Dr. Gaurav Rathore, Senior Consultant (Orthopaedics)
Dr. Sonal Mehra, Associate Consultant (Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology)
New Delhi, October 11, 2017: “As a person grows old, their immune system gradually becomes weak and the body gets prone to multiple health problems. Lack of physical exercise and sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity which creates a pressure on the joints and affects cartilage, leading to a gradual reduction in the normal amount of cartilage tissue in a person’s body. This becomes the major cause of arthritis, making it the most commonly found ailment amongst the aged population. In arthritis, the joint pain becomes so unbearable after sometime, that only surgery remains a viable option to get relief from this pain. But, this can be avoided up to a certain extent by taking the right treatment and following doctor’s advice timely”, said Dr. Gaurav Rathore and Dr. Sonal Mehra on the occasion of World Arthritis day.
Dr. Sonal Mehra from department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Jaypee Hospital explained, “Arthritis can be of various types amongst which Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Lupus arthritis and Gouty arthritis are the most common ones. Arthritis is mostly seen in adults over the age of 40 years but it can also develop in children, teens, and young adults. In India, arthritis is more common in women than men and in people who are overweight. Joint pain, stiffness, decreased range of motion; muscle weakness, breathlessness, swelling and fatigue are the most common symptoms of arthritis. One may also experience redness of the skin around the joint. This is to be noted that many people with arthritis experience that their symptoms worsen in the morning. Due to this the patient gets tired easily and becomes physically inactive. This deteriorates the condition even further.”
Dr. Sonal Mehra further added, “It is possible to control the ill effects of arthritis up to an extent by taking timely treatment, adhering to doctor’s advice on lifestyle changes, eating healthy food, maintaining optimum weight and exercising regularly. It is observed that arthritis also imbalances the immune system of the affected individual. Early diagnosis is important so that a treatment plan can be started to reduce damage to joints. Also, taking pain killers, without actually knowing the type of arthritis one is suffering from, can be injurious to health.”
Dr. Gaurav Rathore from department of Orthopaedic further said, “Arthritis commonly affects body parts like knees, shoulder, arm, hip and back, etc. Joint transplantation remains the only option with the patient if the joint pain does not get cured with the help of medication or any other treatment. According to the statistics, the joint surgery for arthritis is one of the most commonly seen surgeries that take place all over the world. Jaypee Hospital has the best of the technologies for joint transplantation and is an authority when it comes to successful treatment. It is a good thing that medication, physiotherapy or sometimes surgery helps reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life. This helps the patients lead a normal life. ”
“No such technique has been invented which can cure Osteoarthritis without performing a joint surgery. Doctors across the globe are still trying their best to develop such a technique. We hope that soon better techniques will be available in the market that would help hospitals in reducing the pain caused to the patients suffering from arthritis,” the doctors stated.