Arthritis which is very common lifestyle disease affects around 15 per cent people in India. The prevalence is higher than many well-known diseases such as diabetes, AIDS and cancer.
World Arthritis Day is celebrated every year on October 12 and the theme this year ‘Don''t Delay, Connect Today. This year, ‘Time2Work’ has been added in the theme to highlight the loss of work and earnings because of this disabling disease and to encourage such people to carry-on with their works.
Arthritis are commonly divided into inflammatory and non-inflammatory types and common non-inflammatory joint diseases include degenerative spine diseases, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and fibromyalgia. Common inflammatory joint diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, connective tissue diseases and polymyalgia rheumatica.
Arthritis can be hereditary; can also be triggered by lifestyle factors such as smoking, excessive weight, sedentary lifestyles, increasing age and having occupations that lead to injury and overuse of joints, muscles; however, in some cases the causes are unknown.
“Many factors increase the risk of developing rheumatic disease, including increasing age, smoking, excessive weight, predisposed genetic factors, occupations with high risk of injury and overuse of joints. Early diagnosis is important to prevent further damage, if not treated early daily activities are affected, reducing the quality of peoples’ life said Dr Samir Dwidmuthe, associate professor and in-charge, Orthopaedics Department in AIIMS Nagpur.
“Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder and accounts for more disability among the elderly than any other disease. Indian population, particularly post-menopausal females, are particularly predisposed to knee osteoarthritis. Weight reduction, lifestyle modification and knee exercises help in delaying the progression of this disease in its early stage said Dr Vivek Tiwari, assistant professor, arthritis and joint replacement specialist at AIIMS Nagpur.
Tips for living with Arthritis
Healthy lifestyle
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid stress
Get adequate sleep
• Reduce alcohol intake
Eating habits
• Healthy and balanced diet is important for people with arthritis
• Control your salt and sugar intake
Regular exercise
Cycling
Dancing
Walking
Gardening
Swimming
Yoga