Joint Pain Management

16/09/2023

27/07/2023

Hyperextended knee.(Genu Recurvatum)
A hyperextended knee is an injury that happens when your knee is bent backward beyond its usual limit. Sports injuries and other traumas apply a lot of force to your knee's connective tissue (the tendons, ligaments and cartilage that hold it in place and help it move).
Symptoms.
Pain.
Swelling.
Trouble moving your knee like you usually can.
Instability or feeling like your knee is weaker than usual.
Bruising or discoloration.
Causes.
Most hyperextensions are caused during sports or other physical activities. Traumas like falling can also cause your knee to hyperextend. Anything that forces your knee backward can cause a hyperextended knee.
Test.
Stand in front of a full-length mirror and turn to the side. Take a look at your legs; are both legs straight and even, or does one knee dip back a bit farther than the other? It may be subtle and something you've not noticed before, or it may be more pronounced and something you've been concerned about.
Treatment.
Rest: Avoid the activity that caused your injury. ...
Ice: Apply a cold compress to your knee for 15 minutes at a time, four times a day.
Compression: You can wrap your knee in an elastic bandage to help reduce swelling.
Exercises.
swimming.
gentle hamstring stretches.
stationary bike.
straight leg raises.
wall sits.
lateral step-up.
quad sets — strengthening the quads (thigh muscles) by contracting, holding and releasing the muscles, placing a rolled towel under the knee for support if lying down.
Brace.
managing a hyperextending knee. In the case of quadriceps weakness which will not regain full strength, a specific knee orthosis to prevent hyperextension is a good option.
Surgery.
It's rare to need surgery after a hyperextended knee. However, if the injury that caused your hyperextension damaged tendons like your ACL or PCL, you might need surgery to repair those tears. Most of the time, surgery to repair damage in your knees is an outpatient procedure, which means you can go home the same day.

27/07/2023

Lordosis is a medical condition characterized by an excessive inward curvature of the lower spine, leading to a pronounced arch in the back. While the spine naturally has a slight inward curve, an exaggerated or abnormal curvature can cause various symptoms and complications.
There are several factors that can contribute to the development of lordosis. One common cause is poor posture, particularly habits like slouching or sitting with an excessive arch in the lower back.
Prolonged periods of poor posture can strain the muscles and ligaments supporting the spine, leading to an abnormal curvature.
In some cases, lordosis may be associated with underlying conditions such as obesity, osteoporosis, or certain neuromuscular disorders.
In these instances, the abnormal curvature is often a secondary symptom of the underlying condition.
The symptoms of lordosis can vary depending on the severity of the curvature.
Mild cases may not cause any noticeable symptoms, while more severe cases can result in lower back pain, muscle stiffness, and difficulty in maintaining a neutral standing or sitting position.
Treatment for lordosis depends on the underlying cause and the severity of the curvature.
It typically involves a combination of interventions, including physical therapy, exercises to strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight ones, pain management techniques, and lifestyle modifications to improve posture and body mechanics.
In severe cases, where conservative measures do not provide relief, surgical intervention may be considered to correct the curvature and alleviate symptoms.
However, surgery is generally reserved for rare cases and is not the first-line treatment option.

27/07/2023

FOOT DROP
Foot drop is the inability to dorsiflex your ankle or having difficulty in lifting your forefoot. This normally occurs following weakness in any of the ankle dorsiflexors, usually the tibialis anterior muscle.
The weakness is initiated by injury to the main nerve that gives innervation to the tibialis anterior muscle called common peroneal nerve.
The common peroneal nerve is one of two main branches of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve which takes its roots from L4-S3 spinal roots and travels down the thigh before dividing into two main branches which one of them forms the common peroneal nerve. The common peroneal nerve further divides into deep and superficial nerves.
The deep peroneal nerve gives innervation to the tibialis anterior muscle, which is the primary mover of the ankle into dorsiflexion.
Injury to this nerve will result to weakness in the tibialis anterior muscle and this will result to a dropped foot.
This means that, there will be an unopposed force from the ankle dorsiflexors due to the weakness, and will cause the foot to remain plantarflexed more times.
When this is not corrected, the patient gait will be affected badly.
CAUSES/RISK FACTORS:
The main cause of foot drop can be as result of injury or irritation of the deep peroneal nerve. As this nerve is one of the branches of the sciatic nerve, having problem with the sciatic nerve could also lead to foot drop.
Conditions that create sciatic pressure such as lumbar disc herniation, spondylolisthesis,and spinal stenosis, as well as infection, medical problems like tumor or stroke, neurological disorders like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, GBS, Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy may equally pose a higher risk of developing foot drop. In the same way, foot drop may occur following irritation of the peroneal nerve in hip and knee replacement surgeries.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
Early signs of foot drop include the following;
1. Numbness on the top part of the foot
2. Trouble holding onto footwear, especially flip-flops or shoes without back
3. Weakness lifting the foot at the ankle
The latter can be the main reason for a stepping gait pattern in most patients with foot drop, which is very abnormal.