Health Tip Zone: August 2008

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Joint pain

Usually Joint pain is felt more in the morning. Apply some ointment on the affected area before going to bed everyday.
Apply Eucalyptus oil where there is pain. Steam the affected area or dip a towel in boiling water, twist the water out from the towel and apply it to the affected area.
Simple exercises in Yoga, Cycling, Swimming, Walking etc. can control the pain. Keep the exercises simple and do not overexert. Doing exercises standing in chest level water also improves the pain.
Proper posture should be maintained while sitting, walking and lying down.
If overweight, control weight by reducing food and doing exercises.
Have one tea spoon of cod liver oil every day-Stick to the one tsp measure. Avoid use of too much pain killers especially those containing narcotic and sleeping tablets.
Have lots of fruits containing Vitamin C like Guava, Oranges, Gooseberries. Try avoiding milk and potatoes.
Fasting once a week having just carrot juice or cabbage soup helps to control a lot of problems associated with joint pain.
Cut lemon into small pieces and fry them in gingelly oil. Put the pieces in a clean cloth and tie it. Apply this warm pack to the affected area.
Boil tamarind leaf in water adding salt. Keep pouring the liquid on the affected area. This helps to reduce the pain.

Back pain

Back pain can occur due to bad posture, pressure on the back muscles and from taking too much weight at once. try out the following for controlling the pain.

When you get a sudden back pain, lie on the bed and take rest for at least 2 full days,
Apply an icepack on the effected area. After half an hour keep a hot pack. Repeat if needed.
Keep pillows under the chest and legs and lie on your stomach. Dip a towel in boiling water, twist the water out from the towel and apply it to the affected area. Steaming the area also will reduce the pain.
Heat some coconut oil or mustard oil mixed with a little camphor (Karpuram) powder and apply on the effected area.
Heat some coconut oil mixed with crushed dried ginger and garlic. Apply this warm oil to the affected area and place a hot bag over the area.

But, if you get back pain without any particular reason or if it is accompanied with chest pain, breathlessness, stomach pain, fever etc or if the pain does not go or lessen even after 2-3 days or if the pain spreads to other areas like legs, knees, feet etc.show a doctor

Stomach pain

Stomach pain can occur commonly due to indigestion, acidity, menstrual cramps etc. Some women suffer pain after delivery.

For pain due to indigestion the following remedies are useful

A mixture of nutmeg (optional), ginger juice and lime juice helps to control pain due to indigestion.
A mixture of black tea with lime juice
For Acidity
Boil fried cumin in a cup of a water for some time, strain and have the liquid.
Chew a few coriander seeds and swallow its juice.

For pain after delivery

Make a chutney with small onions, green chilies, salt and 2-3 pieces of cocum ( Kudum Puli) and have it for some days soon after delivery.

For menstrual cramps

Taking care of your food habits during your periods can help a lot.
Reduce salt, sweet and spicy consumption
Intake of a lot of food at one stretch should be avoided.
It helps to avoid intake of tea , coffee, coke, chocolate, cold water etc during this time. Lemonade, herbal tea etc works better.
After food, take vitamin B and Calcium supplements. This helps to reduce the pain.
Have fish, chicken, vegetables and fruits along with rice
Bathe in warm water
Keep a bottle of warm water above the stomach for some time.
It helps to do simple exercises (in yoga) in the days before you get your periods.
Take pain killers only after food or along with milk. Avoid having them on empty stomach.
Intake of Dates everyday helps to solve problems during periods.

NECK PAIN

Neck pain can be due to improper habits in our daily routine or improper posture which cause pressure on the neck. Following measure can be take to avoid neck pain :

Proper posture while sitting - keep your head up straight and rest your back on the chair.

Avoid continuously sitting for a long time, walk about in between.
While lifting heavy things do not bend your back. Sit down with your knees bend, keep the heavy object close to your body while lifting.
Sleeping on a hard bed and lying on your back is good for the neck and back. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
When you have neck pain avoid pillows while lying on the bed.
When there is swelling or pain in the neck applying heat on the neck helps.
Relax. Tension causes pressure on the neck muscles which leads to pain.

TOOTH ACHE ?

Toothache can be a sign of tooth decay. Only a Dental doctor can find the real cause of the pain. But let's try out some ways at home to control the pain.

Gargle with warm water or warm water mixed with salt, each time after food or after brushing every night.
Apply a little alcohol or clove oil or nutmeg oil to the effected tooth or area.
When there is pain, take a piece of ice and press it against the skin between your thumb and forefinger.
If you have severe pain, keep a piece of ice inside the mouth between the tooth and the cheeks for 15 minutes. Repeat four times a day.
Have lots of milk and leafy vegetables and calcium. Avoid sweet, sour and cold things which causes tooth decay.
When you have pain , never apply heat on your cheeks. If you are having an infection of the tooth applying heat will aggravate it.