Top 7 Tips To Relieve Wrist Pain

You may not realize just how important your wrists are until one of them gets hurt. There are basically two types of wrist injury. One is acute, such as a sprain or a fracture. The other is overuse, caused by the repetitive motion of activities such as typing. The overuse injury that most often affects the wrists is tendinitis. People who use their hands a lot such as carpenters, computer operators, musicians can develop tendinitis if the tendons in their wrists are not strong and flexible enough. Overuse can also affect the ulnar nerve, which runs along pinkie side of the wrist and hand. And it can cause tissues in the wrist to swell and put pressure on the median nerve, leading to carpel tunnel syndrome. Both conditions can produce tingling, numbness, and pain in the fingers and hands as well as in the wrists. Here are some tips that you can consider to adopt to relieve wrist pain.
1. Build Some Muscles
You can prevent future wrist pain by strengthening the muscles in your forearms. It is recommended holding a 6-ounce can of tomato paste in each hand and flexing your wrists back and forth 15 to 20 times. Or you can simply squeeze a tennis ball in each hand. Squeeze the ball for 5 seconds and release, then repeat 12 to 15 times.
2. Ease Back Into It
A wrist that has been immobilized may become stiff from lack of use. Some gentle stretching can help restore flexibility. It is recommended pressing on a tabletop with the palm of your hand. Bend your wrist until you reach the angle of pain, then back off just a hair. By riding the edge of discomfort and stopping just before you feel pain, you are doing beneficial stretching. Hold this position or as long as you find comfortable, working up to 2 minutes. Repeat three to four times daily.
3. Treat It Gingerly
A compress made from ginger can draw out toxins and accelerate the healing process. To make the compress, simply boil some grated gingerroot, allow it to cool, place it in a moist washcloth, and lay the washcloth over your wrist. The washcloth should be as hot as you can tolerate. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes, and repeat every other hour.
4. Keep Still
For a more severe case of tendinitis, immobilizing the joint with an elastic wrist support may provide some relief. You will find these devices in drugstores and medical supply stores. It is recommended wearing one while you sleep, to prevent your wrist from twisting awkwardly as well as during your waking hours, when your wrist is in use. The support should keep your wrist in about 10-degree dorsiflex position. In other words, if your palm is facing downward, your wrist should be bent slightly upward.
5. Put It On The Rocks
Ice is a vasoconstrictor. That means it decreases the blood supply in your wrist, which helps reduce any swelling. It is recommended putting ice cubes in a plastic bag, wrapping the bag in a towel, and applying the pack to your wrist for about 20 minutes. Repeat the treatment four to six times a day.
6. Raise Your Hand
Elevation is not as crucial for an injured wrist as for an injured ankle or knee. Still, it can help keep any swelling down. Just be sure to prop your wrist so that it is above heart level.
7. Turn On The Heat
Once any swelling subsides, or if your wrist simply feels stiff and achy, heat can help. It is recommended to follow these instructions. Rub vinegar on your wrist, cover it with plastic, then apply a heating pad wrapped in a towel for about 20 minutes. You can repeat this treatment every hour as needed.

By Raymond Geok Seng Lee

Symptoms of Kidney Stones - Are You Having Lower Back Pain

The presence of kidney stones can be a severely painful experience for somebody going through a kidney stone attack. It can be difficult to self diagnose if you do not know the symptoms that accompany a kidney stone attack. There can be many reasons for you to have kidney stone and if you are one of the people more prone to the ailment you should be careful and try to prevent the condition. You should also know the symptoms of kidney stone so that if you experience any symptoms you can get yourself treated as soon as possible.

An early detection of this disease can help a patient prevent further more serious problems to the urinary tract. If you think you have kidney stones be sure to consult your doctor, who will guide you as to the best course of treatment available to you. It is not necessary that everyone going through kidney stone problems will have the same symptoms; a sufferer can get any combination of general symptoms, or in some cases all symptoms together. Be sure to be on the lookout for any of the following symptoms which generally affect a person with this disease.

The main symptom for stones in the kidney is pain in the lower back area or the pelvic. This pain can range from dull pain to severe pain depending on the size of the stone. The pain can become excruciating if a stone is blocking the ureter and stopping liquids from passing through. Sometimes painkillers will provide temporary relief, but this kind of pain should not be ignored, treatment should be provided at the earliest.

The presence of blood in the urine is another symptom of kidney stones, especially if accompanied by pain in the lower back and pelvic area. If you are suffering from pain observe the urine, you might be able to see signs of blood in it or the urine could be an unusual color. This is also a sign for alarm that should not be ignored.

Another symptom of it is difficulty urinating, if you find urinating a painful experience or feel a burning sensation during or after urination, consult your doctor, this could be due to damage caused by a stone in the ureter or even due to a blockage of the ureter due to a stone.

A urinary tract infection caused by stones in the kidney can make you feverish and cause chills, this is a sign of an infection in the body and it is very likely that stones in the kidney are causing the infection.

These are some major signs and symptoms of a lingering stone in the kidney problem; you could be experiencing any of the above stated symptoms or a combination of some of the symptoms. You should know your body and should consult a doctor if you notice anything out of the ordinary. Getting treatment at the earliest is the best thing you can do for yourself if you are suffering from any medical problems.

By Uttoran Sen

Top Five Foot Heel Pain Remedies

Years of walking and running can wear down our feet, and can be hard on our heels. Likewise, poor circulation, improperly trimmed toenails, disease and tight fitting shoes all contribute to pain in the heel.
1. Massage with water
This treatment is ideal for any type of foot or heel pain and only needs a container of hot and cold water. Here's what you do:
a. Soak your foot for 5 minutes in cold water
b. Move the foot to a container of hot water of a tolerable temperature. The temperature of the water should not be cool or even lukewarm
c. Soak the foot in the hot water for 5 minutes
d. Return to the cold water
Repeat the procedure until the pain is gone. This process has a massaging effect that revitalizes feet by opening and closing blood vessels.
It is also a great idea to rub moisturizing lotion into your feet before getting into bed. The lotion makes feet easier to massage and therefore bring relief faster.
2. Put some heat on your feet
Using ointments enriched with capsaicin, an active natural ingredient in hot peppers also helps in relieving foot pain.
These products are excellent in cooling the pain caused by burning feet particularly for diabetes patients. Initial application of the ointment may cause some burning sensation for many people, but when used regularly, the burning effect is likely to lessen.
Moreover, people who been using the capsaicin in treating their burning feet have experienced great improvement and were able to walk more easily compared to those using other types of creams. Best of all, since these are topical medicine, patients tend to avoid a lot of side effects that usually happen when taking pills.
Most ointments are available over the counter, however it is important to talk with your doctor before you begin, as this type of therapy is not right for everyone.
3. Avoid high-heeled shoes
For recreational walkers and runners it is important to temporarily lower how much you're walking or running when you're about to use brand new shoes. This will help you to eliminate many of the break-in pains. Advances in shoe development have made modern athletic footwear much less likely to cause a problem than ever before.
4. Stretch out your calf
Stretching the heel cord at the back of the foot can relieve heel pain.
Start by:
a. Standing three feet away from a wall, place your hand on the wall.
b. Lean in to the wall, bringing one leg forward and bending at the elbows.
c. Keep your back leg straight with the heel on the floor and then gently stretch the calf muscle.
d. Repeat for the other foot.
e. Buy shoes that fit the shape of your feet.
Shoe size is considered to be the most important aspect in buying shoes -- but the shoe shape is equally important. You read it right; the shape of the shoe is also an important factor to consider.
There three basic foot shapes -- curved, slightly curved and straight. Although, there may be some variations, generally those individuals with high arches need a curved shoe; those with flat feet need a straight shoe and those who have neither flat or high arches need a slight curve.
When buying running or walking shoes it is best to select shapes that fit the curve of the arch on the inner side of the foot.
Before you try any of the remedies discussed here, consult your own doctor for the treatments that will be best for your unique situation.

By Dave Wilson