World Arthritis Day: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

It is fairly common to hear an elderly complain about knee stiffness and pain. But with the steady rise in arthritis cases among youngsters, the problem has become an epidemic that is affecting over 15 per cent of the Indian population.

In order to educate people about this joint disease, World Arthritis Day is observed around the world. Arthritis often causes painful, restricted movements which directly affects the quality of life of an individual.

Therefore, it is crucial to create awareness regarding its diagnosis, symptoms, treatment procedure, and prevention methods to tackle the epidemic and to help people lead a pain-free and healthy life.

Dr. Ramneek Mahajan, Director, Orthopedics & Joint Replacement, Max Smart, Saket, New Delhi, elaborates on the various facets of the disease and shares prevention tips to keep knee pain at bay.

Causes and symptoms:

The main cause of arthritis is the wearing off of the knee cartilage. There are various conditions that causes the degeneration of the knee such as

- Genetic predisposition

- Constant excessive stress on the knees

- Obesity

- Sedentary lifestyle

- Lack of exercise

While knee pain is often considered to be the common symptom, it is not the only indicator. Stiffness of the knee, swelling, difficulty in walking straight and increasing knee pain over a period of time are the warning signs for you to consult a doctor.

Lead a healthy lifestyle:

Living a sedentary life can create havoc to your knee joints. Lack of exercise, excess body weight and consuming processed junk food can damage and weaken your knee, causing the cartilage to degenerate. A degenerated cartilage cannot be regenerated, however changing one's lifestyle can go a long way in slowing down the degeneration pace of the knee cartilage.

Including the following tips in your daily routine can help in keeping your knee joints healthy:

- If your work entails you to sit for long hours, take small walk breaks to stretch your legs and allow knee movement

- Ensure moderate exercise, avoid regular strenuous activities

- Soak in the sun to let your body absorb Vitamin D which is crucial to keep your bones healthy

- Include green leafy vegetables, milk and milk products, nuts, fish, etc. in your diet

- Be careful about your body posture while sitting and walking

Treatment options:

If the joint pain has grown severe with the passage of time and has started restricting your movements, it is important to consult your doctor for a treatment plan. While pain killers are provided for temporary relief and comfort, it should not be considered as a permanent solution for the knee pain.

When arthritis becomes so severe that it starts affecting your mobility and quality of life, knee replacement may be the most viable treatment option. While a knee replacement surgery might sound daunting, the latest technologies makes the surgery smooth, fast and effective, ensuring faster recovery and shorter hospital stay for the patient. Innovations such as the Single Radius Knee that mimics the circular motion of natural knee, advanced surgical technologies like Navigation based knee replacement help patients get back to their normal life within days.

It is of utmost importance to be aware of one's body and ailments one is suffering from but it is equally important to know extensively about the treatment options and prevention techniques of the disease. Timely intervention in any disease can help in leading a healthy life.