BURSITIS AND TENDINITIS

There's nothing worse than having an arm or leg out of action as a result of pain caused by bursitis. Because the condition arises when repeated movement puts astrain on a specific joint, bursitis often affects the elbows of gardeners and golfers' shoulders.Tendinitis, too, is a repetitive strain injury. Runners can suffer from Achilles tendinitis-, typists often experience the pain in their wrists. Healing for both conditions with acknowledging the need for a break from the activity that triggered the flare-up. Remedies designed to reduce the inflammation will help to ease the soreness.

 Have a rest 

• Take a break before you repeat the activity that triggered the pain. Be patient, as the problem may take several weeks resolve. 

• To hold down swelling, wrap an elastic bandage around the joint — but not too snugly. Then elevate the joint above the of your heart. If it's your elbow that hurts, keep it on a high -armrest, or sit in a low chair with your elbow propped up the table. If you're treating your knee, lie on your back with knee propped up on pillows. 

Run cold and hot 

• Ice your sore joint to ease pain and inflammation.Wrap up ice pack in a towel and apply it for 10 to 20 minutes every four hours. Or freeze a paper cup full of ice, tear off the top edge, and rub the ice where it hurts. Repeat the treatment three or four times a day, allowing 2 to 5 minutes for each ice application. 

• After about three days of giving joints the cold treatment —or until the joint no longer feels warm to the touch — start alternating cold with heat. Heat increases bloodflow to the injury, helping it to heal faster. Use a microwavable heat pack or an electric heating pad. Or, for contour-hugging warmth, place 2 to 3 cups of rice in a large sock, tie up the top and microwave it for 60 to 90 seconds. The rice will mould itself snugly to a knee, elbow or ankle. 

     Reach for painkillers 

• Ibuprofen is an effective anti-inflammatory that will help to relieve the swelling. It is very effective for short-term relief of this kind of pain. 

• Try Indian frankincense (boswellia). The body produces. certain chemicals that actually increase pain. But this extiacr. from the resin of the frankincense tree reduces production of those chemicals. Take one to two 150mg tablets three times day. As the pain fades, reduce the dosage.

• Consider a homeopathic remedy. If your joint is stiff and painful when you move it but feels better with more use, take a dose of Rhus toxicodendron at the 6c or 12c dilution every 3 to 4 hours until you feel relief. (The 'c' stands for 'centesimal' — a dilution of 1:100.The more dilutions carried out, the more potent the remedy is considered to be.) If the joint pain becomes worse as you move, take bryonia at the 6c or 12c dilution every 3 to 4 hours until the pain diminishes. For p that comes on suddenly and acutely, homeopathic physicians recommend ruta and arnica; the suggested dose, is the 6c 12c dilution every 3 to 4 hours.

        Soothe with a rub or a poultice 

• To soothe the aching area, rub on arnica cream or gel • remedy derived from the flowers of a mountain daisy — two three times a day. Arnica reduces swelling and inflammado and is therefore also recommended for treating bruises a sprains. For even greater relief, press a hot-water bottle heating pad against the joint after you've applied the arnica.

• Tiger Balm, a menthol-laced cream imported from Chi can melt away pain. Rub it into the sore area once or twic day. But it's a good idea to test a small patch of skin first.T is hot stuff, and some people develop a rash or redness if d use it too often. (Alert Do not get Tiger Balm near your e, or mouth, and wash your hands after using.) 

• Use a soothing ginger compress to help stop the hurt -fla the outside in. Chop 2 tablespoons of fresh root ginger, al into 500ml (18fl oz) boiling water and leave to steep 20 minutes. Immerse a folded piece of cloth in the warm t and wring it out. Lay the damp cloth over your sore joint I 5 minutes. Repeat three or four times a day.

• Vinegar, applied topically, also eases aches and pains. Soak a nnel or tea-towel in equal parts hot water and vinegar. ring it out and apply.

     

Swallow some soothers 

• Ginger isn't just for compresses. Supplements of this natural anti-inflammatory can also help. For acute pain, take one 50mg ginger root capsule twice a day. (Alert Do not take ginger if you take blood thinning drugs such as warfarin or pirin as it may interfere with blood clotting mechanisms.) 

• Give the 'curry cure' a go. Curcumin is the active onstituent in turmeric, the yellow Indian spice that's a key ngredient in many curry recipes. Turmeric has an age-old reputation as an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving agent, but it seems to be curcumin that does the real work: it has seen found to inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins hormone-like compounds in the body involved in the transmission of pain signals. Take 400 to 500mg of the dried standardize root extract three times a day. 


• Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple, reduces inflammation. The strength of the standardized extract is measured in milk-clotting units (MCU). To achieve a strong therapeutic effect, a product must contain at least 2,000 MCU. Take Amg on an empty stomach three times a day. 

• A bowl of cherries is reputed to ease arthritic pain; eat at t 20 cherries a day for pain relief equivalent to one aspirin. 

• Supplemental antioxidants can help to strengthen and repair connective tissue in your joints. Grape seed extract contains powerful antioxidant flavonoids called OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins). It is available in capsules: take 200mg at the same time each day. 

    Choose fats that care for your joints 

• Omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation. Increase the amounts in your diet by eating more oily fish, such as salmon, fresh tuna and mackerel. And consider taking fish oil supplements, in a dose of 1000-2000mg a day. Omega-3s are also found in flax seeds (linseed). Take 1 or 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds with a glass of water up to three times a day, or 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil once or twice a day. 
  

• Avoid chips and other packaged and processed foods that contain hydrogenated oils, and forgo fried foods, which are often cooked in those oils. These substances increase the inflammation in your body. 

• Warm up properly before exercise 

• As you resume sports or other normal activities, the joint that's been giving you pain will need some extra attention.. Give the muscles near the joint a good massage — either one your own or with the help of a professional masseur — for additional pain relief and relaxation. 

• Always stretch properly before and after you exercise. 

• If you have experienced knee pain, make sure that you're using the correct shoes for your sport. This is especially important before you resume a sport like tennis or running, where it's critical to have shoes that fit properly and are in excellent condition. Get rid of those worn-out pairs that have simply seen too many miles. 

• The power of prevention 

• Start a strength-training programme using light weights ti improve the muscles around the injured joint., 

• Avoid going to sleep with your arm bent over your head — that is a classic trigger for bursitis. 

• Be sure to interrupt long, repetitive chores with regular stretch breaks. 

• If you're a tennis player, avoid tennis elbow by making sure your racquet has a large-handled grip and decreased strip; tension. Also, tennis elbow can develop if the racket head is too big or too small. Have the grip, tension and racket size checked by a tennis instructor. 

• When working on your knees — pulling weeds, for exampt — kneel on a specially-designed foam-rubber pad.