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Suggest Treatment For Sciatica Pain
Question: My mother is in her mid 70s, she refuses to go to the doctor. She had a sciatica years ago. She got therapy for it but stopped. She was fine for a long time. Now, she is limping, her body is tilting to the side. She shuffles her feet when she walks and now, I noticed that her feet are red, cracked and during hot months, her feet swell.
Brief Answer:
Needs investigations.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The symptoms that you have described are likely to be degenerative changes in her weight bearing joints due to osteoarthritis.
But it is advisable to rule out other causes also by taking a Xray of her knees hips and spine. Xray will help us to find out whether her bones are normal or not.
Other investigations needed are Serum B12 and Serum Vit D levels and start supplements according to the levels. For osteoarthritis, weight reduction is the main treatment along with medicines to decrease pain like NSAID's - paracetamol, aceclofenac etc., Life style modifications like avoiding sitting cross legged, squatting, using XXXXXXX type toilets will decrease the rate of progression of osteoarthritis. Exercises like quadriceps strengthening, swimming, straight leg raising will help in improving the muscle strength around the knee and will help in decreasing pain.
You can get the appropriate drugs prescribed from an orthopedician after examination and investigations.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Needs investigations.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
The symptoms that you have described are likely to be degenerative changes in her weight bearing joints due to osteoarthritis.
But it is advisable to rule out other causes also by taking a Xray of her knees hips and spine. Xray will help us to find out whether her bones are normal or not.
Other investigations needed are Serum B12 and Serum Vit D levels and start supplements according to the levels. For osteoarthritis, weight reduction is the main treatment along with medicines to decrease pain like NSAID's - paracetamol, aceclofenac etc., Life style modifications like avoiding sitting cross legged, squatting, using XXXXXXX type toilets will decrease the rate of progression of osteoarthritis. Exercises like quadriceps strengthening, swimming, straight leg raising will help in improving the muscle strength around the knee and will help in decreasing pain.
You can get the appropriate drugs prescribed from an orthopedician after examination and investigations.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Are her red feet a symptom of diabetes. I am concerned about that part of it also?
Brief Answer:
Yes.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
The red feet are more likely to be due to inflammation- Can be a joint inflammation. Diabetes can also cause swelling in the feet pain and redness if there is an infection in the area. Getting her HbA1C levels evaluated will help.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.
Yes.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
The red feet are more likely to be due to inflammation- Can be a joint inflammation. Diabetes can also cause swelling in the feet pain and redness if there is an infection in the area. Getting her HbA1C levels evaluated will help.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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