DT Health: Ignorance isn’t bliss in health of joints

CHENNAI: Osteoporosis, arthritis, lower back pains and knee pains, are commonly seen among middle aged or older people, the reason being, muscles and bones becoming weak with growing age.

With rising prevalence of joint pains, the productivity is low. Earlier, the disc condition of a person, used to be healthy even at the age of 60, because of a healthy lifestyle. This has now been slowly changing due to lifestyle changes, as more youngsters complain of back and joint pain.

This scenario can be attributed to genetic changes, unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, diet and irregular sleep patterns and increase in Vitamin D deficiency.

However, compared to these factors, women are more affected by hormone related concerns. The symptoms are generally subtle and it becomes difficult to spot at the initial stages. What might feel as a morning pain or discomfort that occurs due to prolonged use of muscle can eventually lead to a chronic condition.

Swelling, soreness, stiffness or numbness in any joint of the body, which makes it difficult to perform simple tasks like combing, carrying books etc. is an indication that the muscles require immediate medical attention. Therefore, it is recommended to get the pain checked and treated if the condition exists for more than a month.

The hormone estrogen in women plays a very critical role in the bone health as it protects the joints and bones from inflammations, wear and tear. This is the reason why women in their menopausal stage or post menopausal stage begin to face knee pain, lower back pain, joint pain and so on. But now, even younger women face hormonal changes where the levels of estrogen reduce thus leading to similar joint related complications.

Dehydration that can be caused due to hormonal drops can also cause knee and joint swellings.

On the flip side, many studies have found out that psycho-social elements play a major role in back pains. Mental stress, hectic work schedules, working on systems for longer hours tend to compress muscles leading to premature ageing of spine resulting in increasing cases of neck and back pain.

It is always better to get up from your seat and stretch your legs and arms or maybe take short walks around your office every two hours. This way, the muscles get relaxed and refreshed at periodic intervals.