Bones are living tissue that continuously modifies themselves according to the activity a person undertakes.
With little activity to stimulate the bone cells, the bones will progressively become weaker.
Joints are designed to move and therefore, healthy activity is required to keep them functional.By not taking care of your bones and joints, you risk developing conditions that can significantly hinder your quality of life.
With World Bone and Joint Week October 12-20 highlighting the need to prevent and manage conditions that affect musculoskeletal health, ER24 is urging people to live healthier lifestyles.
Explaining further, Dr. Vernon Wessels, from ER24, said osteoarthritis develops as a result of damage to cartilage of the joint due to abnormal loading, causing wear and tear (usually taking years to develop) whereas rheumatoid arthritis is a condition where a person’s own immune system causes damage to the cartilage.
“Septic arthritis is a condition where a person develops an infection in a joint, usually arising from another infective focus somewhere in the body.
“This is not too uncommon in young children and requires urgent attention.”
“Obesity, poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise are some risk factors that contribute to the development of joint and bone problems,” said Wessels.
Besides injuries (such as sprains, dislocations, and fractures), the most common bone and joint condition affecting people is arthritis. Another common inflammatory condition of the joints that affects adults is gout, where increased uric acid causes crystals to be deposited in the joints causing damage and pain.
“This is often precipitated through certain foods and drinks like alcohol (especially beer), red meat (especially liver and kidneys) and certain seafood (like anchovies, herring, mackerel, and mussels).
“Cancers of the bone do occur. Fortunately, these conditions are not as common as the others mentioned.
However, any abnormal growth or pain in bones, especially in children, should be seen to by a doctor,” said Wessels.
Wessels said it is essential to have an active lifestyle with healthy exercise in moderation to ensure that bones remain strong and healthy.
“Along with that is a healthy balanced diet to ensure that enough calcium, minerals and vitamins are taken in.
Some modern food and drinks can be harmful to bone formation, specifically fizzy drinks that contain phosphoric acid, as this removes calcium from the body,” said Wessels.
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