Tag: Arthritis

Health

A Sharp Rise in Arthritis Cases have been observed During Winter: informs Doctor

Dec 16, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Apollo Spectra Pune, #Arthritis, #Doctor, #Dr. Ashish Suryavanshi, #Dr. Vishwajeet Chavan, #muscle spasms, #Winter

Winter weather can be especially harsh on those who suffer from arthritis. The bone-chilling cold during winter can flare up arthritis leading to pain, swelling, inflammation, and stiffness of the joints. Thus, a majority of patients will feel uncomfortable as arthritis impacts their quality of life. Keep those achy joints warm by dressing appropriately, opt for physical activity to enhance strength and flexibility, boost energy and ease the pain. Get enough vitamin D as being deficient in it can lead to joint pain. Skip sugary foods that cause inflammation in the body.

Just like other allergies and infections, even arthritis can flare up during winter. Arthritis means the inflammation of the joints. “Winter can lead to a surge in cases arthritis. A significant fall in the barometric pressure, which often occurs as cold approaches, causing joints to expand and become painful. Low temps may also increase the thickness of the synovial fluid that acts as the joint’s shock absorber, making joints stiffer and sensitive to pain. So, when pressure lowers, tissues swell, building tension between joints, and causing pain.

Dr. Vishwajeet Chavan, Orthopedic Surgeon, Apollo Spectra Pune Said, “About 70 patients with arthritis visit the outpatient department every month. However, since the onset of the cold, the number of patients has increased, and now 85 to 90 patients are complaining of joint pain in the age group of 55 to 80. Women are more prone to joint pain in winter than men. Hence, joint pain is 5% higher in women than in men. Hot water compression can be opted for to stay warm during the colder days and manage arthritis.

Cover your hands, knees, legs, and all arthritis-prone areas by dressing in layers. Stay hydrated as dehydration can make you more sensitive to pain. Don’t forget to exercise indoors to improve the symptoms like joint stiffness and muscle weakness, and also take warm showers. Eat omega-3 fatty acids to lower inflammation in the joints. Add avocado, flaxseeds, walnuts, and fish to the diet. Stress triggers arthritis pain, do yoga and meditation. Low levels of vitamin D might lead to arthritis pain. Take vitamin D supplement after consulting the doctor. Avoid heavily processed, sugary and fried foods, alcohol, and colas that trigger joint pain.”

Dr. Ashish Suryavanshi, Orthopedic, Lokmanya Hospital Pune Said, I am seeing 5-6 patients on daily basis with complaints of arthritis. Rise in 25% cases compared to last year. The woman above 50 years are largely seen compared to man.”

There are more muscle spasms in colder temperatures leading to joint pain. The cold climate reduces the blood circulation to the fingers and toes, which also causes arthritis pain. Less sunlight during winters can lead to lower vitamin D levels and weakened joints. Thus, many rheumatoid arthritis patients find it harder to control symptoms during chilly days.” added Dr Suryavanshi

Health

Timely detection for Arthritis is the key to quality of life : Dr. Akhilesh Yadav

Oct 22, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Arthritis, #Centre For Knee and Hip Care, #Dr. Akhilesh Yadav, #Vaishali

Arthritis is the second most common rheumatologic problem, is also the most frequent joint ailment affecting the quality of life with a prevalence of around 40% among the Indian population. It is a serious disease with significant financial and socioeconomic implications. The impact is not limited to the knee with recent studies pointing towards a link between knee pain and increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease and other causes.

Attributing a plethora of reasons including lifestyle changes, obesity and increasingly ageing population the prevalence and complications related to arthritis is on the rise. Joint pains are often neglected until it causes distress or impaired quality of life, but still, a greater number of young patients are presenting with this problem. Obesity is a key modifiable factor which should not be overlooked as the joints are burdened with at least three to six times the load-bearing capacity.

Despite the progress in medical technology and decades of trying to understand the effects of an arthritic knee, in the absence of a cure the treatments strategies largely focus on symptom management including pain relief, improved joint function, and joint stability.

If diagnosed at an early stage, it can be treated with medications, but when the symptoms have crossed the extreme stage, surgery is the only option left. Timely detection and advancements made in the field of Total Knee replacements with minimally invasive techniques making use of computer assistance has been providing an enhanced pathway for better recovery and improving the quality of life. Surgeries are now performed under a highly specialized and advanced environment, ensuring shorter discharge time and negligible pain. This also enables a shorter hospital stay, speedy recovery and greater patient satisfaction.

With certain lifestyle choices such as eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and excessive steroid consumption, hip pain from arthritis is affecting the younger generation which was once considered a medical problem in the elderly population.

Arthritis is a progressive disorder which starts gradually and worsens with time. It occurs when the joint space of your hip is narrowed and the soft tissues surrounding it start to shrink and tighten.

Though joint-related problems have always been an issue related to ageing, for a variety of reasons including poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, consumption of bodybuilding supplements and steroids in excessive quantities more and younger patients have been diagnosed with joint-related ailments. There is a sudden rise among the youngsters regarding the usage of bodybuilding supplements and steroids that is leading to various types of joint-related ailments.

Excessive usage of such supplements prevents the adequate blood flow to the bones in the joints causing the breakdown of the bone cells. In the majority of the conditions, the majorly affected is the hip joint. The ball of the hip joint gradually loses its blood supply and starts shrinking, leading to declining in its shape and smoothness. Such conditions if not treated in time can lead to chronic pain and difficulty in walking.

During arthritis when we stretch and move, the hip joint hurts and over time leads to greater stiffness and worsening of the condition that alleviates pain.

Based on the diagnosis and imaging tests the surgeon begins the treatment. If the medications and therapies are not enough to get relief from the inflammation then surgeons might advise minimally invasive hip replacement surgery.

“It is an appropriate treatment option if the hip joint is severely damaged or if pain and swelling reduce motion in joints and affects the quality of life. Hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful modern orthopaedic surgical procedures and it is performed with smaller incisions which mean quicker recovery. During a hip replacement surgery, the surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the hip joint and replaces them with man-made parts. Surgery can help to reduce pain, enhance the quality of life, and improve an individual’s ability to perform everyday activities with no restrictions.”

Dr. Akhilesh Yadav
Senior Transplant Head Joint Replacement(Hip and Knee)
Centre For Knee and Hip Care, Vaishali