When They Hurt It's Too Late How To Prevent Joint Problems

Knees and hips are the most common problems The first warning sign of joint damage is usually pain, later it can be swelling or stiffness.

According to experts, by then it is already quite late It is better to prevent joint damage.

The most effective way to relieve a patient from joint pain is surgery Some patients wait a long time for her.

Waiting for a joint replacement can take months to years Postponed operations will only worsen the patient's condition.

Every year, thousands of patients need surgery for orthopedic problems in Slovakia, and their numbers are increasing from year to year "While twenty years ago we did five to six hundred operations a year, today we do thousands of them, basically with the same number of doctors.

Everyone is overworked," assessed MUDr Andrey Švec, head of the First Orthopedic-Traumatic Clinic of the University Hospital in Bratislava, who is also the main specialist in orthopedics in Slovakia.

According to him, there are few specialists and even they admit that they are very busy How do we recognize that we have a problem with the joints? If it is an inflammatory disease, it is swelling, overheating and pain.

In non-inflammatory diseases, the first morning symptom may be fatigue, associated with a feeling of stiff muscles and joints After rest, the difficulties usually subside.

Later, difficulties may appear again If the joint is further overloaded, it reacts with fluid, non-infectious inflammation, limitation of motion and reduced performance.

When everything is not right with the joints, they are most often reported with the following symptoms: ● morning stiffness of the joints ● pain in the joints ● reduced mobility ● swelling of the joints Relieve pain, improve life In the field of orthopedics, Slovakia is one of the countries where this field was already established at the beginning of last year century The joint replacement operation is often the most effective way to relieve the patient of pain and improve his quality of life.

However, orthopedists agree that in many cases in Slovakia, patients are treated pharmacologically for an unnecessarily long time and are brought to the operating table later than would be desirable .