In other cases it is not the bones which are soft, but the muscles and ligaments which hold the spine in a proper position are defective. Where the bone is felt to be good-sized and hard, and the surrounding substance too soft, it is a case of this kind. To proper nourishment, in this case, must be added proper exercise of the muscles concerned. Immovable plaster jackets are bad, because they forbid this. This exercise may best be given by rubbing (see Exercise and Massage). Gentle rubbing and pressure over the back, with hot olive oil (see), will work wonders in such a case. During the rubbing the patient should lie down at full length. It must also be done so as to be pleasant, or it is of no use.
See that the patient has plenty of rest, and only as much walking exercise as is evidently enjoyed. There may be complications with other troubles—for example, a quick pulse and some fever heat, if the temperature is tested. That will require to be itself treated with repeated rubbings of finely wrought lather over the stomach and bowels. Until you have in some measure subdued this fever, you will not do much in the way of improving the muscles of the back. In many cases you will be able to bring the fever down completely, and then you will be free to exercise the muscles, and so to strengthen them that they will bring the spine to something like its proper shape. (See Assimilation; Diet; Digestion; Nerves; Nourishment; Paralysis; Massage.)
Spine, Weakness of the.—See Children's Healthy Growth.
Sprains or Racks.—A sprain is usually the result of some involuntary stress coming upon the part. If the injury be to the muscular substance only, it is easily healed; hot fomentations should be given to the sprained parts, with perfect rest and every possible ease and comfort by position, etc., and nature will soon effect a cure. If the injury be really to the nerves which control the muscles, as is generally the case, the matter is more difficult. The muscle swells, but this is primarily due to the overstrain of the nerves in the sudden effort they make to bear a crushing load on the muscle. The pain is from pressure in the swelling, and also from inflammatory action.
The cure, then, must be applied to the motor nerves controlling the muscles, and is best applied at their roots in the spinal cord. If the arm, hand, or wrist be sprained, rub gently the upper spinal region with warm olive oil, continuing the rubbing gently down the arm to the injured part (see Rubbing) until the whole shoulder and arm glow with comfortable warmth. But all rubbing such as causes pain must be avoided. If such rubbing cannot be managed, then a hot bran poultice (see) must be placed between the shoulders, and a warm fomentation given to the shoulder and arm. The treatment should be given once a day, and ere many days the sprain should be cured. For ankle and knee sprains, the lower back and leg must be treated on similar principles.
Where the chest muscles that cover the ribs are sprained, rubbing and moist heat should be applied over the back and round the side where the sprain is, paying especial attention to the spine opposite the sprain, and using hot olive oil before fomentation and after, as well as to rub with.
If the belly be sprained, similar treatment should be given lower down the back.
If the back muscles are sprained, then the same treatment should be applied, taking special care to stimulate with moist heat and rubbing the part of the spine on a level with the injury, where the roots of the nerves lie which supply the sprained muscles. Care must ever be taken to avoid giving pain—to give pain is to increase the injury. To produce a glow of heat all through the parts is to cure it. (See Muscular Pains.)
For a sprained heel, when there is some degree of inflammation about it, we should pack the whole foot in fine soap lather. Let it be in this all night, and also during the day when resting. Wash the foot with a little weak acetic acid, after being packed in the lather, to keep it quite clean. Now rub the whole limb from the ankle upwards in such a way as to press the blood onwards in the veins. Use a little oil, so that the skin may not suffer till a fine heat is raised in the whole limb. This may be done for a quarter-of-an-hour twice or thrice a day. It relieves the heel of all congestion, and lets good arterial blood flow to it, as it would not otherwise. An elastic bandage, not very tight, put on above the knee will help the cure. Sprained joints and muscles should have perfect rest for a fortnight, and be used very cautiously for some time longer.
Spring Trouble.—Many persons are distressed by some form of eruption or inflammation in the skin in spring. The change of atmosphere and temperature at this time greatly increases the demands made upon the skin as an organ of perspiration, and this strain it is in many cases unable to stand—hence the trouble referred to. To prevent this, the skin must be brought into a better state of health and fitness for any extra work, so that it can bear without injury even very great changes of air and temperature. This may be done by regular application of soap lather (see Lather and Soap) to the entire skin each evening for three or four days, and then twice a week through all the season. Good olive oil may be rubbed on before and after the lather, or even mixed with it in rubbing on; if the cooling effect is found too great, two or three thick coats of lather should be put on, and then gently wiped off, and the oil applied. This, continued during the later winter and spring, should entirely prevent eruptions. But if these do appear, or have already come on, the irritation is apt to be so great that only very fine and carefully made lather can be used. It is better then to use buttermilk instead of lather. But the buttermilk (see) must be new, and if necessary weakened by addition of sweet milk; if old and strongly acid buttermilk be used, harm may be done. Do not rub the milk on: soak it into the parts by gentle dabbing with a pad of soft cloth. This done frequently, even twice or three times a day, will almost always effect a cure.