Monday, April 12, 2010

Muscle leg pain

Why is it called a hidden source of Muscle Pain and Soft Tissue Pain?

There is a source of Muscle Pain and Soft Tissue Pain that can be difficult to pinpoint, because the pain is felt in a location that is not the source of the problem, and if not treated properly is oftentimes difficult to resolve. That is why it has been deemed as a “Hidden Source of Pain”. This hidden source of pain is known as Myofascial Pain or Myofascial Pain Syndrome.

What is Myofascial Pain?

If it feels like your muscles are literally in knots, and pressing on those knots creates pain someplace else on your body, then you are more than likely experiencing Myofascial Pain, also known as Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The prefix “Myo” means muscle, and the suffix “Fascia” means connective tissue, therefore the word “Myofascial” translates to muscle and connective tissue. The word “Syndrome” basically means a group of symptoms. In essence, Myofascial Pain Syndrome literally means muscle and connective tissue pain symptoms. Myofascial Pain Syndrome is directly related to and associated with Trigger Points.

What is the definition of a Trigger Point?

Trigger Points are extremely irritable knots in taut bands of muscle and connective tissue that can produce tenderness, a “twitch response” in part of the soft tissue, and a neurological phenomenon of referred pain to different locations of the body when external pressure is placed upon them, hence the term “Trigger Point”.

Kidney leg pain

The findings of a recently published survey indicate that 80 percent of adults in the United States will suffer from back pain during their lifetime. This survey confirms what other studies have shown: back pain is a major cause of visits to physicians and of people not being able to work.

In America, back pain is so prevalent that the only neurological ailment that is more common is the headache. It’s not hard to see why: 4 in 5 people have suffered from it at some point.

These are frightening statistics, yet there are many people who ignore back pain and do not worry about it at all. There is a good reason for this. It’s most common to get an acute form of it, which typically lasts between a few days and several weeks. The treatment for this kind of back pain is a combination of exercise, rest, pain medications, hot or cold compression, and analgesics.

The problem, however, is that while the majority of back pain cases are acute, and don’t last long, there are some rare instances in which such pain could be that of the chronic variety. Chronic pain in the back is a matter of great concern because it can indicate that there are other problems in the body. These can be more serious and might need attention from medical professionals immediately. One of these conditions is known as kidney back pain. It’s a sign that there is a problem in the kidneys.

Side leg pain

Chronic pain, such as that experienced by people with fibromyalgia is often only remedied by medication. Depending on the severity of the condition and the number of symptoms different doses and combinations of drugs may be used. Since fibromyalgia tends to be a chronic condition, many patients will need to take fibromyalgia pain medications for long periods of time. This makes it especially important for them to consult with their doctors about their medications and expected side effects.

Side effects of medications used for fibromyalgia
Every drug has side effects that can vary depending on the people using them. It all depends on the person's specific body makeup, overall health and even allergies, if they have them.

For fibromyalgia medication to become an effective treatment to the disorder, these side effects must be known and understood. Here are the commonly used fibromyalgia medications and their known side effects:

Non-opioids
Fibromyalgia medications that are considered non-opioids include acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin. These are all used to treat pain and may be obtained over-the-counter or with a prescription. While they are effective against pain, some non-opioids can cause gastrointestinal problems that can lead to stomach upset and even bleeding. They can also trigger asthma and cause nausea and vomiting.

Burning leg pain

Shoulder surgery is one of the marvels of modern medicine, correcting serious injuries and diseases that have plagued humankind since pre-historic times, including shoulder separation, dislocation, fracture, arthritis, and tendonitis.

The introduction by the medical community of arthroscopic surgery presented another huge leap forward, allowing the surgeon to avoid making the large incisions required by older, open surgery techniques. With arthroscopic surgery, the time required to heal the tissues surrounding the shoulder joint is reduced considerably versus with open surgery. Tiny incisions allow the surgeon to conduct the entire procedure using special tools that reach into the affected area and carry out the procedure.

Still, even when arthroscopic surgery is used, many shoulder surgery patients experience a burning pain after shoulder surgery. This can last for days or weeks and can trouble the patient, who is just trying to get on with his or her life.

Here are some tips for how to handle burning pain after shoulder surgery. Note that the best course of action for you to reduce and eliminate your own shoulder pain will vary by the shoulder problem being corrected and the choice of procedure. Consult with your doctor before undergoing any healing regimen.

Leg pain throbbing

Toothache pain is a pesky ailment that, at some point in your life, you’ll encounter the agonizing experience regardless of your age. Whether it’s soothing your fussy newborn cutting his or her first tooth, or attending to your own throbbing ache, that keeps you awake at night as you watch the alarm clock count down until it’s time to drag yourself out of bed.

There are several different underling causes of toothache pain such as cavities, gum diseases, and tooth root sensitivities. The most common cause is contributed to tooth decay which eventually leads to cavities. Small cavities are usually not a nuisance, however, larger “crater” cavities tend to collect food particles and cause the tooth to become irritated and extremely sensitive. A broken or chipped tooth may also cause discomfort.

It’s often difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of your misery. If you’re lucky, it may be easy to alleviate it without going to the dentist, by simply removing a stubborn piece of food particle lodged between your teeth. If it only requires a simple do-it-yourself remedy, you can definitely save money by avoiding a dental office visit.

There are home, herbal and homeopathic remedies that will assist you in relieving pain until you reach a dentist, if you are certain this is a requirement.

Child leg pain

When your child gets hurt, and complains of pain, what do you use to treat the hurt and the injury?

A new study in the latest issue of Pediatrics, looks at three commonly used medicines for kids’ pain…and found which one works best. To date, there hasn’t been a lot of research into NASIDs and the like OTC drugs and their impact on children, which is why this new study sheds a lot of light on the issue.

Eight year old Lovie Taylor is dealing with a lot of pain. “Lovie is here today because she had surgery, very intense surgery. A lot of pain, we came into the emergency room, she was in an awful lot of pain,” says Rhonda, Lovie’s Grandma.

Morphine is Lovie’s drug du jour.

But for most kids who come to the E.R., or even are just treated at home, the pain can be managed with less intense medicine than codeine for instance.

But which one is really the best? Tylenol? Ibuprofen? What about a narcotic like codeine? What about Topicals?

Leg bone pain

The elbow is the joint that connects the end of the upper arm bone, distal humerus, to the bones of the forearm, radius and ulna, with ligaments, tendons and muscles.

The elbow allows us to bend, extend and rotate the arm. The radius and ulna, the two bones of the forearm, fit into the ends of the upper arm bone like a hinge forming the elbow joint. The distal humerus, the upper arm bone, flares out to form the medial and lateral epicondyles. The large bump of the ulna behind the elbow joint is called the olecranon. The olecranon forms the bony prominence of the elbow and connects with the triceps muscles of the upper arm.

At one time or another everyone has typically experienced a minor elbow injury. An example of this is when a person bumps their “funny bone.” The “funny bone” involves the ulnar nerve that runs down the back of the elbow. When this nerve is bumped, a feeling of pain and a tingling sensation is felt down the arm. This pain may be intense at first but is brief and will go away on its own.

Minor or serious elbow pain can include symptoms such as pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, weakness or a decrease in range of motion. Sudden or acute elbow injuries may be caused by a direct blow, a fall, or a penetrating injury. Other elbow injuries can occur by twisting, jerking, jamming or bending the elbow abnormally.

Left leg pain

When it comes to left shoulder pain, consider consulting a doctor first. If one can find a cardiologist, it is much better. Pain in the left shoulder may be just a referred pain from an ongoing heart attack.

So it is very important to first have routine heart check-up and laboratory tests done to be cleared from life-threatening heart problems. And then, after being cleared, proceed to this list of managements to get rid of the pain.

Remember RICE. Not the grain that you eat, but the acronym R.I.C.E., which stands for Rest, Ice, Compress, and Exercise. RICE can provide ease from left shoulder pain. Make sure to “rest” your body. Any body part which is constantly used will eventually tire-out. “Ice” massage can also be helpful by providing an anti-inflammatory effect. Do this by applying ice over the area intermittently for 20-30 minutes at least three times a day. Warm “compress” can also alleviate the pain by making the blood vessels and muscle fibers relax, avoiding the painful tight feeling. Exercises, specifically passive range-of-motion exercises, can also contribute a lot in lessening the pain.

Moreover, slings also help in reducing left shoulder pain. These aids will provide stability to the left shoulder area allowing it to rest and rejuvenate for a certain period. Consider your usual body positions too. While sleeping, maintain a neutral position with body lying supine and arms on the side. Don’t sleep on the left side as it will compress the vessels and nerves in the region making it sore. It will also be helpful to try elevating the left arm once in a while to make the blood return to the heart and stop pooling in the left arm.

Upper leg pain

Upper back pain is not as common as the lower back pain. But pain is pain. When the pain process starts, it is unbearable. The two common identified causes of upper back pain are:

1. Muscular irritation (also known as myofascial pain)


2. Joint dysfunction.

There can be many other causes- injury, accidents, upper disc displacement and many more.

There is a great deal of stability and less motion in the upper back, which is thoracic spine region. So, spinal disorders are not very common. Conditions like herniated disc, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and spinal disability can cause upper back pain, but such cases are few. This being the case, it is difficult to identify the causes for the upper back pain, precisely. Even an MRI Scan or CT Scan will not be of much help. So, it is not easy for the doctor to find a surgical solution, if the pain persists for a long period.

Modern amenities are not without the accompanying problems. A poor posture over a period of time creates strain in a particular region and that region happens to be your upper back, in case you are a computer operator and work throughout the day in front of your PC. Neck pain and shoulder pain are the comrades -in arms -of the upper back pain.

Leg pain severe

Is this you? Experiencing severe pain all over your body. You feel exhausted all of the time. You have gone through numerous tests and your doctor cannot find anything wrong with you. If you can relate to these statements, you may have a condition called Fibromyalgia. And, if this is so, you are probably on the look out for Fibromyalgia pain treatment for severe pain.

You are not alone. Over ten million people in the United States alone have reported symptoms of Fibromyalgia. So, if you are one of the many sufferers of this painful condition, it is important to know that Fibromyalgia pain treatment for severe pain does exist. And, if you suffer from Fibromyalgia pain, your doctor or better yet a pain specialist can prescribe treatment for any level of pain including severe pain.

Medication as Fibromyalgia Pain Treatment for Severe Pain

Generally you will need to undergo a physical examination to determine if you qualify as a Fibromyalgia patient with positive findings of 11 of 18 tender points based on a digital examination. However as a second opinion, Dr. R. Paul St. Amand, M.D. Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine Harbor, at UCLA states that this useful concept is artificial. He further states: "We easily find more widely distributed areas of swelling, spasm, and tenderness scattered all over the body."

Most doctors will prescribe some type and level of pain medication for Fibromyalgia pain treatment. Some of these medications include:

· Muscle Relaxants. Medication, such as Flexeril, taken at bedtime has been proven to be a successful Fibromyalgia pain treatment for severe pain. This kind of medication treats muscle pain and spasms.

Calf leg pain

If you are a runner, then I am sure that you will know about calf cramps.

Imagine this scenario if you will. Let's say that you are 7.5k into a 10k run and the road starts to incline. Ever so slightly, but enough to put that extra strain on your legs as you try to maintain contact with the leaders. And the temperature? Well, it's the morning, but it's hot and liable to get hotter before the end. And to make matters worse, you were so desperate to maintain contact with the leading group, that you forgot to take on liquid at the last feeding station. And did you use tight fitting calf length socks? I know they are all the rage, but why did you do it?

So what do we have here?

* Extra strain on muscles?
* Dehydration?
* Loss of essentials salts?
* Restriction of blood flow?

All in all, I think that we are describing running calf cramps, waiting to happen.

I am not sure that anyone has definitive answer to the cause of cramps, but there are certainly several steps that you can take which could help save you from disaster during competition, in any sport.

1. A Proper Warm Up

Ok, I know you know, but did you do it? If not, then those cramps could be coming. Seriously, if you have been involved in any sport to any level, then you will be aware of the importance of a proper warm up. And I don't just mean a brisk walk up the stairs to the changing room either! A proper warm up should include a routine that gently stretches your muscles to get them ready for the increased exertion, and gets your blood flowing around your body. Not only will a warm help prevent calf cramps, they will also help prevent some of the injuries that might occur when you put sudden strain on cold muscles.

Leg pain thigh

For a lot of women, the inner thigh is a bane; a curse much like love handles and stretch marks. It’s not hard to get fatty inner thighs but it takes determination and patience to get rid of them. Women naturally store fat in the inner thighs and fad inner thigh machines that put women in awkward positions don’t work as well, driving a lot to consider surgical solutions.

Before exposing the best inner thigh workout, let’s talk about a few basic principles. Your body shape, and thus its inclination to deposit fat in certain areas is genetic and is affected by your metabolism and lifestyle, the first step is to know your body type and accept it. There are four different muscles in your inner thigh, each with a specific function. This function, obvious because of the position of the thigh, is for walking. Hip flexion or moving your leg forward and hip extension or moving it backward are the two main activities that the inner thighs engage in. The adductors, the muscle targeted by thigh topic reduction machines act as stabilizers.

This doesn’t mean that the regular exercises designed to sculpt the inner thighs don’t work. Hip adduction machines require a specific way of use to maximize its use: slowly bring them together and hold for a few seconds before slowly releasing them again. Pilates moves such as the Inner Thigh Lifts are also effective aspects of the best inner thigh workout.

There is one question when it comes to inner thigh workouts: to build muscle or not to build. Generally, the more muscle mass, the more fat burned, but, aesthetically, women do not like looking like tennis players. Thus, current exercises generally do not advise the inclusion of weights.

Back leg pain

Utter the word ‘back pain’ and almost everyone in the crowd will wince and appear familiar with the symptoms of this ailment. This is simply because back pain is one very common problem today. The official estimates worldwide show that back pain afflicts at least 2.5 million adults everyday. That is, at some time or other in their lives people have been victims of back pain in its acute form or in its mild form.

Back pain is usually felt in the region of the lower back and therefore to alleviate the pain the best answer is to concentrate on the region of the spine in that location.

For the rehabilitation of people who are chronic sufferers of back pain, the answer lies in exercise to rehabilitate the spinal area in the location of the lower back. A proper exercise regimen can also prevent the recurrence of back pain and thus make the victim feel free of the many physical and psychiatric developments that result from back pain.

But then, the regimen of exercise comes with a note of caution. A haphazard set of exercises done in any odd and whimsical manner is more harmful for the sufferer. Since this exercise system is not an act of body building or muscle toning but is meant to be a way to alleviate, prevent and even cure the problem of back pain, the pattern of exercising has to be done with its ultimate aim in mind.

This is possible only when the victim of back pain adopts a controlled, gradual, and progressive system of exercising, preferably according to the advice of the doctor, so that the back pain problem is solved satisfactorily.

Pregnancy leg pain

Pregnancy back pain in general and early pregnancy back pain in particular is a common complaint during pregnancy with more than 50% pregnant women suffering from it. Pregnant women are prone to backaches and back pain due to a number of reasons such as the extra weight of the baby or a change in the center of gravity of their body or due to hormonal changes in the early stages of pregnancy.

With the growth of the uterus, a women's center of gravity shifts forward. This gradually results in a change in the posture and movement style and may often lead to backache. Hormonal changes are a normal part of pregnancy and can cause the ligaments between our pelvic bones to often and our joints to loosen in preparation for the baby's passage through pelvis during birth. In some cases urinary infection can also result in Back pain amongst pregnant women. Severe back pain during pregnancy if accompanied by other symptoms during early pregnancy should not be ignored, as it may be a pointer to some major problem.

The most important remedy for curing pregnancy back pain is exercising. Walking, pelvic rock, bridging (on the floor with knees bent and lifting the buttocks into air), mini-crunches with bent knees and lifting the head on exhalation are good exercises for pregnant women and can go a
long way in relieving Back Pain.

The right posture and good body mechanics also play an important role in keeping one free of back

pain. Good posture is an effective remedy for pregnancy back pain during early pregnancy and one should avoid slouching. The use of a lumbar cushion or pillow can help one to avoid slouching and maintaining an appropriate posture. Back pain during pregnancy can also be reduced by appropriate muscular exercises.

Sharp leg pain

If your 1st few steps out of bed in the morning cause sharp pain in the heel of your foot, you may have plantar fasciitis. Very often it is the overuse injury affecting the sole or flexor surface (plantar) of the foot. A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means you have inflamed the tough, fibrous band of tissue (plantar fascia) a thin layer of tough tissue supporting the arch of the foot.

Repeated microscopic tears of the plantar fascia cause pain. Sometimes plantar fasciitis is called "heel spurs", but this is not always accurate, since bony growths on the heel may or may not be a factor.

You're more likely to get plantar fasciitis if you're a woman, if you're overweight, or if you have a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces. You're also at risk for plantar fasciitis, if you walk or run for exercise, especially if you have tight calf muscles that limit how far you can flex your ankles. Most people with very flat feet or very high arches are also more prone to plantar fasciitis.

There are a number of possible causes for plantar fasciitis and they often work in combination.
If you don't treat plantar fasciitis, it may become a chronic condition. You may not be able to keep up your level of activity and you may also develop symptoms of foot, knee, hip and back problems because of the way plantar fasciitis changes the way you walk.

Rest is the first treatment for plantar fasciitis. Doctors will tell you to try to keep weight off your foot until the inflammation goes away. Also, apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes three or four times a day to relieve your symptoms.

Leg pain symptom

In its first onslaught, gout usually attacks the big toe. In fact, approximately 90% of people who develop gout develop gout symptoms in their big toe. However, it is possible for gout to affect other joints. Whether it occurs in the initial attack or in later recurrences, gout can also be present in the:

- Instep
- Heel
- Ankle
- Knee
- Finger
- Wrist
- Elbow

Why does gout affect other joints? Gout occurs in other parts of the body for the same reason as it occurs in the big toe. Essentially, the body has a build up of too much uric acid. The excess uric acid develops into crystals that are often deposited into joints.

Regardless of what joint gout affects, the first attack almost always strikes at night and the infected area becomes inflamed, red, swollen and incredibly tender and painful. Most initial gout attacks clear up with in 3 – 10 days and more than half of the people, who have experienced an acute attack of gout, will have another attack within the year. If action isn’t taken to prevent gout, over time, the recurrence of gout may become more frequent, last for longer periods of time and affect more joints.

For those gout sufferers who experience frequent lingering attacks, their gout condition will eventually become chronic. Chronic cases of gout involve more joints, and the constant presence of uric acid crystal deposits within the joint, and the soft tissues that surround it, leads to persistent inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a sign that destructive changes have occurred within the joint.

Leg nerve pain

When nerves suffer damage for any variety of reasons, the pain can be life altering, if not life threatening. Finding ways to live with pain and efforts to make it go away can become an all-consuming activity in your life. Fortunately, there are medications that can help, no matter the source that triggered your pain.

Causes of nerve pain are numerous but the main ones include:

> Damaged and/or compressed nerves due to a traumatic event such as a fall,
> Nerve damage following surgery,
> Sciatica,
> Plantar fasciitis or foot pain in general,
> Fibromyalgia, pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons,
> Nerve damage caused by drug abuse,
> Post-herpetic Neuralgia (PHN), the onset pain from the Shingles Rash,
> Diabetes, neuropathy and neuropathic pain.

To get pain relief, you have several options, but none of them work all the time, and most are not without risk to your body one way or the other.

The body has the unique ability to adjust to most medications, in that, over time given sustained use; it requires more and more of the same pain relief medicine to achieve the same level of pain relief.