Lifestyle Changes Needed to Keep Osteoarthritis at Bay

Obesity has reached monumental proportions in the UAE, with the rate being double that of the world average. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study released in 2013 over 65 percent of men and 60 percent of women in the UAE are overweight or obese. When obesity coupled with a culture where kneeling is highly prevalent- whether it is for prayer, during social gatherings or for mealtimes – has led to a marked increase of osteoarthritis sufferers in the Middle East.

Osteoarthritis is characterized by degeneration of the joint, which begins with the loss of articular cartilage over an extended period of time band and eventually causes changes to the bone surface area. The main symptom of osteoarthritis is deep joint pain. This pain is often aggravated by activities such as climbing stairs or walking a long distance. Some patients also experience stiffness of the joint in the morning. The main risk factors for the condition are obesity, previous trauma or surgery to the knee and repeated strain to the knee.

According to Dr. Anurag Sapolia, Specialist Orthopedic Surgeon at Medeor 24×7 Hospital, Dubai Osteoarthritis is highly prevalent in countries belonging to the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent where there is a culture of kneeling and sitting down to pray among both Hindus and Muslims. Families and friends too generally sit down on the floor to share meals. When people who are obese adopt repetitive kneeling actions, the increase in pressure on the knees causes further degeneration. He added, “Another correlation I find amongst my patients is that hip degeneration is less compared to knee degeneration amongst those from the Middle Eastern and Indian subcontinent.”

Dr. Sapolia said that as of now, there is no cure for the condition. Patients will have to undergo a knee replacement surgery if the disease worsens. It is possible, however, to effectively manage the symptoms through a few simple lifestyle changes. He generally advises his patients to reduce their weight by 5 kilograms of weight as this can reduce their knee pain by as much as 75% by decreasing the pressure on the knee.

With the last week of Ramadan off to an auspicious start, Muslims increase their worship with many spending the wee hours of the morning in prayer.

“Those overweight or obese should take precautions to limit further damage to their knee during this holy period. Obese or overweight worshippers should offer their prayers seated on a chair. This is permitted in religion and it will also lessen the pressure on the damaged knee,” Dr. Sapolia advised. “Efforts should also be made to lose weight and adopt a healthy, active lifestyle as this too can dramatically improve the condition.”