pain are of many types like sciatica, bulging discs or back spasms and  many more . The most common reason for sports-related back pain is simply improper stretching. In the case of runners, even the slightest discrepancy in leg length can cause back pain.

Prevention and treatment

·         Warming up properly before exercising will reduce risk of injury.

·         While sciatica require fast medical treatment, while a simple muscle pull can be treated with an  anti-inflammatory medication and stretching.

7. Groin Strain

A strained groin— the muscles situated in the upper thigh that help to  pull the legs together — generally  happens when you instantaneously change directions while running in soccer, hockey, basketball, football, racket sports, and volleyball. Sharp pain, swelling are symptoms of Groin Strain.

Prevention and treatment

·         Stretching  properly before exercising is important.

·         Slowly escalating the intensity of the activity rather than leaping into the activity too quickly may help prevent injury.

Hope this was helpful to you. However if you have already gotten injured lately or if a certain part of your body is prone to injuries than please do contact me. 

Buying or renting a house: Some things you should consider

We all want a house of our own. But, knowing that it involves big bucks, we are left with the choice between buying a house and taking one on rent. It can never be an easy decision to arrive at. Few people may argue that staying on rent is equivalent to throwing the money down the drain, when the same amount can be utilised for a home loan, which can help build life's biggest asset. However some may see the logic in the flexibility that renting can offer like being able to choose the location,  proximity to workplace or, just the requirement for a bigger house, things that one may not be able to afford otherwise.

Though there are compelling arguments in favor of both buying and renting a house, but the decision will depend an following aspects. This article will try to help you get the answers to this  most baffling question, whether you should rent or buy?

Life always gives you options and on few occasions, one option will stands out from the others But, at times the options in hand are simply too complex to choose immediately. This requires one to go into  deep analysis from all sides and look at all the options available in hand before a making a decision.

Now coming to the scenario we are talking about, that is whether to buy a house or rent a house. Speaking logically, buying a house would be the best option especially when you are young and even if it means paying EMIs for several years.

Now this raises several questions like  how can this compare to renting a house or what if one can rents a house for a lesser amount, much less than the Home loan EMI, and that difference can be between the rent one pays and the EMI can be invested in many financial instruments and be let to grow to buy a house later. And some might think that how does the idea of owning a house would mean financially or is it just a matter of security?

Now to answer these questions we need to look into two scenarios.

Scenario 1 is that you buy a house today. And the basic steps would be to make a down payment, then take a home loan and later on pay EMIs for next 20 years of the remaining amount. And after 20 years the house is yours. Also one can keep living in the house as well. Simple isn't it?

Now let us see scenario 2 that is to rent a house today, and then buy it later. In this one will have to pay a rental deposit, and then pay rent every month which is less than the EMI that one would have paid on taking a home loan. Then, that difference be invested in various financial instruments and allowed to grow say for 20 years and then one can buy a house from the investments that gets accumulated. Sounds logical?

Since both the scenarios seems somewhat logical so how to choose now and why?

Buying a house does make financial sense, especially for the reason that it will be an asset that will keep appreciating in its value.

But there certain factors too like income tax on EMIs for home loans and HRA for rental purposes which could be the same. However, the rental deposit that would pay will be returned to you without any interest when you vacate a rental premises and this could actually work in favor of buying a house.

So let us take you through the things to consider before deciding to buy a house:

1. The return on your investment should be decide if the one should put money in a bank or invest in a house.
2. Your financial position should be taking into consideration. If one earns Rs 1 lakh/pm, they are entitled for a loan of Rs 40-50 lakh for tenure of 20 years. But if the monthly expenditure is less than your salary minus equated monthly installment (EMI) towards the home loan. That is not all, as one will have to shell out 20 per cent of the cost of the house upfront, which for a Rs 50 lakh house is Rs 10 lakh. Ideally, you should set aside four-six months of salary (Rs 4-6 lakh) as contingency fund. Lastly, there should be some surplus after paying the monthly EMI and household expenditure, so as to cover your investment needs and any immediate rise in interest rates. Only when one can fulfill these minimum conditions, can they buy a house.
3. Home loans are for long tenures, hence banks do not give home loans without thoroughly checking your employment record. So, it’s better to rent if you are not sure about your employment prospects.
4. Keep track of economic cycles. As buying when the economy is turning around gives a  buffer of 4 to 5 years at the least. So, be on the look out of the job market starts that is when are they picking up and when the stock markets are rising as equities are a lead indicator of the economy. Also, monitor the interest rate cycle as that is an uncertain component in EMI.
5. Lastly, it is difficult to dispose a house quickly because of the large amount of capital employed. Hence, it is always better to invest in areas with basic infrastructure in place like Good roads, malls, parks and schools, Furthermore ensure appreciation in your property.

Hope this helps in solving your dilemma. Do post your comments below to let us know if it helped.