The locomotor system is made up of the bones, joints, and muscles that give the ability of the movement to the humans. It is not only responsible for the ability to move but also provides stability, protect the vital organs, hold the body upright, store the minerals, calcium, and phosphorus, forms the immunity of the body in the bone marrow, and provides support to the body. In an adult, the skeleton is made up of 206 bones. There are five main shapes of bones: long, short, flat, irregular, and sesamoid.

Joint: When two or more bones come in contact with each other forms a joint is an area where two or more bones are in contact with each other. Cartilage acts as a cushion inside the joints, keeps the bones rubbing into one another. The strength is provided by the ligaments.

Synovial joint: These joints have fluid in them which helps in the lubrication of the joint so that the bones can mover over each other. The arms legs, the knee joint are examples of the synovial joint.

Cartilaginous joint: These joints are more responsible for the stability of the body and are less likely to move. Examples are the joints in the spine and pelvis.

Fibrous joint: The joints in the skull are made of fibrous joints. The only action is to maintain stability.





Muscles: The muscles in the skeletal system keep the bones in place. They run over one bone to another, passing over at least one joint. They are attached to the bones by tendons(long thin ends of the muscles). There are different types of joints and muscles in the body, each having different functions to perform.

The muscular system is categorized into three types: skeletal, cardiac and smooth with each having a specialized function to perform. The skeletal muscle is under voluntary control, the brain instructs to contract and relax the muscle, and thus helps in the physical movement across bones and joints. The muscles always work in pairs, one contracts, and the corresponding muscle relaxes. Greater corporal activity greater is the strength of the skeletal muscles.

Unlike the skeletal muscles, the smooth muscle is involuntary in action. The smooth muscles help in the regulation of the blood pressure, airways and chemical processes like digestion.

Another muscle that cannot be consciously controlled is cardiac muscle. The heart is made of this muscle. The heart beats with the contraction of cardiac muscle.



The musculoskeletal system just like any other system is prone to many different diseases and disorders that adversely affect the strength and gross function of this system. However, the diseases may be difficult to diagnose as the musculoskeletal system is very closely related to other internal systems. The musculoskeletal system is composed of the bones, joints, and muscles attached altogether which are incumbent for the motility of the body.

Disorders of muscles and joints include articular, neurologic (incapability to respond to stimuli or to give nerve impulse), toxins, and infectious diseases (can cause paralysis, paresis, or ataxia), endocrine abnormalities, metabolic disorders, blood, and vascular disorders, and nutritional imbalances.

The pain may also be caused by various medical conditions and injuries affecting the musculoskeletal system: Sprains, fractures (broken bones), muscle strains and tears, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis.

The pain may also be a referred type to the musculoskeletal system from other diseased organs: kidney stones causing pain lumbar region, shoulder pain associated with a disorder affecting the lungs, spleen, or gallbladder, abdominal aortic aneurysm, inflammation of the pancreas, or, in women, pelvic disorders. Pain in arm associated with a heart attack.

Pain: The pain in the muscle is called myalgia whereas the pain in joints is referred to as arthralgia. Often both the pains are intensely difficult to bear. It may be so severe to effects the routine activity and sleep of the person. The pain may also be caused by compression of nerves due to some musculoskeletal disorders including carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. When the nerve supply is affected the pain is mostly felt as burning accompanied by tingling and numbness.

Muscle pain can be very unpleasant mostly appear after an injury, infection, ischemia or tumor. The pain appears in the form of a spasm or cramp.

Joint pain may have a wide variety of causes such as arthritis(inflammatory, osteoarthritis, infectious arthritis), gout and related disorders, autoimmune disorders (systemic lupus erythematosus) and vasculitis ( including immunoglobulinopthies), osteonecrosis, and injuries that affect any part of a bone inside a joint. Joint pain is usually worse after movement but may also be present in the resting position. Joint pain is more intense than the muscular pains. Sometimes the origin of the pain is due to the same nerve supply of the joint and the nearby structures like ligaments, tendons, and bursae.

Fibromyalgia: The widespread pain in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments. The pain is felt as tenderness in various locations except for the joints. It is mostly accompanied by poor sleep patterns and fatigue. The person finds it hard to describe precisely the location of the pain. Other symptoms may also be present.





Diagnosis: After performing a thorough physical examination the doctor may order some tests to support the diagnosis. The following tests are necessary to confirm whether the symptoms affection joints and muscles are caused due to an infection, trauma/injury, toxin or diseases of other organs.

Blood tests including ESR, rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies to rule out rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Commonly, these tests are suggested only if symptoms specifically indicate such a disorder.

X-rays are primarily performed in cases of suspected fracture, less commonly in case of a bone tumor or infection or certain kind of arthritis (like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), abnormalities and disorder of soft tissues like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bursae can be identified using MRI, unlike plain x-rays. MRI can also detect fractures that cannot be identified using a plain x-ray.

Computed tomography(CT): CT scan is a very sensitive test that often provides detail of a problem or fracture found on plain x-rays. It is useful if MRI cannot be done or is unavailable.

Other imaging tests include ultrasonography, arthrography, joint fluid testing, and bone scanning. In some cases of infection, a biopsy or joint aspiration may be performed.





Diagnosis: After performing a thorough physical examination the doctor may order some tests to support the diagnosis. The following tests are necessary to confirm whether the symptoms affection joints and muscles are caused due to an infection, trauma/injury, toxin or diseases of other organs.

Blood tests including ESR, rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies to rule out rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Commonly, these tests are suggested only if symptoms specifically indicate such a disorder.

X-rays are primarily performed in cases of suspected fracture, less commonly in case of a bone tumor or infection or certain kind of arthritis (like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), abnormalities and disorder of soft tissues like muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bursae can be identified using MRI, unlike plain x-rays. MRI can also detect fractures that cannot be identified using a plain x-ray.

Computed tomography(CT): CT scan is a very sensitive test that often provides detail of a problem or fracture found on plain x-rays. It is useful if MRI cannot be done or is unavailable.

Other imaging tests include ultrasonography, arthrography, joint fluid testing, and bone scanning. In some cases of infection, a biopsy or joint aspiration may be performed.





Prevention

A healthy diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins is the best way to keep illness and injury to affect the musculoskeletal system.

Add milk and milk products to your diet to meet the calcium demands of the body.

Maintain a healthy weight

Be as active as you can.

Make a habit of routine exercise.

Proper sleep and rest are very necessary.

Stay hydrated.





Treatment:

Pain relievers: Conventional doctor may recommend pain relievers like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or if the pain is severe, opioids.

Hot or cold therapy: Depending on the cause, immobilizing the joint or applying cold or heat helps in relieving the pain.

The pain is best alleviated by treating the cause

Healthy Joints and Muscles with Homeopathy



Human beings are an industrious species and we are never content to be static but always striving towards new goals and tasks. Just as a machine would rust and degrade over time so does a human body. Our joints and muscles bear the most brunt of our body weight and everyday tasks and naturally undergo wear and tear with time. They provide us with support to maintain our posture and helps us move and carry out simple and complex tasks with efficiency. It is important to take good care of our skeletal system so we can be mobile, active and pain free. With homeopathy it is easy to manage different conditions of joints and muscles so long as appropriate care is taken to keep them in best shape.



Joint pain is an increasingly common condition affecting people of almost all age groups and both sexes. In younger ages joint troubles are usually those acquired by falls and injuries. On the other end of the spectrum, the older age group mostly suffers from degenerative conditions of the joints. Joint pain is usually accompanied by redness, swelling and stiffness of the affected area. Chronic joint disease eventually leads to deformity of the joint, which means it may attain an unnatural attitude from which it may be difficult to recover. Rheumatoid arthritis is a notorious condition leading to joint deformities. It causes severe pain in small joints (commonly fingers) and morning stiffness that takes a long time to regress.



A variety of conditions can adversely affect joints and muscles. The simplest factor is aging. Over time our bones start degenerating, synovial fluid (which keeps our joints well lubricated) dries up, joint deformities set in and osteoarthritis may become evident. Hip and knee pains become a common occurrence. The condition is exacerbated in women after menopause because of lack of estrogen.



Joints and muscles are also degraded because of a sedentary lifestyle and poor posture. Presently the habit of slouching over computers and mobile phones has led to an alarming increase in joint problems (example, cervical spondylosis) in young adults. Certain acute infections and fevers give rise to a chronic arthropathy (joint disease); the best example is joint pains post chikungunya. Homeopathic medicine for joint pain after chikungunya is widely used and proven to be extremely beneficial in eradicating this complaint. Joints and muscles are also prone to a variety of injuries. Some examples are tennis elbow, fractures, sprains, twisted ankle, etc. While fractures certainly require immobilization and cast placement, homeopathic medicines help in speeding up the healing process and manage pain.



Lately as we have stepped into the era of auto-immune diseases joints have become more vulnerable. Most common auto-immune disease affecting joints is rheumatoid arthritis. Such diseases not only cause pain and disability, they are also chronic and obstinate in nature. Fortunately, homeopathic medicine for joint pain and stiffness has shown great benefits. Another disease condition causing severe joint pains is gout. This occurs due to an increase in blood uric acid levels. Small joints of the feet are largely affected. For gout Schwabe India manufactures Berberis Pentarkan and Topi Berberis cream that have excellent results.



There are a variety of steps we can take to ensure that our joints remain in good condition and do not cause pain and disability. The first and foremost is to maintain a good diet. Calcium levels are falling to alarming levels in urban dwellers and this leads to brittle bones and exaggerated injuries. Diet rich in milk and milk products, roasted foxnuts and broccoli are helpful. Ghee and butter should be taken in moderate quantity to keep our joints well lubricated. Protein intake should be restricted in patients of gout. Good posture habits should be encouraged from childhood. People who have longer working hours at a desk should take regular breaks to stretch their limbs and joints. Regular exercise works wonders in keeping the body agile and healthy and the joints retain their full range of function.



Schwabe India manufactures a wide range of medicines that range from specific clinical conditions to general upkeep of joints and muscles. Magnesia phos, Calcarea phos, Calcarea fluor and Biocombination no.19 are some of the best homeopathic medicines for joint pains. Topi Arnica cream is an excellent homeopathic medicine for joint pain and swelling after injury. Homeopathic medicines are also available for joint pains in knees, fingers, sacroiliac joint and other. This ensures that a wide range of diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis have great therapeutic potential in the system of homeopathy. This becomes especially important considering that such diseases generally have an unsatisfactory course of treatment by conventional methods. It is recommended that a qualified homeopathic physician be consulted to receive the best possible care for joints and muscles.