Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is defined as a joint disease that touches hands, hips, knees, neck and lower back and it can cause pain and even disability when it is severe.
DISC CONDITIONS
DISC CONDITIONS TREATMENT WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC THERAPY
The outcomes of degenerative disc diseases with medication, programmed exercising have not been consistent. The performing of a surgery may have other effects and it is only recommended in the cases of severe damage on the disc.
Studies suggest Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy as an important treatment option for patients suffering from disc degenerative diseases (DDD). PEMF Therapy can reduce cellular inflammation in intervertebral cells which are related to disc damage and degeneration. In a control group, where the PEMF therapy has been applied, cells treated with it had shown a decrease in pro-inflammatory markers in degeneration of the cellular matrix.
Reducing the degeneration process of the former, brings preventative and pain reduction benefits.
It also helps reduce the pain for people suffering from disc diseases but also osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and make the healing of wounds easier to happen, to have an overall good health.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy uses electromagnetic fields to correct cellular dysfunction and generate energy in our cells making our body operate effectively. Such low magnetic stimulation reduces pain, enhances bone fusion and activates the natural body healing process making a person suffering from DDD easier to live.
In pulsed electromagnetic field therapy , the magnets are electro-charged but they are not harmful to your body because the intensity and duration are properly registered and tested to provide the expected results.
WHAT IS DISC CONDITIONS
Human body’s vertebrae are separated by discs which can be flat, round or fibrous. One experiences disc conditions when damaged discs start moving out of the alignment or even break down. Discs are crucial for the structure of our vertebral column (backbone). These discs, which separate connected vertebrae, absorb the pressure we put on the spine as we move and operate daily activities. They are flexible but their flexibility starts to decrease with age. Disc conditions might cause problems to our backbone and neck.
DISC CONDITIONS TYPES
When our discs are weakened and severely damaged we call them degenerative discs. Discs at this stage can lead to conditions related to vertebra, but not only. Degenerative discs are experienced in the form of pain and later on, they advance and develop conditions such as narrowed spinal column (also known as spinal stenosis), osteoarthritis in the backbone (spinal osteoarthritis) or a slipped disc (known as spondylolisthesis).
Health conditions related to discs are categorized as below:
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- Degenerative Disc Disease is suffered by patients when the discs get damaged or even break down over time. Discs are normally damaged due to stress put on them, previous injury and/or aging. As we get older, disc fluid starts to decrease and may even dry out and this weakens the outer edges of discs causing constant pain in the human body.
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- Slipped Discs occur when the nucleus, which is the gel- like site, can herniate. That is why slipped discs are also known as herniated discs. Putting a lot of stress on the gel center, it can be pushed or can even break. When this happens, the gel presses against spinal nerves and/or the spinal cord causing pain. A herniated disc can occur in any part of the spine and results in numbness in arm and leg, too.
- Discitis is a less common disease and occurs among children under 10 years old. It is associated with autoimmune diseases and/or bacterial infections. These two are considered as causes of discitis. They cause swelling, pain and irritation of the space between spinal bones where discs are. Having caused problems in the intervertebral discs space, makes children experience pain.
DISC CONDITIONS SYMPTOMS
Disc condition symptoms are connected with the position of discs and the stress we put on them causing pressure on a nerve. In the case of herniated discs, the pain is suffered in only one side of the body but it may also stiffen the whole body.
There are cases that you may not even feel any pain and you find out you have a herniated disc only through an examination. A person might need to consider these symptoms more seriously, especially if they have experienced injury or are elderly people:
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- Pain in your lower back, arm, shoulder, leg, foot. One feels such pain if their herniated disc is situated in the lower back. If the disc is damaged around your neck, you may feel a sharp and sometimes burning pain in your shoulder and arm. Pain may get worse when you sit, bend, twist or carry things, but it gets better when you change positions. The more severe the damage, the easier it is for a patient to experience pain. They might feel pain even when they sneeze or cough.
- Chronic pain will probably be experienced by someone who has degenerative disc disease. The pain is not always severe but it can be sharp and abrupt.
- Loss of sensation or feeling in some parts of the body as results of affected nerves by the damaged discs.
- Weakened muscles can make you feel not powerful and sometimes you may not hold or carry heavy things around.
- Soreness and difficulty moving your neck. You may find it difficult to turn your head around.
If one suffers from diabetes, back pain can extend down to your leg. A doctor must be contacted at this point as such symptoms are also connected with neuropathy, too.
DISC CONDITIONS DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosing disc conditions is done through the evaluation of the symptoms, checking of any previous medical problems and then it is performed a physical examination. One might need to perform second testing and normally doctors use X-rays and scans to notice the disc damage and the severity of it if there is diagnosed one.
Health starts with knowing!
DISC CONDITIONS CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT
Treatment needs to be as less invasive as possible when there is less serious disc damage.
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- Use of medical devices (cervillar collar) which help align bones and prevent further damage on compressed discs.
- Physical exercise and stretches developed by physiotherapists in accordance with your condition. They help you relieve stiffness and improve flexibility.
- Surgery is suggested as the last solution to disc conditions and can only be performed when the disc degeneration is severe and the treatment has not relieved the patient’s pain. Spinal fusion is a type of surgery that aims to relieve a patient’s pain. Surgery might also be performed to remove a degenerative disc or a part of vertebra and when there is need to widen your spinal canal, where the nerves are found. Having nerves removed, one feels no pain.
Read about conditions that Electromagnetic Therapy treats
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass production. The former leads to the fragility of bones and therefore raises the risks of experiencing fractures.
Sports Injuries
Sports injuries occur when somebody engages in strenuous or improper physical activity. Lack of warm up exercises before training increases the risks of experiencing sports injuries.
Wound Healing
Wound healing is a dynamic and complex process that consists of four continuous stages such as: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.
Wellness and Fitness
Wellness and health are commonly used interchangeably but they have a significant difference in meaning. Our health or lack of it is a composition of diagnosis of any diseases, family history and predisposition to certain diseases and injuries.
Veterinary Services
Animal wellness refers to the general health of our pets. An animal is subject to almost the same health problems as a human and needs to be treated by veterinarians in veterinary centers.
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