People in India are yet to appreciate the common joint problems and their impact is rising day by day. Joint problems affect more than 400 million people world wide. Back ache is the commonest cause of sickness absenteeism. Osteoarthritis is the commonest joint problem and the knee is the commonest joint affected in India. A lot of women suffer from knee pain. With this in mind it is useful to draw the attention of the local populace to caring for their joints.

Pay attention to your symptoms and see the doctor early.

If you have pain swelling and stiffness around your joints for more than two weeks, please see your orthopedic surgeon. These symptoms can develop suddenly or slowly. These symptoms could be arthritis. "Arthritis” is not a single diagnosis. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and only an Orthopaedic specialist can make the diagnosis after examining you and doing the necessary investigations.

What can be done to mitigate the disease load?

We can look at this from a large and micro perspective.

While osteoarthritis is the bane of middle and late age, road traffic accidents and the resultant injuries & fractures can be prevented by action at the appropriate political level.

Chronic painful arthritic joints need a joint replacement in the elderly age groups. The treatment of the young individual is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. In this group fall many women with anterior knee pain. They need special attention and specially designed exercises. Surgical methods of treatment of cartilage lesions are practiced by the author. Ligament injuries of the knee should be treated in symptomatic persons.

Individuals can postpone joint problems by regular exercise. Putting your joints through a full range of movement each day is all that is needed. Weight gain can and should be avoided. Learn to differentiate between the pain of overuse and disease. Any joint pain lasting for more than one hour after exercise is not overuse pain. Use the largest joint suitable for any muscular effort.

Start early

The earlier the diagnosis is made the better are the chances to keep the disease under check or offer advice on mitigating its effect. This disease cannot be entirely cured but medicines and surgery can offer lasting pain relief and improve the quality of life.

Protect your joints

Exercise helps to relieve pain, improve circulation, tone up your muscles and keep you fit. It improves the overall sense of well being. Your Doctor can show you all the types of exercises that will be useful for your specific condition.

Eat and drink healthily

Cut down on fast foods which offer little nutrition. Fruits and vegetables, whole grain cereals, milk, protect your muscles and joints. There are no dietary restrictions for most form of arthritis. Thus simple measures within your reach can postpone the onset of arthritis. Earlier diagnosis, innovative alternatives for joint replacement, can give you lasting relief from inevitable joint pains and aches.