General

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a specialized, comprehensive program designed to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, and other respiratory disorders. By combining education, exercise, and support, pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients manage their symptoms more effectively, increase their physical capacity, and reduce the overall impact of their condition on daily life. What Pulmonary Rehabilitation Entails Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are usually tailored to the specific needs of each patient, but they typically include the following components: 1. Exercise Training Goal: Improve physical fitness and lung function. Activities: Exercise is a central part of pulmonary rehabilitation. Patients engage in a variety of physical activities, including walking, cycling, and strength training. These exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles used in breathing, increase stamina, and improve overall physical endurance. The exercise regimen is carefully monitored and adjusted to each patient’s ability and progress. Contact To Book Session 2. Education Goal: Provide knowledge to better manage the disease. Topics: Education sessions cover various aspects of lung health, including how the lungs work, the nature of the patient’s specific condition, and the importance of medications. Patients learn how to use inhalers correctly, manage oxygen therapy, and recognize early signs of a flare-up. This knowledge empowers patients to take control of their health and make informed decisions about their care. For More Info 3. Breathing Techniques Goal: Improve breath control and reduce breathlessness. Methods: Patients are taught specific breathing techniques, such as pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing, which help reduce shortness of breath and improve oxygen intake. These techniques are especially useful during physical activity and in managing sudden episodes of breathlessness. Contact Pulmonary Specialist 4. Nutritional Counseling Goal: Support overall health and lung function. Focus: Nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining energy levels and supporting lung health. Patients may receive guidance on diet and nutrition, with advice tailored to their specific needs. For example, those with COPD might be advised on how to avoid foods that can cause bloating and discomfort, which can make breathing more difficult. Contact Nutrition Expert 5. Psychological Support Goal: Address the emotional aspects of living with a chronic lung condition. Approach: Living with a chronic lung condition can be emotionally challenging. Pulmonary rehabilitation often includes psychological support, helping patients cope with anxiety, depression, and the stress associated with their illness. This support may be provided through counseling, support groups, or relaxation techniques. Contact Us 6. Smoking Cessation Goal: Eliminate smoking, the leading cause of many chronic lung diseases. Support: For patients who smoke, quitting is one of the most critical steps in managing their lung condition. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs offer resources and support for smoking cessation, including counseling and, in some cases, medications. Get in Touch Pulmonary rehabilitation offers numerous benefits, making it a vital part of the treatment plan for many patients with chronic lung conditions. At Fostr Health Care, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation programs tailored to improve your lung health and enhance your quality of life. Whether you or a loved one is dealing with a chronic respiratory disease, participating in a pulmonary rehabilitation program can make a significant difference in managing the condition and enjoying a more active and fulfilling life.

One of the most prevalent health implications of new age technology use is neck, shoulder and upper back pain. Many individuals fail to address the root cause of this common yet excruciating pain. Chronic neck, shoulder and upper back pain have a negative impact on quality of life worldwide. “Text neck” is a term coined by US chiropractor Dr Dean L. Fishman to describe the symptoms associated with overuse of electronic devices. It usually occurs when you have your head hung forward and down looking at your mobile for long periods of time. This results in overload and repetitive stress on the muscles and joints in the cervical spine often leading to headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and in severe cases, it may even lead to numbness in the arms. Do you sit continuously for too many hours with a hunched posture while driving, working on laptop, or while using mobile phones and other electronic gadgets? These are the kind of activities that often trigger muscle strain. Tech neck or Text Neck is an overuse injury, wherein the pain typically builds up slowly over time and this prevents us from identifying the root cause of pain. The pain usually starts with the neck which may initially be diffuse in nature. The stiff neck or soreness could start descending downward to the upper back which worsens gradually over a period of time. Due to this pain and stiffness, you may experience associated symptoms like dizziness, repetitive headache or light headedness. Here are a few tips on how your daily posture can be improved to avoid this chronic pain: • Limit time spent on electronic devices • Keep your phone or laptop at eye level while using. • Be aware of your posture while sitting for long hours. • Perform stretching exercises regularly to relieve the strain on neck and back muscles. • Remember to take breaks to walk and stretch from working on laptop for long durations. • If pain persists, visit a physiotherapist, regardless of whether or not you think it may be a tech neck. How does physiotherapy help in relieving your pain and improve quality of life? A qualified physiotherapist will perform a thorough examination of you neck and upper back areas that are inflexible and develop a treatment plan to meet your specific needs. Physiotherapy at MOKSHAA is well equipped with advanced electrical modalities like LASER, SHOCKWAVE, ULTRASOUND, IFT, TENS and more which help in relieving pain. Furthermore, Myofascial release therapy (MFR), Range of Motion, stretching and strengthening exercises guided by our expert physiotherapists will help in enhancing mobility and function, thus providing a long-term cure for the concerned problem. Book your appointment with MOKSHAA for outstanding care, long term pain management and posture correction.

Although running appears to be a simple sport in theory, it is a challenging activity to master. Optimal running performance is based on very specific biomechanics, and running inadequacies are surprisingly widespread in causing physical injury. Approximately 80 percent of runners have sustained injury, whether it’s a minor ankle sprain or a more serious ailment like a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a serious, disabling injury with short- and long-term consequences (financial, health and psychological), with an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis in the long term. This injury can range from mild ( Small tear/sprain) to severe (ligament completely torn). Both non-contact and contact injuries can occur, but the common is non-contact injury (e.g. Jumping, Landing ). 70% of the cases are non-contact injuries caused by an incorrect movement and 30% of the cases are contact injuries (e.g. direct contact with another person or object during playing). Because of the anatomical difference, ACL injury is more common in women than men. ACL injuries typically require surgery followed by extensive rehabilitation periods. According to Ann Rehab Med. in April of 2022, a study was done to compare the result of a 6-month-long rehabilitation with a 12-month-long rehabilitation. They discovered that there is no specific duration of rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. In the past few decades, patients often return to play in 4-6 months. A qualified physiotherapist will perform a thorough examination of the knee joint and suggest the appropriate modalities which will relieve the pain such as HIGH POWER LASER THERAPY, SHOCKWAVE THERAPY, UST, IFT, and CRYO 6. Additionally, treatments like Taping, Plyometrics, Myofascial release techniques, Strength exercises and Flexibility exercise may also be recommended. It’s critical to get input from your physical therapist as you continue through your return-to-running programme on how to improve your running mechanics to make sure your knee isn’t under too much stress. Understanding your biomechanics is crucial to accelerating your recovery and avoiding re-injury. With the aid of a good physiotherapist, and following the right treatment protocol, you can finally start easing back into jogging with a training focus (e.g., increased mileage, endurance, pace, etc.) Seeking guidance from a highly trained physical therapist is key to effective recovery, a safe return to running, and the ability to run well for years to come. Physiotherapists at Mokshaa keep a close eye on the patient’s progress in terms of functional status. Visit MOKSHAA for Musculoskeletal & Sports problems.  

Aphasia is a condition in when an individual has difficulty in language or speech. Their ability to communicate is partially or completely affected due to a stroke or head injury. But it can also come on gradually from a slow-growing brain tumour or a disease that causes progressive, permanent damage (degenerative). The severity of aphasia depends on a number of conditions, including the cause and the extent of the brain damage. It can affect your speech, as well as the way you write and understand both spoken and written language. People with aphasia may have difficulty reading, writing, speaking or listening. Aphasia can create numerous quality-of-life problems because communication is an integral part of your life. Communication difficulty may affect various areas in your life such as your job, relationships or carrying out daily activities. Broadly aphasias can be categorised as Fluent or Non fluent aphasias: Fluent Aphasia – Individuals with fluent aphasia, though seem to be speaking fluently, would not be making sense in communicative contexts. These individual’s speech is characterised with phonemic or semantic paraphasia, neologisms, and incoherent speech. These individuals are also unable to comprehend language. They also use words and phrases that do not make sense without realizing. Non-Fluent aphasia – Individuals are seen to have chunky, repetitive speech, they struggle to come up with words to communicate their needs. They have very limited expressive vocabulary. Some of them might also see these difficulties in writing as well. But these individuals will be able to comprehend language without much difficulty. Aphasia is usually diagnosed by Speech Language Therapists by following a certain set of exercises which help in identifying an individual’s ability to understand basic speech and grammar, express phrases or socially communicate with others. This evaluation helps the speech therapist in developing a unique treatment protocol based on each individual’s language disorder. Aphasia treatments start bedside in the first week of ictus. The speech therapist usually starts working on enabling your functional communication verbally or non verbally. As the therapy progresses, the patient starts being more and more fluent in their communication. One of the primary strategies used by patients is SELF REPAIR STRATEGIES. In a study by Leaman M C & Archer. B in may of 2022, it was observed that the self repair strategies used by people with aphasia is an important strategy that contributes equally towards the overall speech fluency and coherence of an individual with aphasia. It was also found that individuals with aphasia, when given adequate support and time to self-repair, it aids provide meaningful personal information to conversations for approximately 80% of the time. Importantly, self-repair often results in self-expression that steers the conversation in a more meaningful way. This helped identify the importance of aphasia treatments focusing on overall functional communication progressivity that provides therapeutic benefits for the individual with aphasia as well as the caregiver. If you’re concerned about anyone with aphasia, encourage them to consult a speech language therapist. At Mokshaa, we focus on providing utmost care for speech language disorders. Overcoming a speech or language disorder can take time and effort. So it’s important that all family members be patient and understanding with the individual with the disorder. Mokshaa’s speech language therapists are dedicated and qualified. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

Signs of heart attack range from the most peculiar signs of feeling like an elephant sitting on your chest along with sweating, accompanied by pain in the arm and jaw to less classical signs such as back pain, neck pain, nausea, shortness of breath, palpitations, indigestion, dizziness, and passing out. If there are any of these symptoms that persist, remember every second count and hence it is of utmost importance to obtain immediate medical help. This piece discusses the signs of a heart attack in more depth from the typical to the atypical in an aim to educate readers about signs of a heart attack. What To Do If Experiencing Signs of a Heart Attack? If you are experiencing signs of an attack – each second counts as there is a chance of increasing and often irreversible heart damage that can be caused due to the delay in treatment. Below are the symptoms that have been discussed in much detail – Chest Pain that radiates to the neck and left arm – A classic sign of heart attack is chest pain. This pain could be felt in the area behind the breastbone and can be felt with a pressure-like sensation. The pain may radiate to the neck, jaw and the left arm. If the symptoms last more than a few minutes, immediate medical help should be sought. Sweating A well-known sign of heart attack is diaphoresis (Sweating). During a heart attack, a person sweats due to the activation of a defense mechanism known as the sympathetic nervous system. The sweating may occur with or without chest pain and may occur with other pain symptoms such as pain in the arms, jaws, palpitations, shortness of breath, etc. Shortness of BreathAdding to the symptoms mentioned above, shortness of breath is also associated with the signs of a heart attack. Breathing and the heart pumping blood effectively is closely related. In the case of a heart attack, if your heart can’t pump blood well enough you will feel short of breath. New Palpitations Although palpitations on their own are not likely associated with a heart attack, heart palpitations due to heart attack can create a sense of uneasiness or anxiety. These palpitations are described as a sensation of their heart pounding in their neck, not just their chest. If you think you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, call emergency services immediately. It’s unsafe to drive yourself to the hospital, while you may feel awake and alert enough to drive, the chest pain could get severe and cause further damage. Our cardiology department is well equipped to handle emergencies and other related medical conditions.

What is blood pressure? Blood pressure is a measure of the force that our heart uses to pump blood in our entire body. Blood pressure is a vital body function. Without blood pressure nutrients or oxygen will not reach vital organs. Also for WBC to be distributed throughout the body, blood pressure is needed. Blood pressure is also needed to carry the toxic waste in our bodies through our kidney and our liver. Learn what’s considered a normal blood pressure reading below. How does the blood pressure in our body work? When our heart beats and it contracts, it creates blood pressure by pushing the blood out. Blood pressure is also caused by the difference in pressure between the smaller branches of the arteries and the heart. It is very important to note here that the blood pressure and flow is affected by the condition of the arteries. Understanding Blood Pressure Readings How is it measured? Blood pressure is expressed with two equally important numbers, for example, 120/80. In this example, 120, the top number represents the amount of pressure in arteries during the contraction of the heart muscle, which is known as systolic pressure. 80, the bottom number, refers to the blood pressure when the heart muscle is between beats, which is known as diastolic pressure. What is a normal blood pressure reading? When the top number is between 90 and 120, and the bottom number is between 60 and 80, blood pressure is normal. For those over the age of 60 having hypertension, should aim for a blood pressure level of less than 150/90mm Hg. There are other factors affecting blood pressure readings – like measuring devices and software, number of readings, raised pressure caused by anxiety and night-time factors. It is advised that patients use an automated oscillometric device that measures blood pressure in the brachial artery (upper arm) and perform measurements in a quiet room after five minutes of rest in the seated position with the back and arm supported in order to get an accurate reading. And to observe the average, a person needs to at least take 12 or 14 measurements both in the morning and evening, over a period of one week. It is very crucial to the health of our body to understand the blood pressure readings. If the numbers are on a higher range, the heart is working too hard to pump blood to the body. When the numbers are on the lower range, it means that your blood pressure is too low and isn’t supplying  enough oxygenated blood to your body and the heart. Low blood pressure is known as hypotension. Low BP is not usually a cause for concern unless you start to experience symptoms that are abnormal. How to keep a healthy blood pressure level? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight is an ideal way to prevent extreme changes in your blood pressure. Need to be more cautious if hypertension runs in the family. Here is what doctors recommend for maintaining a healthy blood pressure: ● Maintain a healthy body weight. ● Stick to a regular diet of fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products. ● Slow down sodium intake. ● Exercise at least for 30 mins daily. ● Keep alcohol under moderation. Your blood pressure can reveal a lot about your general overall health. That’s why it’s always a good idea to get it checked regularly by your primary care physician. Our multidisciplinary team of cardiologists provide comprehensive individualized care to our patients with hypertension.