‘Obesity major reason for arthritis in younger people’ (Expert Interview)

Dr Suraj Gurav tells us more about arthritis and what people should do if they feel they have it.

By: Dr Suraj Gurav | | Updated: February 12, 2014 12:01 am

Tags: Adolescent Health Joint replacement

When we think of arthritis we think of old people struggling to walk or get up after sitting down, but did you know that young people are also prone to the condition? Dr Suraj Gurav, Consultant Orthopaedic and Joint Replacement Surgeon, Asian Hospitals (a unit of Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai) tells us about the prevalence of the disease and how one can delay the onset of the disease. Also Read - Know the long term risks of joint implants

What has changed over the years? What is making people more prone to the condition? Younger people seem to be suffering from the disease. Also Read - Open global event on woman, child health to be inaugurated by Modi on Wednesday

Most people who have the symptoms are 60 and above. However, younger individuals are being diagnosed with it now and there are a variety of reasons. The main reason for this condition is obesity. Other reasons include a sedentary lifestyle, stress and an inadequate diet with less Vitamin D. (Read: Keep arthritis at bay with exercise) Also Read - Here's why boys are getting sexually mature at an early age

What treatment options do people have? Does it differ for the young and old?

The best treatment option is prevention. So you need to live a healthy lifestyle, maintain your weight (as per your height and other factors) and exercise regularly. Another problem which is quite common in India is that patients tend to ignore the condition and not visit their doctor. This is bad because early diagnosis and treatment can help slow down or prevent damage to the joints.

The treatment will depend on the stage or progression of the disease. If it is a younger individual and has early arthritis, then diet modifications, weight reduction, muscle strengthening and physiotherapy itself will be very effective. But if the person is elderly, and has advanced arthritis, the only option left is surgery in the form of a total knee replacement. It is important to know that if a person comes to us early on (before the condition becomes too bad), then we can also offer him/her a uni-compartmental knee replacement. This is a surgery where we only replace the part that is damaged. (Read: Guide to living with arthritis)

What can people do to prevent the disease?

Arthritis is a hereditary disease but there are measures to take care of their joints and slow its progression. People should exercise regularly, eat healthy and maintain their weight. Also they need to get checked regularly to assess the onset of arthritis. These choices could determine whether a person needs surgery or not.

How can a person live better with arthritis?

Once diagnosed, the key is to identify the problems you’re suffering from and figure out to what extent it hampers your everyday functioning. Most patients suffer from arthritis of the knee so if a person has pain or stiffness (where one can’t bend his knee fully), instability and swelling in the knee, it could indicate arthritis. One shouldn’t ignore the condition and visit a doctor whenever they observe any of the symptoms. Surgery is usually the last option, when other non-surgical methods have failed. I should add that surgery is very effective and is a permanent cure for the condition. But a patient should know that even with surgery, they can’t go back to living an unhealthy lifestyle and need to make changes.

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Published : October 16, 2013 5:37 pm | Updated:February 12, 2014 12:01 am