BONE and joint problems do not only happen to the elderly folk but they can also happen to the young as well, says a medical expert.
Dr Boon Huck Wee, who specialises in orthopaedic and trauma surgery at Pantai Hospital Penang, said depending on the situation, young people also will have a tendency to develop bone and joint problems if they lack awareness.
“This is especially true for those who are involved in the heavy weightlifting type of work, sitting for the whole day in front of a computer (sedentary position), and also those who used to be involved in a very serious incident.
“If left untreated, this can lead to a more serious problem and affect their quality of life.
“Thus, it is very important for the public, regardless of age, to start to have an awareness of taking care of their bones and joints,” Dr Boon told reporters during the ‘Movement Matters’ campaign at Gurney Plaza yesterday (March 29).
According to Dr Boon, a healthy diet and physical activity are basically what keep our bones and joints healthy.
“Even doing simple exercises, as long as you do it regularly, can make a huge positive difference.
“What we do not want is to let bone-related conditions or diseases get in the way of us staying active and healthy,” he said.
Dr Boon also advised those who have bone and joint problems to seek treatment from a doctor, instead of going for a traditional method like massage.
“I would like to emphasise here that traditional methods like massage will not solve or cure your bone and joint problems as they can only reduce the pain.
“Most massage centres also do not have an X-ray machine to help them locate or further analyse the right spot for the bone and joint problems. And this will only worsen the problem or problems.
“What I recommended is to seek treatment and get professional advice from a doctor first about your bone and joint conditions.
“Nevertheless, massage can still be considered if it helps solve your joint pain after two to three sessions. But if the pain is still there, then, you must see a doctor,” he added.
Speaking about the ‘Movement Matters’ campaign, Dr Boon explained that it was a special campaign to promote better bone and joint health among the public.
“The campaign is a joint effort by IHH Healthcare and its network of 16 hospitals comprising Gleneagles Hospitals, Pantai Hospitals and Prince Court Medical Centre.
“The special campaign has been launched in three regions, kicking off in Kuala Lumpur at Lalaport from 15 March to 19, at Toppen Shopping Centre in Johor Baru, Johor on March 22 to 26, and currently in Gurney Plaza, Penang from March 29 until April 1.
“Visitors also can participate in the ‘Movement Matters’ campaign from 10am to 10pm and learn more about bone and joint health through various activities,” he said.
Story and pix by Riadz Akmal