Spinal Exercises Will Help

Use a firm bed. And, if possible, begin spinal-extension exercises under the guidance of a physiotherapist. An improvement in the tone and strength of the back and abdomen muscles may sort out your problem.

To tackle osteoarthritis of the knee-joints, the methods you have adopted are sufficient. You may also try using hot, moist fermentation using a towel dipped in hot water. You could do this two or three times a day, and follow it up by applying an analgesic ointment or gel, such as Diclofenac or Piroxicam. The secret of managing osteoarthritis lies in preventing, avoiding and/or minimising pain. Tolerating the pain is not a good idea, as it only makes the muscles weaker.

Exercises aimed at increasing the strength of the knee muscles will help. Similarly, a knee cap worn on the weak knee or a walking stick to support the knee will do you good. You should also do away with the notion that a walk is the best way to deal with the pain. Pain is a warning signal if ill-health and you shouldn’t ignore it.

Different Strokes
I am 40 years old. About ten years ago, I took some allopathic and homeopathic medicines for depression. I immediately felt as if a nerve in the left half of my head had been crushed. Since then, my speech and memory have been impaired and the muscles of the left side of my face have become weak. Can you please tell me if there is a cure for this disorder?

Kiran, Chandigarh
Dr Avdesh Sharma, Consultant Psychiatrist, Batra Hospital, says that your symptoms have not caused by the pills. It only seems to be a coincidence that things went wrong soon after you took the homeopathic medicines. The description of the symptoms makes it sound like a minor stroke. It would be best for you to go in for a thorough examination by a neurologist, who will be able to give you an exact diagnosis. The possibility of an improvement in muscle strength after all these years is not likely.

Itchy scalp
I am a 48-year-old male suffering from psoriasis of the scalp for the past about one year. There is a lot of itching and the doctor advised me to sit in the sun. But sitting in the sun has not helped. Can you tell me:l What is psoriasis? Is it caused by wrong medication or is it a disease?

l What is the treatment?
l Can it be cured? If it can, how can it be treated?

Fateh Chand, Chandigarh
Dr Uma Saxena, Consultant Skin Specialist, Safdarjang Hospital, says that psoriasis is a chronic non-infectious skin disease. It is caused by an abnormally rapid turnover of cells from the basal to surface layers of the skin. A person may develop silvery scales on the skin which, when removed, leave minute bleeding points. Typically, it involves the scalp (as in your case), the ears, elbows, knees and trunks. But the area it attacks can vary each time.

There is an effective treatment for this disease, though you’ll have to do it under a dermatologist’s supervision. For scalp lesions, regular washing with a tar-based shampoo and applying Dipsalic lotion a combination of gluco-corticoid and salicylic acid, may do the trick. But there are other options too.

Ultra-violet light is useful in the treatment. It is for this reason that your doctor advised you to sit in the sun. Natural sunlight is an excellent source of Ultraviolet-B spectrum, found effective in the treatment of psoriatic.

You must also always avoid excess drying or irritation of the skin and maintain good hydration by making it a habit to drink plenty of fluids.

Going Grey
My 76-year-old wife suffers from hypertension, though it is well under control with treatment. But now her memory seems to be rapidly failing, so much so that she confuses names and events. She has also become very impatient and sometimes even panics for no reason. About six months ago, she had developed several symptoms of allergy, which responded to anti-allergic treatment. Her blood biochemical tests, EKG etc are all normal.

R. S., Chandigarh
With age, many people suffer from a shrinkage in the grey matter of the brain and can no longer function as well as they could when they were younger. These organic changes are irreversible and have to be accepted.

Family members have to adjust and provide emotional support. Her impatience and panic reflects her emotional and physical insecurities. Patience, tact and reassurance on your family’s part will do her a world of good.

The treatment for hypertension should continue as before. As for the allergy, it is always extremely difficult to state the cause in a situation like hers.