Archive for September, 2009
When you have knee pain it can occur for a lot of reasons. You can have pain when you run, walk, or even when you are trying to rest your leg. It can come from an acl tear, mcl tear, or meniscus tear. The list goes on and on. Only you really know how much pain you are in. Only you know the feeling of instability and pain.
Here are some simple things you can do.
First, rest your knee. Yes, this will always help it feel feel better. Depending on the level of your injury, this may be a perfect option for you.
Second, ice and elevation. This is an age old way of helping to reduce swelling and, consequently, helps reduce your pain temporarily as well. Often, rest is the part that is missed out in this formula – the formula being, you have to rest your leg to use the ice and to elevate your leg.
Third, find a good knee brace. A discount one will only be a waste of money. The brace will last a long time and always be there if you need it.
One of the fastest growing segments in the health and fitness industry is elliptical exercise equipment. It has been one of the most recommended exercise machines by physical trainers as it provides a total body workout. Elliptical trainers are one of the most popular pieces of exercise equipment and are excellent tools for getting a cardiovascular aerobic workout indoors or outdoors. The major benefit of an elliptical machine is that it burns more calories while reducing the risk of injury.
An elliptical exercise machine provides a maximum amount of efficiency when working out. Many of these machines work multiple parts of the body at the same time. Jogging, for instance, focuses more on your lower body and tends to produce impact and overuse injuries. A good elliptical machine will work on several parts of your body including the muscles in your legs, arms, back and abdomen.
Foot arthritis is often described as one of the more common forms of arthritis. The fact is, the foot consists of 28 bones and 30 joints, any of which are susceptible to arthritis. If arthritis develops in any of these joints, it is going to affect the way you walk, run and move in general. The joints in the foot which are more commonly affected are the big toe, the ankle, the mid foot and the hind foot joints.
The most common form of arthritis which develops in the foot is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the result of getting older and the bones becoming brittle. There has been considerable wear and tear on the joints and cartilage. The cartilage wears down and the bones rub together resulting in pain and swelling. This sometimes results in drop foot which then requires foot drop braces.
If you are looking for a neoprene brace then you will usually come upon two different types. Wrap around knee supports and the pull on knee sleeves. There are benefits to both.
Sometimes, people like to have a brace that wraps around their thigh, knee and leg. This is because you may have a fluctuation in size, or you may like to wear your brace more snugly sometimes or more loosely other times. This is the benefit of a wrap around knee support. You will have the ability to adjust it if, and when, you need to.
The classic style of a neoprene knee brace is a “knee sleeve”. These braces are good for many reasons. First of all they can slide on over your leg and many times you do not need any straps. Whereas, you might need straps with the wrap around style. They will often times have an open knee cap that will allow for good ventilation.
For some people, having workout equipment, like a treadmill, in their home is a necessity. It provides a great way to be keep fit and healthy, even when indoors. For most users, Treadmills are the most sought after piece of gym equipment that can be easily placed and stored in your their home. Most, if not all, are designed to be compact and manageable so as to hide away in a closet or garage when not in use.
The foldable treadmill is the perfect solution for those who have limited space, like flats and apartments. Be sure to get the overall dimensions of the unit so that you at least have an idea of where you can place it when you workout. However, every treadmill unit design may have a different size and not all slim and foldable treadmills are easy to store. You may be amazed that some units may look diminutive in size but it would take a muscled individual to move them. So better plan ahead of time before you purchase one!
Tennis players have benefited tremendously in the past few years from innovations in racket technology. Not only have these improvements helped with technique and shot execution, but they’ve also made the sport safer. It’s rare indeed that you’ll hear of someone suffering the effects of tennis elbow, a condition caused and exacerbated by the overuse of arm and forearm muscles in an improper manner.
These days, lower body issues are much more common on the tennis court. Depending on the grit and traction of the court itself, slips and falls are not uncommon. Turned ankles occur more often than most players would like to admit, but an ankle brace can remedy that problem after the fact. Most braces allow enough freedom of movement that they can be worn during play without impeding progress.
Sciatica symptoms commonly affecte only one side of the body. Sciatic pain is described as a sharp, dull shooting pain followed by intermittent shocks which travel down to the back of the legs. It can even extend right below the knee and foot. Symptoms of sciatic pain differ depending from the affected nerve root location on the lumbar spine.
The symptoms of sciatic pain affecting L4 nerve roots (L3-L4 level) manifesting at this level may include reduced knee-jerk reflex or pain and numbness on the outer foot. Difficulty in moving the affected toes or foot can also result.
Sciatic pain affecting L5 nerve root (L4-L5 level) can cause weakness on the big toe and ankle. It is often commonly termed foot drop. Symptoms originating at this level include top of foot numbness, specifically between the big toe and second toe.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease that affects about 2.1 million Americans, mostly women. It has been shown to attack multiple joints throughout the body. It is estimated that 1.5 million women and 600,000 men are victims of this debilitating disease. Of these affected, approximately 90% of the people with RA eventually develop foot or ankle problems and even deformity. In fact, many of the early symptoms of RA often include foot problems. Problems with feet are more common than problems with the hand and only second to the knee. Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can lead to serious disability, such as foot drop, when the person has to wear foot drop braces to be able to walk.
The exact cause of RA is still unknown, even with years of study. Some possible causes include genetics from parents, chemical or environmental “triggers”. These all lead to a malfunction of the immune system. In RA, the immune system turns against itself and damages the joints causing cartilage inflammation.