Give your knees a leg-up

How to prevent problems associated with one of the largest and most complex joints in the body

- REWATI KARAN

INDIA IS FACING a knee arthritis epidemic. In fact, the problem is so rampant that over 150 million Indians suffer from some kind of knee problems and 40 million need total knee replacement, according to various studies. Worse still, the prevalence of knee arthritis in India is said to be 15 times higher than in Western nations.

While the issue is associated with many lifestyle factors, in India, it is also related to genetic predisposition, increased life expectancy, and socio-cultural habits such as sitting cross-legged, squatting, long-standing hours of work, and frequent use of stairs.

Incidentally, the problem is more prevalent among women. In India, one in three women over 60 years suffers from arthritis. Even in their 20s and 30s, women are highly prone to arthritis, the reason being hormonal changes causing the cartilage in the joints to degenerate faster, and leading to osteoarthritis. Hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause can also cause joint pain and stiffness among women. In the general populace, the most common knee problem is age-related degenerative arthritis, which involves degeneration (wear and tear) of cartilage affecting the joints.

Lifestyle to blame

Most of the time, the reasons revolve around your lifestyle choices, lack of regular exercise and poor nutrition. "These are the three factors that mainly contribute to varying degrees of different types of knee problems," says Dr Aashish Chaudhry, director and head of department of orthopaedics and joint replacement at Aakash Healthcare in Delhi.