Sunday, October 26, 2014

Muscle cramps facts

Muscle cramps facts

  • A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax.
  • Almost everyone experiences a muscle cramp at some time in their life.
  • There are a variety of types and causes of muscle cramps.
  • Numerous medicines can cause muscle cramps.
  • Most muscle cramps can be stopped if the muscle can be stretched.
  • Muscle cramps can often be prevented by measures such as adequate nutrition and hydration, attention to safety when exercising, and attention to ergonomic factors.

What are muscle cramps?

A muscle cramp is an involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. When we use the muscles that can be controlled voluntarily, such as those of our arms and legs, they alternately contract and relax as we move our limbs. Muscles that support our head, neck, and trunk contract similarly in a synchronized fashion to maintain our posture. A muscle (or even a few fibers of a muscle) that involuntarily (without consciously willing it) contracts is in a "spasm." If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it becomes a cramp. Muscle cramps often cause a visible or palpable hardening of the involved muscle.
Rest cramps: Cramps at rest are very common, especially in older adults, but may be experienced at any age, including childhood. Rest cramps often occur during the night. While not life threatening, night cramps (commonly known as nocturnal cramps) can be painful, disruptive of sleep, and they can recur frequently (that is, many times a night, and/or many nights each week). The actual cause of night cramps is unknown. Sometimes, such cramps are initiated by making a movement that shortens the muscle. An example is pointing the toe down while lying in bed, which shortens the calf muscle, a common site of muscle cramps.
Dehydration: Sports and other vigorous activities can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration. This kind ofdehydration increases the likelihood of true cramps. These cramps are more likely to occur in warm weather and can be an early sign of heat stroke. Chronic volume depletion of body fluids from diuretics (medicine that promote urination) and poor fluid intake may act similarly to predispose to cramps, especially in older people. Sodium depletion has also been associated with cramps. Loss of sodium, the most abundant chemical constituent of body fluids outside the cell, is usually a function of dehydration.
Body fluid shifts: True cramps also may be experienced in other conditions that feature an unusual distribution of body fluids. An example is cirrhosis of the liver, which leads to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites). Similarly, cramps are a relatively frequent complication of the rapid body fluid changes that occur during dialysis for kidney failure.
Low blood calcium, magnesium: Low blood levels of either calcium or magnesium directly increase the excitability of both the nerve endings and the muscles they stimulate. This may be a predisposing factor for the spontaneous true cramps experienced by many older adults, as well as for those that are commonly noted duringpregnancy. Low levels of calcium and magnesium are common in pregnant women unless these minerals are supplemented in the diet. Cramps are seen in any circumstance that decreases the availability of calcium or magnesium in body fluids, such as taking diuretics, hyperventilation(overbreathing), excessive vomiting, inadequate calcium and/or magnesium in the diet, inadequate calcium absorption due to vitamin D deficiency, poor function of the parathyroid glands (tiny glands in the neck that regulate calcium balance), and other conditions.
Low potassiumLow potassium blood levels occasionally cause muscle cramps, although it is more common for low potassium to be associated with muscle weakness.

What is the treatment of skeletal muscle cramps?


Most cramps can be stopped if the muscle can be stretched. For many cramps of the feet and legs, this stretching can often be accomplished by standing up and walking around. For a calf muscle cramp, the person can stand about 2 to 2.5 feet from a wall (possibly farther for a tall person) and lean into the wall to place the forearms against the wall with the knees and back straight and the heels in contact with the floor. (It is best to learn this maneuver at a time when you don't have the cramp.) Another technique involves flexing the ankle by pulling the toes up toward the head while still lying in bed with the leg as straight as possible. For writer's cramp (contractures in the hand), pressing the hand on a wall with the fingers facing down will stretch the cramping finger flexor muscles.
Gently massaging the muscle will often help it to relax, as will applying warmth from a heating pad or hot soak. If the cramp is associated with fluid loss, as is often the case with vigorous physical activity, fluid and electrolyte (especially sodium and potassium) replacement is essential. Medicines generally are not needed to treat an ordinary cramp that is active since most cramps subside spontaneously before enough medicine would be absorbed to even have an effect.

How can you prevent muscle cramps?

These tips may help prevent muscle cramps:
  • Drink plenty of water and other fluids, enough so that your urine is light yellow or clear like water.
  • Limit or avoid drinks with alcohol.
  • Make sure you are eating healthy foods (especially if you are pregnant) that are rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
  • Ride a bike or stationary bike to condition and stretch your muscles.
  • Stretch slideshow.gif your muscles every day, especially before and after exercise and at bedtime.
  • Don't suddenly increase the amount of exercise you get. Increase your exercise a little each week.
  • Take a daily multivitamin supplement.
If you are taking medicines that are known to cause leg cramps, your doctor may prescribe different medicines.

What if muscle cramps keep coming back?

Talk with your doctor if you have muscle cramps that keep coming back or are severe. These may be symptoms of another problem, such as restless legs syndrome.
If cramps keep coming back, bother you a lot, or interfere with your sleep, your doctor may prescribe medicine that relaxes your muscles.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated: March 12, 2014

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Save your heart

It was turmeric, the delicious root with lots of health benefits. I began digging around it, careful not to damage the cluster of roots in the ground. After a moment the root came up easily and I shook off the dirt and lay them on the ground.
The first thing that strikes me about turmeric is that it looks like a cross between ginger and a carrot. Your fingers turn orange immediately as soon as you touch the root.
Turmeric has a brownish-reddish outer layer, while ginger is white with a touch of purple when you dig it up. Peel off or cut through turmeric and you’ll see a rich orange color like a carrot or sweet potato.
The strongest component of turmeric is curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.
One of the most important benefits of curcumin is how it helps improve blood flow to your whole body.
Poor blood flow can lead to high blood pressure, poor sexual performance, even Alzheimer’s disease. Decreased blood flow can also contribute to stroke, hardening of the arteries, and kidney disease.
Curcumin can protect your entire cardiovascular system. It even improves the bioavailability of the metabolic regulator nitric oxide, the molecule that signals your blood vessels to relax for greater blood flow.1
If you have blood sugar problems like diabetes or even pre-diabetes, it can lead to reduced blood flow as well. Curcumin has been used for centuries by traditional Balinese healers to lower blood sugar for people with diabetes, improving their blood flow, too.2
Male potency problems are another result of reduced blood flow. Drug companies would like you to believe that their drugs are the only remedy for the problem of ED… yet when they tested curcumin against Cialis for just this purpose, curcumin was much more effective than the drug Cialis. Curcumin improves blood flow and nitric oxide levels in the blood, and is more effective and lasts longer than their lab-created drug.3
And, if you’ve gone through or are going through menopause, you already know that it reduces blood flow throughout your body. This is one of the reasons why menopause reduces libido, and it makes menopausal women at higher risk for cardiac events.
When there’s a risk for heart problems, most mainstream doctors immediately try to prescribe a statin drug. Yet curcumin is better for your heart and improving blood flow. One study found that curcumin was equal to exercise for improving blood flow in post-menopausal women.4
Turmeric comes in many forms, and they all have curcumin in them.
An easy way to get it is to visit an Indian specialty shop. I have one near my home in South Florida. That makes it easy for me to drop in and pick up fresh turmeric root and curcumin. Plus, it’s such a pleasant experience walking through the door. The pungent spices sort of make you feel like you’ve been on a trip far away.
You can buy turmeric in conventional ground form, or whole. I cut up turmeric root and put it in stir fry dishes and stews. I put ground curcumin in soups and cooked vegetables. I try to use some every day because of the benefits.
If you’re going to buy it ground, make sure it’s all curcumin and not just some of the root ground up with curry.
Pure curcumin is available in a supplement. Most are low quality and either aren’t absorbed very well or pass through your system too quickly. So to get more bang for your buck, get a curcumin supplement that contains piperine, a black pepper extract that increases its absorbency.
Also, remember that the curcumin is the main beneficial component of turmeric root, so look for at least 90% or greater curcuminoids, whichever formula you use.
To Your Good Health,
Dr. Sears' Signature image
Al Sears, MD

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

सर्दियों में बादाम से ज्यादा असरदार है चना, रोज खाएंगे तो होंगे ये ढेरों फायदे

सर्दियों में बादाम से ज्यादा असरदार है चना, रोज खाएंगे तो होंगे ये ढेरों फायदे
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सर्दियों में रोजाना 50 ग्राम चना खाना शरीर के लिए बहुत लाभकारी होता है। आयुर्वेद मे माना गया है कि चना और चने की दाल दोनों के सेवन से शरीर स्वस्थ रहता है। चना खाने से अनेक रोगों की चिकित्सा हो जाती है। इसमें कार्बोहाइड्रेट, प्रोटीन, नमी, चिकनाई, रेशे, कैल्शियम, आयरन व विटामिन्स पाए जाते हैं। चने का गरीबों का बादाम कहा जाता है, क्योंकि ये सस्ता होता है लेकिन इसी सस्ती चीज में बड़ी से बड़ी बीमारियों की लड़ने की क्षमता है। चने के सेवन से सुंदरता बढ़ती है साथ ही दिमाग भी तेज हो जाता है। मोटापा घटाने के लिए रोजाना नाश्ते में चना लें। अंकुरित चना 3 साल तक खाते रहने से कुष्ट रोग में लाभ होता है। गर्भवती को उल्टी हो तो भुने हुए चने का सत्तू पिलाएं। चना पाचन शक्ति को संतुलित और दिमागी शक्ति को भी बढ़ाता है। चने से खून साफ होता है जिससे त्वचा निखरती है।
सर्दियों में चने के आटे का हलवा कुछ दिनों तक नियमित रूप से सेवन करना चाहिए। यह हलवा वात से होने वाले रोगों में व अस्थमा में फायदेमंद होता है।
रात को चने की दाल भिगों दें सुबह पीसकर चीनी व पानी मिलाकर पीएं। इससे मानसिक तनाव व उन्माद की स्थिति में राहत मिलती है। 50 ग्राम चने उबालकर मसल लें। यह जल गर्म-गर्म लगभग एक महीने तक सेवन करने से जलोदर रोग दूर हो जाता है।
चने के आटे की की नमक रहित रोटी 40 से 60 दिनों तक खाने से त्वचा संबंधित बीमारियां जैसे-दाद, खाज, खुजली आदि नहीं होती हैं। भुने हुए चने रात में सोते समय चबाकर गर्म दूध पीने से सांस नली के अनेक रोग व कफ दूर हो जाता हैं।
25 ग्राम काले चने रात में भिगोकर सुबह खाली पेट सेवन करने से डायबिटीज दूर हो जाती है। यदि समान मात्रा में जौ चने की रोटी भी दोनों समय खाई जाए तो जल्दी फायदा होगा।
चने को पानी में भिगो दें उसके बाद चना निकालकर पानी को पी जाएं। शहद मिलाकर पीने से किन्हीं भी कारणों से उत्पन्न नपुंसकता समाप्त हो जाती है।
हिचकी की समस्या ज्यादा परेशान कर रही हो तो चने के पौधे के सूखे पत्तों का धुम्रपान करने से शीत के कारण आने वाली हिचकी तथा आमाशय की बीमारियों में लाभ होता है।
पीलिया में चने की दाल लगभग 100 ग्राम को दो गिलास जल में भिगोकर उसके बाद दाल पानी में से निकलाकर 100 ग्राम गुड़ मिलाकर 4-5 दिन तक खाएं राहत मिलेगी।
देसी काले चने 25-30 ग्राम लेकर उनमें 10 ग्राम त्रिफला चूर्ण मिला लें चने को कुछ घंटों के लिए भिगो दें। उसके बाद चने को किसी कपड़े में बांध कर अंकुरित कर लें। सुबह नाश्ते के रूप में इन्हे खूब चबा चबाकर खाएं।
बुखार में ज्यादा पसीना आए तो भूने को पीसकर अजवायन और वच का चूर्ण मिलाकर मालिश करनी चाहिए।
चीनी के बर्तन में रात को चने भिगोकर रख दे। सुबह उठकर खूब चबा-चबाकर खाएं इसके लगातार सेवन करने से वीर्य में बढ़ोतरी होती है व पुरुषों की कमजोरी से जुड़ी समस्याएं खत्म हो जाती हैं। भीगे हुए चने खाकर दूध पीते रहने से वीर्य का पतलापन दूर हो जाता है।
दस ग्राम चने की भीगी दाल और 10 ग्राम शक्कर दोनों मिलाकर 40 दिनों तक खाने से धातु पुष्ट हो जाती है।
गर्म चने रूमाल या किसी साफ कपड़े में बांधकर सूंघने से जुकाम ठीक हो जाता है। बार-बार पेशाब जाने की बीमारी में भुने हूए चनों का सेवन करना चाहिए। गुड़ व चना खाने से भी मूत्र से संबंधित समस्या में राहत मिलती है। रोजाना भुने चनों के सेवन से बवासीर ठीक हो जाता है।