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| HEALTH & FITNESS |
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Frozen shoulders? Try physiotherapy
First diabetes vaccine set for test
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It’s dangerous to avoid workout in winter PHYSICAL activity and exercise are more important during winter yet less frequently undertaken. Generally people take in extra calories during winters, stay indoors and don’t follow a healthy exercise routine, thereby gaining weight. Undertaking regular exercises not only burns calories but also releases endorphin, a mood-enhancing hormone. Cold weather leads to the lowering of body temperature, resulting in impaired performance and cold injuries. During intense cold, when body heat loss exceeds the body’s ability to produce and retain heat, the body temperature falls below 95º F and hypothermia, a life-threatening condition sets in. Important signs are headache, confusion and altered consciousness. Physiologically, the body temperature increases during summer and, therefore, blood vessels dilate, removing excess heat from the body. In winter, when the body temperature decreases, blood vessels of the arms and legs constrict in order to avoid heat loss. Hands and feet become cold, making them prone to frostbites/chilblains. The affected area becomes painful, red and swollen, and may cause itching. Treatment includes warming, drying the affected part and wearing proper clothes followed by exercising the affected part to promote blood circulation. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to heat loss thereby accelerating the chances of cold injuries. Alcohol also leads to dehydration, impairment of judgement and a decrease in sensation, thus making an alcoholic more vulnerable to cold season injuries. Physical activity helps in protection against heart diseases, but at times vigorous exercises in cold weather can lead to a raised blood pressure, a raised heart rate in people suffering from heart diseases. Such individuals should undertake vigorous activities with caution and under proper guidance. Tips to enjoy exercise during winter:
a. Closet to the skin, wear a vest or thermal preferably made of polypropylene, which draws the sweat away from the body. Cotton material is not good as it absorbs and holds moisture close to the body. b. A second layer should provide good insulation. c.
A third layer should be of fabric which is windproof and waterproof, and can be taken off if temperature increases. The direction of the wind should be towards the face while starting the outdoor workout and at the back while coming back so as to avoid frostbite due to the evaporation of perspiration. Cool air does not freeze your lungs. In fact, by the time inhaled air reaches the lungs it attains body temperature. It is, therefore, not necessary to cover mouth and nose during winter. Exercise Programme: Exercise increases stamina, elevates mood and brings in a feeling of
well being. Exercise may not necessarily be strenuous. Just 30 minutes’ workout is sufficient. Fitness means strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. Therefore, climbing for endurance, yoga for balance and flexibility and lifting weights three times a week for strength is an ideal combination. 1. Warm up exercises should be done to get your body accustomed to vigorous activities in the cold weather. Warm-up can be done indoors on a stationary bicycle as also jogging on a treadmill,
stair climbing, on-the-spot walking, knee-bends, push-ups, etc. 2. Step outside. After a brief walk, start jogging and slowly increase your pace to the target intensity. 3. As you finish your running, slow down gradually to jogging and walking for five minutes. 4. Go indoors and do yoga exercises for flexibility. 5. Strength training with dumbbell or stretch band should be done two or three times a week. Avoiding workout during winters can lead to various medical problems. Therefore, an individual must do some physical activity, wear suitable clothes and follow safety guidelines, thus making it an enjoyable occasion. The writer, a former physiotherapist, Indian Cricket Team, is Director, Medical Services (Haryana Power Utilities).
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Frozen shoulders? Try physiotherapy CHANDIGARH: Restricted shoulder movement and unbearable pain in the shoulder-joint while carrying out the daily chores may be the symptoms of frozen shoulders when a person is unable to move his shoulders comfortably. Either one shoulder or both can be in a frozen state if a person experiences pain even with slight shoulder movement. Frozen shoulders: who are more prone?
“Frozen shoulder is a stage where a person is unable to complete the full movement of the shoulder: the shoulder does not move forward or backward without pain as it is required. A person with such a problem has to undergo unbearable pain, which is a hindrance in performing his day-to-day activities,’’ says the Head of the Department of Physiotherapy, PGI, Dr Pratima Rattan. Though the problem can affect any age group and doctors cannot pinpoint a single cause responsible for this condition of the shoulders, diabetic persons and those above 50 years are more prone to the restricted movement of their shoulders. The young too can be affected if they do not make full movement of the shoulders while carrying out their daily activities. “While we observe that the diabetics or elderly people are more prone to the problem, even the young persons who do not use their shoulders at all can have frozen shoulders. It can also include people working on computers continuously and not making the full use of their shoulders,’’ says the Head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, Prof Raj Bahadur. The treatment primarily lies in physiotherapy, which involves special exercises meant for curing the ailment. “The frozen shoulder is cured by specific exercises undertaken under the supervision of a physiotherapist. But in case the pain is so severe that the patient is unable to move the shoulders at all, then he/she is administered pain killers to prepare him for the exercises,’’ adds Prof Raj Bahadur. In some cases a steroid injection is also given in the shoulder joint to control the pain. As a part of physiotherapy, the patients are given hot fermentation and short-wave diathermy as treatment for frozen shoulders.
“This state of shoulders is not linked to whether the persons have been taking regular exercises or not. However, once the problem occurs, the treatment lies in specific exercises,’’ adds Dr Rattan. |
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First diabetes vaccine set for test LONDON: There is hope for people suffering from diabetes, for a vaccine against the most serious form of diabetes is to be tested on humans for the first time, raising the prospect that a cure could be widely available within 10 years. According to The Times, the vaccine, being produced by Clinalfa, an offshoot of the pharmaceutical giant Merck, contains a molecule identical to part of the insulin-producing islet cells. When added to human blood, it generates protective cells that block the aggressive white blood cells responsible for destroying the islets.
— ANI |
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