Homeopathy is the most popular form of alternative medicine. However, consumers know very little about homopathy. This article will help solve some misunderstandings with homeopathy.

1) Homeopathic remedies are sugar pills that have nothing in them.

Certain homeopathic medicines have no measurable substance. However, many remedies do have measurable substances. In medicine that is 24X or 12C has no measurable substance. However, some medicine potencies such as 6X, 6C, 12X will have a measurable substance.

2) Homeoapthy trials always resulted in failure with properly conducted and tested trials. Studies that have shown positive results were either to tiny to be considered, poorly designed or contained researchers bias.

Homeopathy has had many trials. Some trials show positive results and others do not. People point out on successful homeopathic trials that bigger studies suggest homeopathy does not work. However, researchers observe the entire trial. Many of them concluded that some studies suggest homeopathy yields a more positive result than a placebo.

Some homepathic studies that showed a positive result were pretty big. Oscillococcinum studies showed a positive result by lessening the recovery time of the flu. This study was reproduced by other researchers as well although the reproduced studies were not as large as the first initial study. The notion of homeopathic remedies have not showed a positive outcome in a properly designed study is false.

3) Diseases that can jeopardize a persons life should not be treated with homeopathy.

Homeopathy can treat life threatening diseases with the help of a well trained homeopathic physician. Also, the general medical doctor and other specialists involved in treating the disease should be included on the treatment plan. Medical doctors should always be seen if you have a life threatening illness. Homeopathy can not cure all life threatening diseases.

Homoepathy has help people with life threatening diseases. Homeopathy malaria trials suggest homeopathy remedies work as well as allopathic medicine in treating patients with malaria.

4) Homeopathy and Allopathy can not be used at the same time.

Homeopathy and allopathic medicines can be used together. Some trials were done to test how homeoapthy and allopathy can work together. Homeopathy may reduce the side effects of chemotherapy in some small initial trials. These results are encouraging but more research needs to be done.

5) Herbal, Homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine are the same thing.

Homeopathy, Herbal and Ayurvedics are totally different. Homeopathy dilutes substances to a certain level to create medicines. All homeopathic remedies have been diluted to a certain extent.

Herbal medicine is medicine based on the use of plants. Ayurvedic is an ancient system of medicine started in India that operates with the theory that all materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value.

Ayurvedic use all the world materials to treat people. Ayurvedic and homeoapthic medicine are used frequently in India. This creates confusion. It also make people thing that these are similar products.

6) Homeopathy medicine responds slowly as compared to allopathic medicine

Homeopathy can quick treat conditions such as flu, colds, motion sickness and pain relief. These conditions come on quickly and homeopathy reacts quickly to help with these conditions. Conditions that are more chronic such as acne, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and others will be treated over a longer period of time. Homeopathy looks to cure these conditions just not to simply suppress it.

7) Homeopathy is only for people

Petmeds in homeopathy is becoming extremely popular. This is one of the fastest growing segments of homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines offer a safe and cheap way to treat your pet’s conditions. Homeopathic remedies are generally used to treat acute conditions such as allergies, anxiety and joint relief.
You can get a book on Homeopathy and treat yourself.

Self treatment is advisable for acute conditions such as cold and flu. It is also advisable to see a homeopathic doctor when your conditons are chronic. Sample of chronic conditions include Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Heartburn. The medications are constantly changing when dealing with chronic diseases like this. A homeoapthic doctor will look at how you are doing and change the remedies accordingly.

9) It is difficult to find homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathic rmedies are readily available. They can found in many health food stores such as Whole Foods. Retail giants such as Walmart, Target and CVS carry homeopathic combinations for acute conditions such as cold and flu and insomnia.

Single remedies which homeopaths claim to work the best are not as readily available. These remedies can be found in health food stores, natural pharmacies or on the Internet. They are more specialized and generally most people taking simgle remedies have some homeopathic knowledge or a doctor has prescribed that medicine.

10) Homeopathic remedies have the same effect on each person taking them

Homeopathy works different on different people. Classical homeopathy treats different individuals with different remedies according to their personality type. One person may use one remedy to treat a illness, while another person would use a different remedy to treat the same illness.

Allopathic medicine assumes all conditions can be treated by one medicine. They do not individualized medicines. Modern medicines assumes each medicine will create the same effect in each person.

When I first encountered an Atkins Diet book, I was working in an office. I had been working there for five or six years and had accumulated a fair bit of excess weight. I had never been active in sport, but my previous job had been working on site, which brought with it a certain amount of physical activity ” just enough to keep me in reasonable shape. After five years of pen-pushing, I weighed 18 stone 12 pounds (264 lbs or 120 kg), up three stone and neither I nor my doctor were happy about it.

One day a representative of a legal firm came in for an appointment, and, while we were waiting for the other directors to arrive, we got talking about office life and its propensity to put on weight. He said that he had had the same problem before, but that now he made sure he got out of the office regularly and walked everywhere time would allow. He also said that he’d read a good book on losing weight while on holiday in America and that he would send me a copy. I thought nothing more of it and never saw the man again. Mr. Blackwell, I think his name was.

The book arrived as promised, but I left it lying on my desk unread for months and months, until one day, I had a dentist’s appointment and had forgotten to take a book to work to read while I was waiting ” something I always did/do because the magazines are always so old and boring. Anyway, I read 50-60 pages that day and I was mesmerised. I had never been on a proper diet before and I thought I should give it a a go. I had stopped eating pastry, cakes and chocolate months ago, but it hadn’t had much effect and my weight was still on the increase, albeit more slowly.

It seemed to me that it was a ‘thinking person’s’ diet There is a huge amount of scope for individual tastes and lifestyles and self-discipline did not seem to be much of an issue because of that. The book warned of addictions and fads and how best to overcome or prevent them. These did not seem to be an issue for me. I liked coffee, but could take it or leave it and I had already given up chocolate. Beer and bread could be a problem though.

The only ‘must do’ in the seven-day induction phase is to eat not more than 20 gram of carbohydrate per day. The book had a clear list of almost all foods and their carbohydrate content. I found it really easy. In fact, I started eating in a more healthy manner in the induction stage than I had been eating before it! I bought a tub of Ketone sticks from the local chemist to check whether the Atkins Diet was working and found that I was in ketosis on the third day. It was very satisfying to know that now I would be losing weight whatever I did and wherever I was every minute of the day!

I gave up bread (and Guinness!) for a fortnight and felt great. I actually felt ‘springy’ or ‘bouncy’ like a boxer in the ring before a fight. I had no trouble whatsoever staying within the 20 gram limit, although I did miss fruit more than I’d expected or some fruits anyway. But I found ways to make up for everything. There are many, many recipes and recommendations in the book so I won’t go into them here, but I started eating breakfast before I went to work and dinner in the evenings. I really took great care and attention over preparing lunch for work the next day, usually consisting of a salad, some cheese and various nuts to snack on. You can eat a few strawberries too. In the evening, I would cook up something like a curry (no flour) eating it with green beans instead of rice; or a traditional British meal without potatoes followed by cheese and strawberries and cream. I lost 18 pounds in two weeks and felt really great.

Uh oh, round hounds are taking over the world! Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but dog obesity has definitely become a major problem. Don’t believe me? All you have to do is ask your veterinarian and they will tell you that 25% (if not more) of the dogs that they treat are over-weight.

Though you may think your heavy hound is cute, extra pounds on your pooch can only lead to trouble. Dogs that carry extra weight tend to have health issues such as joint and hip problems (such as arthritis), heart disease and diabetes. Extra weight can also shorten your dog’s life and that is just plain sad!

Fortunately, it’s probably not too late to come to your pet’s rescue. Step 1: commit to stop feeding your pup from the table! Yes, he loves table scraps and begs pitifully with those big sad eyes, but you have to be the grown up and do what is best for your pet rather than what’s easiest. Human food is often not healthy for your dog. Though most human foods won’t directly harm him, it’s better to stick with foods that are designed for his digestion, fed to him on a schedule and in regulated portions.

Some ingredients in our food simply aren’t digestible by dogs or may cause serious health issues if eaten by your pup. Some of these items include chocolate, onions, raisins, garlic, hot peppers, grapes and salt. Rather than memorizing a list of what might harm your pet, just play it safe and avoid giving your dog table scraps.

To hammer the point home, a regulated feeding schedule is the best option for your pet. Not only is this the best approach for controlling your pet’s weight, it can also help you address other issues. For example, unattended feeding can lead to potty training problems. It’s simply more difficult to predict a dog’s bathroom needs when it has a full bowl of food to graze at all day long. By sticking to a portioned, scheduled feeding routine, your pet’s bathroom habits and weight can both be more easily maintained.

To really make a difference in your pet’s weight management, eliminate all temptation entirely by throwing out fatty, processed dog treats completely. Opt, instead, for some of the many healthy pet snack alternatives out there. An option you might consider that doesn’t even require a visit to the pet food aisle is the lowly carrot. This naturally sweet and crunchy treat can become a favorite for some pups and yours might beg for these with the same enthusiasm he once had for the junk food you used to feed him.

If your dog is a real carnivore and refuses carrots, consider all natural turkey bacon. Not only is it a healthier alternative to the real thing for your pet, your family might benefit from the change too! And what dog doesn’t like the smell and taste of bacon!? Just remember to absorb the excess grease from the bacon after you cook it by soaking it up with a paper towel. Cook up a batch, mop up the grease, crumble the turkey bacon into bite sized pieces and refrigerate in an airtight container. Simple and delicious.

Despite their sometimes finicky tastes, dogs will often accept a very simple treat in the form of ice cubes. This is a great summer treat after a long walk. If you want to kick it up a notch, consider freezing a few turkey bacon crumbles inside the cubes. This may be just the cool, delicious and relatively healthy treat your pooch has been waiting for.

Of course, you knew we’d have to get to the topic of exercise. Here’s where you need to start setting an example. Not only will it be healthy for your dog, but it will be good for you too! You don’t have to run a marathon together, just add a lap or two to your routine walk and keep the pace brisk. Bring along a bottle of water for your furry pal and take breaks as needed. As the pounds start coming off, consider increasing the intensity slightly until you find a comfortable routine for the both of you. And, who knows, you might just lose a few pounds yourself!

Remember that you are responsible for keeping your pooch happy and healthy. By owning up to your responsibility you can ensure that he will be around as long as possible. Showing your dog love through food may result in short-term happiness but keep the long-term consequences in mind. Rather than handing out treats when your dog does something wonderful, praise him like he’s just won you the lottery. He’ll be just as pleased with the affection as he would be with a treat.

Lucid dreams are one of the most fascinating things which you can experience. These are dreams which you can take control and decide what will happen. In lucid dreams, you know that you are dreaming, which is why you are in charge of the dream; and anything that you want to make part of your dream is yours to have.

Lucid dreaming offers you the opportunity to be in the director’s chair for what is essentially your own movie. Anything you’ve ever wanted to see is possible when lucid dreaming. The only limit is your own creativity.

Unlike the dreams you normally have while you sleep, lucid dreams do not simply drift along on their own course. Dreaming is usually your brain’s way of thinking out the events of the previous day and there’s not much you can do to predict or change their course. Lucid dreams are very different in that your conscious mind is in control of the experience and these dreams seem entirely real, no matter what you decide to make happen.

If you’re ever unsure if you’re dreaming, try reading something in your dream. In a regular dream, reading is nearly impossible; the words will keep changing. If you can make sense of what you see, then you are most likely having a lucid dream and you can begin to take control.

When youre lucid dreaming, anything you imagine is possible. You can live out any fantasy you have, meet anyone you want and go anywhere.

Since you’re in control of a lucid dream, you can always change the course of events. You can replay parts of your life, changing the outcome for the better; this can help you to come to terms with some things which may be hard to process psychologically.

Lucid dreams are something which anyone can learn to do. While your body needs to rest to take care of essential biological functions like cellular repair, you can do so while a part of your mind remains conscious and active. This is what occurs in lucid dreaming.

You’ll need to practice lucid dreaming before you’re able to do it at will. This can take some time, so keep practicing and be patient; these dreams will come to you with time.

One of the best ways to start having lucid dreams is to work on remembering the details of your dreams. Keep a pad of paper and a pen or pencil near your bed so that you can write down everything you remember from your dreams as soon as you wake up. Eventually, you’ll train your mind to recall dreams and to recognize dream states while you sleep. This will allow you to ‘wake up’ within your dream and begin lucid dreaming.

There are some useful applications to lucid dreaming. Writers find that trying out their ideas in lucid dreams helps them to figure out characters, dialogue and plots for their work. It’s a great medium for creative efforts.

Making a habit of recalling your dreams will help you to pick the thread of your dreams back up when you return to sleep. Dreams tend to recur, so you can pick up more and more detail with each recurrence.

Lucid dreaming happens most readily in the hour or two before you are accustomed to waking up. When you wake early and go back to bed at these times, you often lucid dream; it seems as if you’ve just been thinking as you lie in bed, but once the alarm goes off, you know that you’ve been dreaming!

With a little practice, you’ll find that it’s easy to bring yourself into the necessary mental state for lucid dreaming. Self hypnosis can help you get started by helping you to remember your dreams.

There is also a technological development in the field of audio which helps you to achieve the state where lucid dreaming happens easily. Binaural beats are frequencies which synchronize the hemispheres of your brain and tune your brainwaves to the frequency needed for lucid dreams to happen.

Problems of Obesity – Even if you are not a person who is highly health conscious, it is essential that you keep a check on your weight and take appropriate steps to keep it in control. Remember, along with obesity comes several health related problems such as abnormal cholesterol levels, heart problems, joint weakness, etc. So even if you are not planning for taking up the workout exercises for trimming or shaping up your body, it is essential that you include at least the basic workouts into your daily routine.

It is obviously worth to spend the few minutes per day to keep your body fit and healthy, thus to increase the longevity of your healthy life. In addition to this, the workouts will enable you to be more self-disciplined and in fact, make you fall in love with yourself. Apart from the workout exercises, you can also be additionally cautious about your eating habits if you are over 35-40 years.

All physicians will state several valuable points in favor of practicing workout exercises. Understanding the Importance of Working Out, It will be highly beneficial to realize the possible benefits of including the workout exercises into your schedule. This will in turn prompt you to get started with at least the simpler workouts.

First and foremost, exercising will help you be guarded against the common ailments which creep into your middle age. For instance, joint pains in ex-players and individuals having the risk of hereditary heart problems and diabetics can reduce the chances or at least postpone the health ailments if they are involved in the workout exercises. What can be a better gift than staying trim and healthy even in the olden age?

As any physician worth his/her salt will insist, women need to exercise at least a little as their bones tend to become weaker with the onset of age (above 40-45 years). Apart from this, the chances of women struggling with obesity are more probable than men facing the trouble. If you are still not completely convinced, chat with a family member or friend who is overweight; they would narrate you all the health and psychological problems they have to endure.

It is an undeniable fact that most of us will be careless when we start putting on weight. It is natural to be not worried about losing those extra pounds when you are happy and satisfied. It is also obvious that you will start eating more than your routine, But remember, it will almost take double the time for losing those unwanted muscles, provided you are strict about your diets and workouts.

But otherwise, if you are a regular exerciser then you are sure to be conscious when you gain weight suddenly and this will help you stay in control of your body. Even if you are not comfortable about working out the exercises regularly, you can always choose the simple yet equally effective walking, jogging, and cycling. Nothing can be more pleasant than going for an early morning walk and warming up yourself for a fresh day.

Proper bodybuilding routines must possess some important characteristics, namely; right duration, enough rest, proper reps, and variation.This means that bodybuilding is not a hit and miss affair. A bodybuilder only needs to have a correct undestanding of proper bodybuilding routines. With this knowledge plus the right determination to carry out the right workout, any bodybuilder will surely have a worry-free time in building muscle mass while at the gym.

Every bodybuilder, whether a beginner or a professional, must keep in mind that results from weight training do not happen overnight. It needs the determination and patience to keep with a program that is designed to gain the muscle size and strength. It also helps a lot if he makes his weight training routine a priority. This means that right attitude helps in a successful weight training program.

Also, highly effective bodybuilders know that spending a lot of time inside the gym does not guarantee a bigger muscle mass. This way, they are aware that they must keep their workouts as efficient as possible within a reasonable time. There is no need to spend 3 hours a day in the gym to build muscle mass Keeping the weight training workouts under an hour and a half (or better yet, and hour) and doing them 3 or 4 times a week will give the body enough rest to grow bigger and stronger.

There are a few tips for a proper bodybuilding routines. One, they must be kept short. This means that it should be between 45 to 75 minutes maximum while the best should be 60 minutes being best. The reason for this is simple. Training more than 75 minutes will prevent the body from gaining muscle and losing fat fast! Also, this long training will also prevent the body from a fast recovery. This is one occasion when more is not necessarily better for huge bodybuilding gains.

Two, keep to a minimum the rest in between sets. This means that rest must be somewhere between 90 seconds or less. This rest time is ideal in improving the cardiovascular system as well as helps the body to perform a lot of work and still finish within the ideal time of 75 minutes. Also, it has also been known that this kind of training stimulates the most growth hormones outputs.

Third, the sets should be between 8 – 15 repetitions for muscle mass gains while for body sculpting purposes it must be 15-25 repetitions. Some reasons support this range in reps.

The best blood pump into the muscle cells within these repetition ranges. Considering that nutrients that nourish the muscle cells are pumped along with the blood come nutrients and that this blodd pump help them recover and rebuild bigger faster, then this rep range is very important. To add, there is less probability of injury since the body will be using a weight that it can control. Also, it has been shown in studies that muscle building and fat burning occur best at these repetition ranges.

It is not wise to get stuck with the same routine for a long workout period. A bodybuilder ends up with a zero muscle growth if he does this even he spends a lot of time pumping iron. Also, sticking at the same workout regimen will surely lead to a boring and unenthusiastic day at the gym. So finally, training must be varied and cycled.

MDS, or myelodysplastic syndrome, is malignancy that is blood-related and is difficult to treat because it does not respond well to the available treatments. There is a deficiency in red and white blood cells as well as in the platelets when MDS is present.

When the disorder in the production of blood cells continued, the different types of blood cells will have an abnormal count and the bone marrow will begin to deteriorate. The MDS syndrome patient will have low or high amount of any or all of these blood cells (red, white, and platelet).

MDS occurs in 5 per 100,000 people; at age 70 and up, about 30 per 100,000. Therefore, MDS cases may grow in number as the population ages.

Physical symptoms include: fatigue, infectious disorders, bleeding, and abnormal pallor.

Without treatment (and even with treatment), patients living with MDS may develop to progressive cytopenias or acute myeloid leukemia(AML). According to medical reports, about one third of patients diagnosed with MDS develop AML, which is commonly known as secondary AML.

Survival chances of patients with MDS were derived from the percentage of bone marrow blasts, the number of cytopenias, and the presence of cytogenetic abnormalities. These are divided into 4 risk categories:

*5.7 years median survival – low risk category

*Median survival of 3.5 years is an intermediate risk category

*Median risk of 1.1 years is also considered intermediate risk

*When the median survival is less than 6 months the risk is considered high.

Genetic factors as well as environmental factors are implicated in the development of MDS. Benzene, a known carcinogen, which is used in the manufacturing process of many commonly used items can lead to MDS in people who have had prolonged exposure. This toxic chemical is used in production of gasoline, soda, cigarettes and many other items. People exposed to it through handling, inhalation or ingestion are usually unaware of the damage it can do.

All you need to do is spend a few minutes in a health food store or vitamin shop and you’ll most likely be bombarded with the words “probiotic” and “EM” short for “effective microorganism”. These are terms you should know, as they affect your health. So I’ve written this article to help you make informed decisions.

What are “Probiotics”?

Probiotics are made of live organisms, these can be a type of yeast or other live bacteria. Administered in adequate amounts, they have health benefits. A very common probiotic is lactic acid bacteria or LAB. You can find these in foods such as yogurt. It’s what gives it a sour taste, and it has the characteristic of lowering pH levels.

How do Probiotics work?

Probiotics also aid in lowering your pH. These are most often used to help promote and restore intestinal flora to help ward against infection. As an example, antibiotics are known to alter the intestinal flora and cause stomach upset. To prevent this, eat plenty of yogurt containing lactic acid bacteria.

Probiotics are used to treat many ailments as well as to prevent them. They are commonly used for allergies, to strengthen the immune system, IBS, for exposure to toxic substances, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and for diarrhea.

What is EM Technology?

Teruo Higa, a Japanese horticulturist, developed Effective Microorganism Technology (EM Technology) in the 1970s. Through his study, research and testing, he reportedly was able to positively influence decomposing matter so that it actually stopped decomposing. His discoveries have led to many applications in the fields of agriculture, farming, human health and animal husbandry. Because this technology can be adapted to all things that are living, it has been applied to many sciences.

Stretch marks are often likely to appear on people who gain or lose a lot of weight quickly, experience swelling that is ongoing and severe, or go through pregnancy. These scars on your skin can make you feel uncomfortable with your body. Fortunately, there are several different ways to get rid of stretch marks. Take a look at these effective removal options.

If you want to find a remedy that is inexpensive and straightforward, you should try using a cream or moisturizer. To keep your costs down, use over-the-counter creams that are available in a number of stores. The most effective products will contain Vitamin E oil and Vitamin A. These ingredients help soothe your skin and make your scars less noticeable.

You might also want to consider using more powerful treatment methods that require a prescription. Tretinoin or Retin-A are the active ingredients found in most of these creams. These substances are effective exfoliants and get rid of dead and dying skin from the surface. Also, these stronger products promote the growth of new skin cells. As well, they help to prevent the formation of stretch marks in the first place. And they can start working quickly on newly developed scars to fill them up.

You might also want to try fruit acid creams, also known as alpha hydroxyl acids. These creams help to moisturize the top layer of your skin. And these acids promote the generation of new skin cells and the sloughing off of old ones. Alpha hydroxyl acids also make your skin more elastic. Your skin’s elasticity improves because of the ability of these products to bind water into the cells.

Another treatment to consider is laser surgery. This procedure is particularly beneficial to those who have stretch marks that are dark in color. The lasers are better able to eliminate marks that are dark red or brown in color, so the likelihood of this procedure working is higher if this is the state of your scars. This is a good choice because there are very few risks associated with it, unlike more invasive cosmetic surgery procedures. Recovery will take place within a few days to a few weeks.

If you want to minimize the appearance of your scars, then you might want to consider trying an Endermologie machine. This machine features rollers that massage your body to increase blood circulation and help to regenerate your body’s cells. This treatment method is especially useful for reducing water retention and eliminating toxins from your system.

Another option for stretch mark removal is to consider having a tummy tuck, which is a cosmetic surgery procedure. This procedure removes excess skin and in the process eliminates your stretch marks.

It is not common for the quadriceps tendon to rupture and when it does it mostly presents in those older than 40 years. Certain diseases and previously existing degeneration in the knee extensor apparatus makes this condition more likely to occur. A rupture on one side is the most common occurrence and bilateral ruptures indicate there are very likely to be underlying causative factors. Patellar tendon ruptures are less frequent than ruptures of the quads tendon and present in younger people under 40. It is important to make an early diagnosis of this problem and operate as soon as possible afterwards as delay makes the outcomes poorer.

Quadriceps rupture is likely to occur in particular actions, when the muscle is lengthening under load at some speed and the foot is anchored on the ground. Other causes are lacerations and cuts, direct trauma to the knee and falls. Because relatively trivial force can rupture the tendon of the quadriceps and that tendons which are normal do not rupture within the substance of the tendon, when a rupture does occur it is likely to be through a pathological tendon area. The likelihood of ruptures occurring increases with the presence of particular illnesses or diseases such as obesity, infections, steroid use over a period, immobilisation and arthritic conditions. Some knee operations and intra-articular steroid injections can precipitate rupture.

Just above the upper kneecap pole is the commonest site for rupture of the tendon of the quadriceps, the rupture occurring through abnormal tissues. The structural make up of the tendon or the blood supply can be damaged by a variety of medical diseases. Changes in the blood vessels can be produced by diabetes and high bodyweight can produce fatty changes in the tendon structures and an increased level of forces through the tendon. Ruptured tendons have been investigated and shown microscopically to possess degenerative changes without significant inflammation. Poor supply of oxygen and insufficient nutrition are important precursors to tendon degeneration.

Typical presentation of a patient is for them to complain of acute knee pain, knee swelling and loss of functional knee ability after giving way of the knee, a fall or a stumble. They may not have had knee pain previously and the knee may have gone pop audibly at the time of the incident. Patients will have difficulty walking and examination will show swelling above the kneecap, bruising and tenderness. A gap in the tissues just above the patella may be clearly apparent to touch with the patella lying lower than normal over the knee.

The ability to extend the knee actively against gravity is the key aspect of the determination of the diagnosis. If there is a rupture then there should be an extension lag, an inability to straighten the knee up on its own. This will be of varied severity depending on the degree of rupture, with partial ruptures needing more careful assessment to discover them. It’s more difficult to diagnose this condition if there is a delay in assessing the patient and many inaccurate diagnoses are given, with simple knee strains a common diagnosis with the consequent incorrect treatment and follow-up.

Improvement should occur in the knee swelling and pain with time, with the patient regaining walking ability and some quadriceps function. Walking can be difficult with the knee having the tendency to give way regularly and going up stairs being difficult, the patient hip hitching to bring their leg through in gait and then bracing the knee back to prevent instability. Typical management for complete, acute ruptures is to operate early and surgical repair can be effective also in chronic ruptures. Immobilisation in a plaster cast may be used for partial tears, with 3-6 weeks in the cast followed by extensive physiotherapy to regain function.

4-6 weeks in a cylinder plaster in full knee extension is the common management after this operation and weight bearing is usually permitted early with a frame or crutches. After the plaster is taken off then a hinged knee brace can be applied which can be adjusted to limit flexion range which can be gradually increased to allow greater and greater knee bend. Patients are then referred to physiotherapy to work at gradual increases in knee strength and ranges of motion until the knee is rehabilitated close to the function of the other knee.