Muscle, Bone and Joint (earlier named Arthritis)

Talking and writing about health related experiences is still not common in Asia.  This International Women’s Day, we reach out to three dynamic women who share their experience as patient or caregiver to understand their motivations. In the second part we talk to Kirtida Oza, Co-founder Director of Sjogren's India. Kirtida, tell us about the journey to a diagnosis of Sjögren’s Syndrome In 1989 I became a Mother! My little son was the source of great happiness for our family and I enjoyed…

MHR, as she prefers to be referred to as, has been battling Behcet’s Syndrome, a rare auto-immune disease for the last 17 years. Having been through various stages of pain, depression and hopelessness, body image issues she has tried ayurveda and yoga, to get some relief. She is keen to spread awareness on auto-immune disorders and wishes that doctors not treat her as guinea pig. First diagnosis I was diagnosed with Behcet’s Syndrome in 2001, after an illness of over 6 months. I was 23 then. I…

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia have many overlapping symptoms with chronic pain and fatigue being the most common threads.  Dr. Shital Raval explains the differences between the two conditions and the different diagnostic criteria Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS is a medical condition with an unknown cause, presenting initially with constant or recurring fatigue for 6 months or more. Myalgic encephalitis or ME is the now the internationally accepted term for CFS. Fibromyalgia or…

Yoga can be really effective for stressed out deskbound employees. Asha Sarella, movement therapist and counsellor, talks to Sundara Raj, exponent of Hatha yoga, to recommend simple asanas to relieve stress, head, neck and back strain and remain fit, energetic and focussed at work. Sitting in an air-conditioned cabin, sipping your favourite latte or green tea, labouring over spreadsheets / pivot / codes on the screen could be your monotonous work every day. There is so much pressure on closing…

Parul, 48 from Mumbai talks about tackling hypothyroidism in her own way, accompanied by food cravings and a debilitating bone health. Please tell us a bit about your condition  I have hypothyroidism. I need to take Eltroxin every day When were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed in 1995, 3 months after the birth of my first child. I was around 25 years old at the time. What were the early symptoms? I noticed a small swelling around my neck area one day and decided to get it checked. Initially…

Gita Kantawala, 72 from Mumbai had a complete knee replacement of left knee preceded by arthroscopy due to a meniscus tear. She talks of the failures and successes of her surgeries and the recovery and rehabilitation process. And the need for a second opinion. I was diagnosed with Meniscus tear in my left knee in April 2016. One day the knee just locked and I buckled while trying to walk. Consulted an Orthopaedic surgeon who after seeing my X-ray and MRI reports, suggested Arthroscopy the next…

There are different aspects of Arthritis Management. We have compiled multiple ebooks - ebooks that help in understanding the condition and managing it through medication, dietary changes, exercise,  yoga and home adaptations. 1. 20 Tips to Manage Arthritis Arthritis is affecting younger people - even 30-40 year olds. are getting diagnosed with Arthritis. So it is important to understand about Arthritis and manage it pro-actively. Download the ebook 20 Tips to Manage Arthritis …

Coping with Arthritis? Upper body aches and pains? Stiffness in waist, back, hips, shoulders, neck? How can you ease the stiffness in your joints? Yoga is very effective in managing arthritis. It reduces pain, increases flexibility, and lowers stress.  It brings harmony to body and mind. We have worked with Divyayog to create a set of asanas for you to do in the comfort of your own home. Volume 1 was specifically focussed on the lower body - from hip to toe.  Volume 2…

Vidya, a long-standing patient of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) narrates her experience with specialized medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, yoga, Ayurveda, oil massage, warm baths among other things to alleviate severe, chronic pain, stiffness and flare ups. Read for useful tips and better pain management. First things first. Pain and Rheumatoid Arthritis go hand in hand. Sometimes, when I reflect on my journey with RA, one thread that immediately comes to mind is how I coped with…

Asha Sarella, a Bengaluru-based Bharatanatyam dancer, movement therapist, and a counsellor, talks about how her life changed after embracing a vegan diet. I just finished my dance practice and I feel so good. This was not the case few years ago. I had joint pains, heart burns and I was also overweight. My body would feel heavy, stiff and tired. I went to a Naturopathy (vegan) doctor with all these concerns; he examined me and asked me to do food testing for 3 days. He asked me to make some food…