Slipped disc: A holistic approach to its management and treatment

Slipped disc: A holistic approach to its management and treatment

A back pain that won't go away, discomfort around your neck and immense fatigue that comes with doing the smallest of bending movements. If you notice these symptoms you are probably suffering from a slipped disc. To help you understand the condition and the holistic treatments available for it, Dr Isac, internationally acclaimed holistic physician and founder of SOUKYA, Bangalore, explains in his book 'Dr Mathai's holistic health guide for women'. Here are excerpts from his book.

Slipped disc, also called 'spinal disc herniation', is a condition affecting the spine in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an inter-vertebral disc allows the soft, central portion to bulge out and cause nerve root compression. I get many cases of slipped disc where patients don't even realize the severity of their condition. They come complaining of an ache in the neck ranging from mild to acute pain. It is only when the pain extends to other parts of the body that such patients realize the severity of the condition. What they had previously dismissed as a sign of stress and ageing is actually a more serious condition that needs treatment. In most of these cases, the cause of the problem turns out to be a herniated disc in the cervical vertebrae which presses on the spinal nerve, thus causing pain.

Causes

Factors that lead to a slipped disc include ageing with associated degeneration, loss of elasticity of the discs and supporting structures, injury from improper lifting (especially if accompanied by twisting or turning), and excessive strain forces associated with physical activities. (Read: )

Common symptoms

Symptoms of a herniated disc can vary depending on the location of the herniation and the types of soft tissue that become involved. They can range from little or no pain—if the disc is the only tissue injured—to severe and unrelenting neck or low back pain that will radiate into the regions served by affected nerve roots that are irritated or impinged by the herniated material. (Read: )

Prevention

Prevention of slipped disc can be achieved by taking care of the following:

Exercise: Core-muscle strengthening helps stabilize and support the spine. Check with your doctor before resuming high-impact activities such as jogging or tennis. Regular exercise can improve the overall strength and tone of the supporting muscles and structures. Low back exercises are particularly important to prevent recurrent back injury.

Maintain good posture: Good posture reduces the pressure on spine and discs. Keep your back straight and aligned, particularly when sitting for long periods. Lift heavy objects properly, making the legs and not the back do most of the work. Use proper techniques while performing strenuous exercise. The worst possible combination of activities for spine is heavy lifting while bending and twisting simultaneously. (Read: )

Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight puts more pressure on the spine and discs, making them more susceptible to herniation. Use of a spine brace during heavy lifting is advised. Its use is to keep back straight and encourage proper lifting technique.

Holistic approach

Back pain being a very common disease in women, can be tackled very well with a holistic 

approach. Though this is a purely physical condition, treating it holistically gives better and long lasting results. Through the evaluation, we try to assess the patient's posture and habits. Treatments to correct the damage to the tissues and to enable the repositioning of the disc are done. This is followed by treatments to strengthen the muscles and the tissues. Simple changes in posture, reassessing your habits, and right movements help.

Homeopathy

Internal homeopathic medicines like Ruta, Hypericum, Arnica, Rhus Tox etc. help in relieving the pain. Constitutional homeopathic medicines help in addressing the problem from the root cause.

Naturopathy

Naturopathic treatments like wax therapy, hot mud packs, hydrotherapy fomentation, Infra-red light treatments, pelvic packs, spinal baths, and acupuncture help along with other treatments.

Ayurveda

The strength of Ayurveda in the area of spinal ailments is globally appreciated. Since it addresses the root cause of the issue, the results are better than surgical procedures. Ayurveda holds that the herniated disc is a result of vitiation of the three principal 'doshas', especially theVata. (Read: ) 

Treatment in Ayurveda is aimed at restoring the equilibrium through correction of the underlying functional in-equilibrium. The treatment comprises of Elimination (Sodhanam) of the accumulated toxic products and metabolism of the disease process, Pacifi cation (Samanam) and correction of the entities responsible for altered functioning, and Rasayanam (Rejuvenation) of the bodily tissue, to regain and maintain natural strength and vitality. Therapies like Abhyanga, Nasyam, Patra Potala Swedam, Choorna Swedam, Pizhichil, Shirodhara, Kadeevasthi, Greevavasthi, Navarakizhi, and Vasti are done as per the need and condition of the patient. These therapies are directed towards relieving the inflammatory changes and herniation, releasing the spasms and nerve compressions in the affected area, strengthening the supportive tissues holding the spine/joints, nourishing the entire spine, and rehydrating the discs. Usually the treatment period varies between 3–5 weeks according to the severity of the illness.

In 4–6 weeks, a majority of the patients find their symptoms are relieved without surgery. If a patient can come for the treatment in early stages, even total cure without recurrence is possible. Internal Ayurvedic medicines are also necessary.

Yoga

Specific asanas like the Bhujangasana, Ardha Chakrasana, Ushtrasana, Sethubandhasana, Kriyas, breathing and relaxation techniques, and meditation help in curing back pain. (Read: )

Diet

Avoid gassy food items which can increase pain. Minor cases can be handled at home in consultation with the doctor. Treatment at home includes application of hot or cold packs and basic pain relievers. As the condition improves, specific neck/back stretching/strengthening exercises can be done.

Bed rest or limited activity for several days followed by a gradual increase in activity over the next few weeks is advised. People with back pain have been shown to recover more quickly with normal activity as long as lifting, bending, and straining is limited.

'Dr Matahi's holistic health guide for women' is authored by Dr Issac Mathai and published by Random House India. It can be purchased online on . 

"Oriflame acquired more fans than Coca-Cola on social this year"

"Oriflame acquired more fans than Coca-Cola on social this year"

In an exclusive chat with exchange4media, Sharmili Rajput, National Marketing Director, Oriflame India, talks about the importance of print advertising for the brand, the growing direct selling category in the skin care market and more ...

Rajput has to her credit creation and management of various marketing activities for brand promotion, increase in sales and volumes of businesses and strategic positioning of brands and sub-brands. Under her leadership, Oriflame has established itself as a brand that resonates with women in India. Rajput leverages 16 years of marketing and brand building experience in the industry at Oriflame, and claims to have 20-30 per cent share of the cosmetics direct selling industry.

Excerpts:

Are there any plans of getting more into the commercial advertising space from the direct selling space?
We have been doing some commercial advertising in the last two years. There has been a definite increase in the advertising we are doing today. A lot on the print medium; this year we also ventured into radio advertising and outdoor in regions such as the North East. Yes, we are not on television yet, but have a presence on other media.

Do you have plans of getting into the television space anytime soon?
At this point in time, it is not a very effective medium for us because it is really fragmented. With print, we feel we are able to target our audience in a far more effective manner.

Oriflame is very active on social media. As a brand, it was number one globally, ahead of Coca-Cola, for the number of fans it acquired this year.

In fact, in a recent study done by Google on the most searched skin care brand, Oriflame was featured as number one. It was a cross category study in skin care. There is a lot of awareness that is developing about the brand. We have specific focus on social media, OOH and print.

We need to have a baseline of the number of consultants before we get into very large scale advertising. To give you an example, in Ukraine and Russia, the ratio of Oriflame consultants is one to ten; that is, if there are ten women standing, one of them is going to be an Oriflame consultant. Here, television advertising is justified. 

As a customer, you see TV advertising, which of course would generate a lot of awareness, but you will not know who to contact in India. Whereas, in the print medium, we are building brand awareness, and the contact details are mentioned in the advertising itself. Key really is increasing the number of consultants.

How has Sonali Bendre helped the brand as its ambassador?
Getting Sonali Bendre on board last year as our brand ambassador has helped us establish a relationship with our target audience. It has put a face to the brand you could associate and relate to.

How much does India contribute to Oriflame globally?
India is one of the fastest growing countries for Oriflame. It is an extremely important market, and because of its contribution, is amongst the top ten countries for the brand.

Besides advertising, what are the other promotional activities undertaken by the brand?
We try to create excitement around accessories. Recently, we launched brand associations with Ritu Kumar and Rohit Bal only for Oriflame consultants. Our consultants are our brand evangelists and we keep trying to create joy for them.

Given the current economic scenario, what is the kind of growth you see in the skin care segment in the direct selling space?
The beauty and skincare market is growing from seven to ten per cent; the whole market is a huge base and the direct selling industry within this base is growing at 20 per cent.

In the FMCG category, there is a very basic level of penetration in India. Skin care category will show growth because it is still an under penetrated category.

We are far from saturation even in urban centres when it comes to direct selling. Given the current economic slowdown scenario, direct selling is also an alternate means for income. Women supplement their income through this business model.

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Hair-free skin - How to avoid and treat ingrown hair: Expert tips

How to avoid and treat ingrown hair: Expert tips

Do you notice small, red boils on your skin which do not seem to go away even days after a hair removal session? These are called ingrown hairs which often turn from red to brown to black and leave a bump on your skin. We ask skin specialist  about the causes and treatments of ingrown hair.

An ingrown hair is essentially the tip of the shaven or tweezed hair growing back into the skin. This leads to redness and irritation in that area. It usually occurs in females who have thick hair growth. Another reason of ingrown hair is when hair removal methods have been performed incorrectly; for example, reverse shaving or waxing. 

Wearing tight, lycra or synthetic clothes or skin-fit denims after a waxing or shaving session further add to the possibility of ingrowths. These bumps can be painful too at times and can leave marks on your skin. (Read: )

Here are a few ways you can avoid the appearance of ingrown hair:

Do not reverse shave or wax.Wear loose clothing after hair removal.Keep the area moisturised and clean.Do not irritate the area with an existing ingrowth by waxing or shaving repeatedly.Apply some ice or cold water after waxing. This will help relieve the redness and formation of ingrown hair.If you have very coarse hair growth, opt for laser hair reduction which will make it finer and reduce the chances of rashes and ingrowths.

If you already have ingrowths on your skin, you can treat it using keratolytic creams containing 6 to 12 per cent glycolic and 0.25 per cent tretinoin. You can also visit a dermatologist who can prescribe a good chemical peel treatment to reduce the appearance of ingrown hair. 

A home remedy that comes in handy to fix this problem is the use of tea tree oil. Directly apply a few drops of it on the ingrown hair after cleansing the area with soap. Now exfoliate the hair. Tea tree oil's antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties will heal the skin and also reduce further ingrowths. (Read: )

Remember, it is best to treat the ingrown hair in the beginning itself because if left untreated, it will turn into a hard, black boil and leave a mark on your skin. So use these pointers and have silky, smooth and hair-free skin.

weight loss friends for support and motivate

weight loss friends for support and motivate

Hi Good Afternoon,

I am wisteria.

I start this thread for motivate and support to reduce weight and also maintain the weight.
Today i start my weight loss plan.
current weight -80kg
Target weight -75kg within 60 days. (oct 21 to dec 19)
Reduce 5kgs.

This is my first schedule.
my goal is 65.

who are interested share your views and also motivate together.
share your daily food items and exercise.

i shall be post my food items and exercise everyday.

Thank you.:happy:

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One child, two biological mothers – it’s possible!

One child, two biological mothers – it's possible!

Imagine a world where a child has two biological mothers! Yes the marvels of science have made it possible and the two-mum approach lets same-sex couples share the biological role. The process involves one woman's eggs, mixed in a lab dish with a donor sperm and then implanted in the other woman who carries the pregnancy. Essentially, one woman plays the role of the surrogate mother.

A New York doctor described 18 of these cases this week at a fertility conference in Boston that featured other research on ways to help same-sex couples have children. Dr Alan Copperman is medical director of Reproductive Medicine Associates, a New York City clinic that does the 'two-mum' approach.

A New York couple — Sarah Marshall, 40, a recruiter for law firms, and Maggie Leigh Marshall, 35, a real estate broker — used it to have their daughter, Graham, now 18 months old. Maggie's eggs were used to make embryos that were implanted in Sarah, and both women are listed as parents on the birth certificate. 'It allowed us both to participate,' Sarah Marshall said. 'I had to mentally and psychologically give up the idea of, is she going to look like me or my family. But from the time I started carrying her up to now, she is definitely mine.'

Maggie Marshall said she had no interest in being pregnant, but 'Sarah really wanted to have the experience. We also thought it would be a great way to bond with a kid that ultimately would look a lot like me.'  It wasn't cheap — the couple spent nearly $100,000 on multiple failed attempts before the last one worked. A single in vitro fertilisation attempt can run $15,000 to more than $20,000, depending on how much embryo testing is done and whether some embryos are frozen to allow multiple attempts from one batch.

One Canadian study suggests that more lesbian couples have been seeking fertility services in Ontario since same-sex marriage was legalised in the province a decade ago. Some doctors think interest is also up in the US. For male couples, many clinics offer egg donors and surrogate moms, using one or both men's sperm.  'The modern family is created in a way that would be humbled by traditional fertility treatments,' said Copperman. 'We're seeing more and more couples come in and want to share the parenting experience,' and their medical forms more often say 'wife' rather than 'domestic partner.'

'This is something that a lot of lesbian couples choose to do' if they can afford it, said Melissa Brisman, a reproductive law specialist in Montvale, New Jersey, who has advised many such couples. 'Some doctors really have a problem doing this for nonmedical reasons' because any medical procedures carry risks of infections or other complications, she added.  Many fertility specialists are willing, though, and see the risks as small.

'We get same-sex couples from all over the world' because some nations don't allow surrogacy or egg donation, said Roger Good, chief executive officer of HRC Fertility, which runs nine clinics in Southern California.  In the US, 'there is greater awareness and acceptability' of same-sex relationships, and 'less prejudice has allowed them to look at what their options are' for having children, he said.

Is it feasible in India?

While homosexuality has been decriminalised in India, we still continue to be a deeply homophobic society. In January, the Indian government passed laws which . According to the , diktat says that only a man-woman couple who have been married for over two years will be granted medical visas for surrogacy. This was done to ostensibly to strengthen laws and regulations surrounding surrogacy in India which is worth a staggering Rs 13,033 cr (1.5 billion pounds / 2.4 billion dollars. We guess LGBT couples will have to wait until we progress enough to realise that you don't need a man and a woman to raise a child!

,a renowned IVF specialist writes more about surrogacy.

What is surrogacy? How is it done?

The word 'surrogate' means substitute or replacement and a surrogate mother is one who lends her uterus to another couple so that they can have a baby. In the West, where fewer and fewer babies are offered for adoption, surrogacy is gaining popularity, despite controversial legal and ethical hassles. India is fast becoming the surrogacy capital of the world* because

Why is surrogacy so popular? What kinds of people need surrogacy?  Why do women choose to become a surrogate?

Surrogacy is popular for those who can't conceive children in the 'natural way'. The most common reason people opt for a surrogate is when the woman is missing a uterus. It can absent from birth (Mullerian agenesis) or may have been surgically removed (hysterectomy for life-saving reasons, such as excessive bleeding during a caesarean). Also women who've suffered multiple miscarriages, or who have failed repeated IVF attempts for unexplained reasons. Surrogacy is also an effective treatment option for gay couples and single men.

Women who agree to become surrogates may do so for compassionate reasons. This includes a sister, mother or close friend of the couple. They may also do so for financial remuneration – this could be a woman, with or without children, known or unknown to the couple, who rents her womb for a fee.

 

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hy does the moon look so big on the horizon?

hy does the moon look so big on the horizon?

Why does the moon look so big on the horizon? It's called the moon illusion

We've all seen a full moon looming large shortly after it rises, when it's still hugging the horizon. Scientists say that large moon is an illusion, a trick your brain is playing. It's called the moon illusion. Its causes aren't precisely known,

By the way, a large moon seen low in the sky might also appear red or orange in color. And that color is not an illusion.

It's a true physical effect, caused by the fact that – when the moon is low in the sky – you're seeing it through a greater thickness of Earth's atmosphere than when it's overhead.

The atmosphere filters out the bluer wavelengths of white moonlight (which is really reflected sunlight).

Meanwhile, it allows the red component of moonlight to travel straight through to your eyes. So a low moon is likely to look red or orange to you.

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