Join together and raise awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases

Ludhiana, October 11, 2014: October 12th is World Arthritis Day. The day focuses on people and organisations from around the world to join together and raise awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. This year’s focus is on the importance of exercise in the treatment of these diseases and conditions.
According to Dr Amit Kansal (Rheumatology Specialist at DMCH, Ludhiana), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive and disabling autoimmune disease of joints affecting 0.8-1.0% of Indians. It affects approximately 3 times more women than men and onset is generally between 20 - 60 years of age although it can occur at any age.
It can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility if not treated adequately and timely. The disease can progress very rapidly, causing swelling and damage to the joints. Any joint may be affected but it is commonly the hands, feet and wrists. Apart from joints, it can affect the whole body and internal organs such as the lungs, heart, skin, nerves and eyes.
Although the exact cause of RA is unknown, some possible causes are infections, viruses, hormones, diet, smoking and possibly injury.
Smoking is undoubtedly an important factor in causing RA. Furthermore, smoking makes the outlook for the RA worse. Although rheumatoid arthritis also has a genetic component, the possibility of passing the disease on to a child is extremely small.
The good news is that the prognosis today, if diagnosed and treated early, is significantly better than it was 20-30 years ago and many people have a much better quality of life in spite of having RA.
Dr Kansal said that so far, we cannot cure it, but we now understand much more about the inflammatory process and how to manage it. Basically, the right diagnosis and early treatment is key to win fight against arthritis. Time wasted here and there leads to cartilage damage which is irreversible. So, people with symptoms of joint pains should contact the specialist rheumatologist at the earliest.
RA is a lot more common than leukaemia, cancers and multiple sclerosis. However, awareness of the severity of RA tends to be restricted to those who are directly affected or their carers and relatives.
It is about medical professionals and families of people with rheumatoid arthritis and other connective tissue diseases coming together to support and embrace people with rheumatic diseases
Things which lead to inadequate control of arthritis and joint deformities:
1.         Long period of self treatment.
2.         Exclusive use of traditional treatment or unproven remedies.
3.         Fear of taking painkillers and steroids.
4.         Under treatment of pain.
5.         Late consultation to Rheumatologist.
These are common reasons of inadequate relief of pain and should be avoided.   
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