There is a rising incidence of health disorders, owing to poor lifestyle. It is indicative of the fact that few people take their health seriously. On the occasion of National Youth Day, Dr Palash Gupta, Director-Orthopedics and Joint Replacement, Max Hospital Shalimar Bagh, give advice on lifestyle modifications that can help you turn your life around.
Amongst other health issues, bone and joint health is affecting old and young alike. It is unfortunate to see people in their 40s and 50s having serious joint disorders such as arthritis, avascular necrosis (AVN) and ankylosing spondylitis. Chronic arthritis can severely restrict an individual’s movements and even cripple them.
Dr Gupta, elaborates, “The skeletal system forms the framework of the body. Over the past few years, orthopedists have witnessed a significant surge with young patients consulting us for multiple joint pain, backache, muscle fatigue, knee and hip pain. There has also been a rise in the instances of knee and hip replacements among the young.”
While some joint ailments are hereditary, most are lifestyle diseases. Joint replacement surgeon, Dr Gupta, points out some of the potentially harmful routines that can be damaging to your joints. The good news is that with a bit of awareness, and changes in lifestyle, you can prevent these health issues.
Getting influenced by social media for staying fit: In a bid to stay fit, youngsters take to doing Zumba and aerobics. It can create havoc for your joints and you need to be supervised by a trainer. People often switch from a beginner’s routine to advanced levels, which can be detrimental to the joints.
Consuming aerated drinks and smoking: Prolonged smoking, consumption of processed junk food and frequent intake of aerated drinks can make your bones hollow, putting you at an increased risk of fractures. Apart from avoiding sodas and cigarettes, youngsters also need to make calcium and Vitamin-D rich diet their go-to food to strengthen joints and muscles.
Taking protein supplements: Resorting to short cuts like protein supplements to beef up your body is not uncommon. While supplements (which contain steriods) might help you achieve the looks, prolonged usage can shrink the veins that circulate blood to the bone tissue, leading to AVN i.e. death of the bone tissue which eventually results in joint destruction. In such cases, the hip joint collapses completely, leaving hip replacement surgery as the only resort.
Travelling or sitting for long hours:Sitting in the same posture for a long period of time due to work or while travelling can interrupt blood flow to the joints causing pain and stiffness. Taking small breaks at work to stretch or including 30 to 40 minutes of continuous walk in your routine can help improve blood circulation to the joint and its peripheral areas, aiding in better mobility and healthy joints.
Lack of sleep: If working into the night, binge-watching or attending late night parties and sleeping for four hours sounds familiar to you, beware that less sleep might be the reason for joint aches. When an individual sleeps their inflammation levels go down, giving the body an opportunity to heal. Eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at one go is important to keep your joints and muscles healthy.
Hitting the gym for weight reduction: At times, the urge to shed kilos faster make youngsters overexercise. Muscle soreness for 24 hours is usual after a hard workout, but it should never leave you in pain or make it worse for days. Working the knee through pain can increase your odds of injuring the joint, which can cause arthritis in the long run.