With so many articles, blogs and videos on how to maintain bone health, we know everybody is way too much enlightened when we talk about any health issue and when it comes to our bones they also face density loss. As a part of natural ageing process, bones tend to ‘degenerate’ with time. It is more rapid in women post menopause but it does also effect older men significantly. Rapid Bone loss further
results into osteoporosis and various other ailments like fragile bones or fractures, Generally the process is silent and progressive.

Why do people develop osteoporosis?

One of the significant reasons of people developing osteoporosis includes age, gender and lifestyle. Though there are other factors causing damage too such as vitamin D deficiency, lack of calcium intake and physical inactivity. While we emphasize on “PHYSICAL INACTIVITY” in bold letters often we as therapist come across one common question “I am pretty active doc! Working 10-12 hours per day still why are we suffering from these pains and discomfort.” Well well you definitely need to work on your muscle strength and toning as far as your daily routine is concerned you tend to exert yourself more rather than keeping yourself active.

This is where we can help you out. We all know that bone is a living tissue. Yes, it is! Any form of exercise helps strengthen our bone and activate your muscles. Physiotherapy is one best aid towards bone strengthening .More so, it can prevent bone thinning, helping you gain strength and increase your endurance.

Osteoporosis can be seen in older people. Which is also one reason why they are at high risk to fall. Physiotherapist helps you find activities that suit your body type, thus making the bumpy road to a healthy life easier. Older adults should generally be following low to medium impact activities such as walking, yoga and upper & lower body strength gaining & activation exercises. Depending on the stage of degeneration moderate to high impact activities like walking, jogging ,cycling and set of some resistance strengthening exercise prescribed by a Physiotherapist can be followed by young adults ageing towards 40s-50s who are at risk of developing early bone density loss therefore these exercises prevent bone fragility.

Our bones keep growing from childhood into early adulthood. Make sure you follow a diet rich in nutrients and vitamins during this phase.

Let’s come to the diet bit now.

It is always wise to consult a Dietician & nutritionist for your diet. I suggest a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, foods rich in anti-inflammatory properties such as –

• Tomatoes, Ginger, Turmeric
• Green leafy vegetables- spinach & kale
• Nuts -almonds & walnuts
• Fruits – Oranges & all kinds of berries also, make sure your body gets enough sunlight, which can also boost vitamin D.

Physiotherapists help you with exercises which can improve mobility, endurance and Functional ability. If you have elderly people at home, you can encourage them to walk every day.

Osteoporosis can be taken care of both by conservative & invasive methods. A physiotherapist helps one identify the grade of degeneration and guide you further for its required management.

We at Physio ACTIVE help you manage the symptoms by prevention and lifestyle modification by guiding you through various exercises and
activities beneficial for you. Technological advancement being a boon to us, At Physio active we have ALTER G® The Anti-Gravity Treadmill, works as wonders be it Injury or Surgery it helps in rebuilding strength, increase your walking endurance without placing much pressure on your lower body joints.

Now, you know in case of any discomfort where to visit and whom to meet. Physio Active is just one-step away from all your worries. But before that would like you to have a read through this quick guidelines :

• Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become thin, fragile and brittle
• It occurs when more calcium is taken out of your bones than replaced.
• There is no specific cause for osteoporosis. Thinning of bones can occur due to varied reasons.
• Menopause, excessive alcohol or smoking, overactive thyroid, chronic liver diseases, lack of activity, overexertion, age-related natural degeneration and lack of sunlight exposure are few major risk factors
• A Physiotherapist rules out possibilities and helps in charting exercises as per your muscle strength
• Weight bearing and resistance exercises help stimulate production of new bones when one is younger, limits the loss of bones when one is older
• A special scan called bone densitometry scan can help diagnose osteoporosis
• Routines and structured exercising may help stimulate growth of new bones, also known as osteogenesis.

Remember to always consult a specialist for any ailment. “You may see the surface of any disease, a Physiotherapist helps find its root cause.”

– Dr. SNIGDHA SHARMA (PT)

 

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most devastating chronic conditions that affect people around the world. It is the most common type of arthritis seen in all age groups.

OA being a progressive joint disease in which cartilage that serves as a cushion between the joints break down and bony overgrowth occurs, resulting in stiffness and pain in joint for many.

It is considered to be the disease of the old age. But, the number of arthritic cases rapidly rising among younger population seen in the recent times indicate that it is no more an age related process.

Infact, studies show that 12% of population in age group 25-74 years is found to be having clinically defined OA of some joint.

Arthritic changes start long before its symptoms show up in the form of pain and stiffness in the joints with radiographic changes. There is another study that says that, by the age of 65, more than half of us will have X- ray evidence of OA.

OA being the number 1 source of pain in older population worries most of us. Various studies are focused on prevention of arthritis in young age. But, as they say, you can’t prevent developing OA if you live long. Fortunately, we can surely delay it a long time if we take care of certain things in our lifestyle, especially when we are young.

Various contributing factors in the development of OA:

1. Heredity- An inherited defect in one of the genes responsible for making cartilage.
2. Obesity- Increases the risk for osteoarthritis of the knee, hip and spine
3. Injury- Broken bones, injuries or repeated injuries
4. Joint Overuse- Repeated overuse activities put the joint to early wear and tear
5. Other diseases- Inflammatory joint disease, like Rheumatoid Arthritis

Few very early signs of OA if noticed well in time can help you manage the severity of changes and most importantly delay the progression of symptoms. In early advancement, certain symptoms like Crunching in joint/ joints, stiffness or diminished range of motion and dull ache deep in the joint may come and go away. But as changes progress, these signs and symptoms become more prominent and start affecting one’s everyday life.

If you can just follow these six steps right now, you can surely prevent osteoarthritis or its progression.

No. 1: Control Weight- Maintaining an optimal weight. Weight loss of even 5% of body weight in overweight and obese population decreases stress on the knees, hips, and lower back

No. 2: Exercise- Getting  involved in some kind of physical activity like low impact Biking, Swimming, Yoga, Pilates, non-stressful Weight lifting or Brisk Walking on smooth surfaces with comfortable shoes help maintain and improve muscle capacity

No. 3: Avoid Injuries or Get Them Treated- Timely intervention of treatment and proper rehabilitation post injuries help joints get back the structures to their normal, thus preventing any unwanted damage to the joints

No. 4: Eat Right- Maintaining a healthy diet and food habits keeps the bones, ligaments, muscles and other joint structures nourished and less prone to breakage

No. 5: Biomechanical Correction of faults- Posture and ergonomic care of the body in all activities and correction of any abnormal joint mechanics can save multitude of damage from internal or external trauma

No. 6: Proper Supplements- Vitamin D, calcium supplements can be taken regularly after certain age on advise of a physician. Chondroitin and glucosamine have no positive impact on joint pains but are claimed to be effective in diminishing the deterioration of joint cartilage

“Prevention is better than cure”, they say.

“If you are watchful today, the future will be bright” is the hope we all should keep for our better pain free half life.

 

by Dr. Hemlata Gupta (P.T.)

Raise your hands up if you are the one who has always struggled to lose weight. Raise your hands up if you are the one who jumps on the scales and find that weight has not budged at all!

Join our club today. After all, it is World Obesity Day!

Before we talk about the do’s and don’ts of weight management, Let me shower some light on how important it is to prevent childhood obesity. 

So let me tell you, if you have been an inactive kid or struggled to lose weight as a child or if your momma or grandma fed you well, they gave you ample of opportunity to form fat cells in your body. 

Fat cells are formed in your body when you are a child until your teenage years that is your growing years. Once, these fat cells formed takes 7 years of starvation to make your weight loss permanent. That’s why you are always in your yo – yo of weight loss and gain. 

So let me share you some tips and nutrition facts to keep your weight off. I promise you these tips will help to keep your weight off. 

1. Just move- Do not sit. You must have read to get up every hour for 2-3 minutes and walk. Did you know when you walk you increase your metabolic rate by 20% in a day. So sitting is the new poison. Just move- like use staircase instead of lift, get a glass of water instead of ringing the bell etc.

2. Fast- Fasting is a miracle and it does indeed help you lose weight. When you fast it repairs your cells and helps them heal. Your digestive tract gets some rest, your good cholesterol – HDL cholesterol improves, sugar metabolism is improved and your fat is metabolised. One must fast – whether intermittent or dry fast once a week.

3. Sleep- A sound 7-8 hours’ sleep is a key to weight loss. When you are asleep, your body repairs itself and thus helps in losing weight. 

4. Keep Dinners light- At dinnertime, one must consume the least of the calories, as our body is not going to use that food for energy. Great dinner ideas include soups, sautéed vegetables; stir fries vegetables, eggs or grilled paneer. 

Weight management is not a rocket science, it is an art and every menu is designed or painted to suit your lifestyle. Stay fit and Stay Healthy.

By 

Swati Bathwal 

Dietitian/ nutritionist 

Media Spokesperson

Physiotherapy is not so uncommon as it used to be in earlier days. It’s good to see that more and more people are trusting physiotherapy for treatment but still, there’s a lot of myths out there which need to be cured before they spread in our society. Let’s take them one by one

1. Physiotherapy is painful- Generally, physiotherapy does not hurt although initially the stretches and exercises may cause slight discomfort; this is primarily due to the fact that the body is not used to such movement; as the body adjust and adapts it will be less painful. Physiotherapists take great care not to cause pain and are committed to the relief and control of pain. Also, the exercises create a slight discomfort within muscles due to stored carbohydrate being used for fuel more rapidly than created, producing lactic acid
2. I can do physical therapy myself- Your participation is a must, no doubt in that, but every patient still needs the expert care and guidance of a licensed physical therapist. Your therapist will use specialized education, clinical expertise to evaluate your needs and make a diagnosis before creating an individualized plan of care
3. Physiotherapy treats only muscles Physiotherapy is helpful in conditions like vestibula rehabilitation, paralysis, chronic pain, pelvic floor rehabilitation, cardiopulmonary conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, post-myocardial infarction.Musculoskeletal dysfunction such as back pain, rotator cuff tears, and temporomandibular joint disorders. Neurological conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, vestibular dysfunction, and traumatic brain injuries. Pediatric conditions such as developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. Sports-related injuries, such as concussion and tennis elbow. Women’s health and pelvic floor dysfunction, such as urinary incontinence and lymphedema. The list goes on and on. Clearly, physiotherapy does not treat only muscles
4. Physiotherapy is expensive Since Physiotherapy is helpful in so many areas, it really depends on how it is helping you. Logically, it won’t be correct to say that Physiotherapy is expensive as cost depends on the length of the session, the service provided during the session and the provider.

Physiotherapy has proven to be very helpful in helping injured individuals to heal faster. However, apart from the procedures used by the physiotherapist, a good diet will also positively help you with quick and fast recovery. With the help of a healthy diet that is free of trans-fats and preservatives, your body, particularly the injured parts, would be able to get the right nutrients needed to heal properly. Here’s sharing the must to have foods in your diet.

 

1. It is known as a muscle builder, protein will definitely help you to build after a physiotherapy session. Include fish, eggs, boiled chicken, lentils, and soya bean in your diet and remember to eat them in an optimum amount.
2. Fiber-rich foods help to keep the digestive system in good condition. It is seen that pain medications frequently cause constipation, which could be counteracted by eating fiber or drinking plenty of water each day
3. Consume the foods rich in Omega-3 Fats; these types of fats are rich in flax oil and cold-water fish. They play a vital role in regulating the inflammatory response and decrease muscle atrophy
4. Consume the foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits, broccoli, kiwi, and peppers. It is a water-soluble vitamin and helps in healing injuries by building new protein for skin, tendons, scar tissues and ligaments
5. Consume the foods rich in vitamin A such as sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, carrots, and spinach. It helps in the formation of white blood cells to invade the infections present in the body
6. Consume the foods rich in Vitamin E such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and dark leafy green vegetables. It plays an important role in cell repair and helps in preventing internal scarring