China News Service, Chengdu, October 12 (Reporter Lu Yang) October 12 this year is the 30th World Arthritis Day. Joint injuries that used to be more common among the elderly are now showing a clear trend among younger people. Many young people sit and stand for long periods of time, sleeping and sitting in irregular postures, coupled with unscientific fitness and ball sports, losing control of their intensity, continuously overdrafting joints, and accelerating cartilage wear and damage. In an exclusive interview with China News Service, Professor Xian Siping, Chief Physician of the Second Department of Orthopedics, Chengdu University Affiliated Hospital, dismantled the public’s misunderstandings about daily joint care and popularized scientific care methods.
Xian Siping, chief physician of the Second Department of Orthopedics, Chengdu University Affiliated Hospital, was interviewed by reporters. Photo by reporter Lu Yang
Xian Siping said: "The human body has many joints such as shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. Clinically, knee joint injuries are the most common. They are not only affected by the aging of joints in the elderly, but also closely related to excessive fitness and improper exercise among young people." He pointed out that three types of daily behaviors are most harmful to the knees. "The first is high load-bearing activities such as squatting and kneeling to do housework, the second is frequent mountain climbing, going up and down stairs, and the third is sitting still for long periods of time, which will continue to damage the knee joints."
Regarding the early warning signs that joints need medical attention, Xian Siping said: "You should seek medical treatment promptly if there are three types of symptoms, which mostly mean that the cartilage has been obviously damaged. The first is morning stiffness of the joints and stuck movement. If the stiffness lasts for more than 30 minutes, you need to be alert to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. The second is obvious pain in the joints when going up and down stairs or exerting force. The third is joint instability, weak legs when walking, and abnormal stuck posture, indicating a decrease in joint stability." He added that joint snapping accompanied by pain requires medical attention, and painless snapping can be observed normally.
Display of hospital joint teaching aids. Photo by reporter Lu Yang
In response to the common misunderstanding among the public that "calcium supplementation is necessary for joint discomfort", Xian Siping clearly corrected: "Calcium supplementation is for osteoporosis, while joint pain is mostly due to cartilage damage. The two are not the same thing." He said that aminoglycoside is an important component of articular cartilage and can be supplemented and maintained under the guidance of a doctor. "Chewing bones and taking brittle bone supplements to repair cartilage have no clear clinical effect, so do not blindly believe in folk remedies."
Citizens exercise muscles in the gym. Photo by reporter Lu Yang
Talking about scientific methods of protecting joints, Xian Siping said: "The core of joint protection is to reduce wear and tear, strengthen muscle strength, and use muscles to protect joints." People with worn joints need to avoid high-load exercises such as squats, weightlifting, and mountain climbing. They can exercise the muscles around the knees by sitting with their knees extended, lying down and raising their legs, and use "Swallow Flying" to maintain their lower back. Xian Siping reminded that joint injuries in young people are mostly caused by "rapid degeneration due to sedentary time" or "excessive exercise load". He suggested that people who sit for long periods of time should choose low-intensity exercises such as walking, swimming, and cycling, and people who exercise with high intensity should appropriately reduce their training load, use their knees scientifically, care for their joints, and protect their mobility. (over)
