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World Arthritis Day: Prolonged pain without injury an early warning
‘People, mostly those with a busy office life ignore these symptoms and go for quick relief with painkillers or alternate therapy, thereby, ending in an aggravated or acute stage of arthritis’
“Prolonged pain in the joints, back, fingers, hands, muscles, neck, or wrist without any injury is considered an early warning for joint problems, including arthritis,” said founder of Arthritis Foundation of Lucknow (AFoL), Dr Sandeep Kapoor and Dr Sandeep Garg, at a press conference, on Wednesday, organised to mark World Arthritis Day (WAD).
People, mostly those with a busy office life ignore these symptoms and go for quick relief with painkillers or alternate therapy, thereby, ending in an aggravated or acute stage of arthritis, said Dr Kapoor, an eminent joint replacement surgeon and director of Healthcity Vistaar Superspeciality Hospital and Trauma Centre.
“Almost all such patients who try to buy time with alternate therapy for joint problems only kill time and incur unnecessary expenses. In fact, they lose time during their most productive age,” said Dr Kapoor.
Explaining the significance of taking the right decision at the right time, Dr Garg said, “The time of surgery matters much. If you lose time, your performance in the office or in social life goes down. This can even cause depression among patients owing to their fear of inability to cope with friends and relatives.”
The doctors said that considering Lucknow, up to seven lakh people may be suffering with some kind of bone health issue. The figure of such people has increased recently after the pandemic that pushed up joint problems.
Dr Kapoor said many people have changed their lifestyle since work from home began, and this gave rise to weight problems. The movement of such people was restricted as they had to sit for long in one place. Lack of physical work or exercise despite increased intake of food gave rise to weight. Increased weight puts pressure on body joints. Dr Garg said that we should indulge in walking, cycling, or any other exercise. Even if you are ill with some chronic disease, take the advice of your doctor and choose an exercise good for you. A healthy person can do 40 minutes of exercise daily.
Events planned today
LUCKNOW: The Arthritis Foundation of Lucknow has organised events on World Arthritis Day on Thursday (October 12). “The events include walking, cycling, and zumba, in which arthritis patients who have completed treatment, will participate, besides fitness enthusiasts,” said Dr Kapoor. The district magistrate Suryapal Gangwar will be the chief guest who will flag off cyclists.
What to watch out for
# Pain in joints without any specific reasons
# Stiffness in joints when you wake up in the morning
# Pain and swelling in an old injury that has been treated properly
# Redness on skin around joints
