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Are you, or anyone closest to you, suffering from pain in the knees? It could be more serious than you think if the pain is persistent. In fact, if you are over the age of 45 and experiencing this, you could be at risk of having osteoarthritis (OA).
Read on to find out more about this degenerative ailment, which may cause disability if the situation is severe.
#1 What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of “wear-and-tear” that affects our knee joints. When the cartilage in the knee joint gradually wears away, it becomes frayed and rough.
This leads to the protective space between the bones to weaken, resulting in bone rubbing against bone. That’s where the pain comes in—and it gets worse over time.
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If not treated or managed well, OA may affect your daily lifestyle. It can be the main cause of disability and you could end up getting a joint replacement surgery.
#2 How can we detect OA?
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OA occurs slowly—you’ll only notice the damage years after and can only be diagnosed with an Xray/ MRI scan at the hospital. Some of the symptoms include:
- Steady or intermittent paint in a joint
- Stiffness after periods of inactivity, such as sleeping or sitting
- Swelling or tenderness in one or more joints
- Crunching/creaking feeling or sound of bone against bone
#3 What are the risk factors of OA?
- OA can start in adulthood but people over 45 years old are at a higher risk
- In general, arthritis occurs more frequently in women than in men
- People with joints that move or fit together incorrectly, such as bow legs
- A defect in one of the genes responsible for the cartilage component collagen
- Joint injury caused by sports or physical labour
- Traumatic injury to the knee or hip such as ligament or meniscal tears
- Joints that are used repeatedly in certain jobs
- Being overweight during midlife or later years
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- Consult your doctor if there are occupational risks in your job, especially if it involves a lot of walking, lifting and kneeling
- Exercise regularly to maintain healthy joints and increase muscle and bone strength
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get enough rest and sleep
#5 What are some of the treatments of OA?
Patients are usually advised to do physical activities that can reduce pain and swelling, as well as let them do their normal daily activities. This includes physiotherapy and knee strengthening exercises. Other steps they can take are weight reduction and modification of activities such as avoid running, hiking and squatting.
You may take supplement to reduce your pain and swelling, along with delaying the progress of OA. A trusted brand in Malaysia for treatment of the symptoms of OA is Viartril-S.
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It contains crystalline glucosamine sulfate, which plays a key role in building and maintaining the health of the cartilage which cushions your joints. It has been clinically proven to treat the symptoms of OA and reduces the risk of total joint replacement¹. You would also be able to see the improvement in two to four weeks².
Long-term use of Viartril-S doesn’t change blood glucose level, even in hyperglycaemic patients³. Allergic reactions are also rarely described because of the strict control of purification process that excludes the presence of protein residues which is responsible for the cross-reactions in patient with seafood allergy.
And don’t worry if you’re always on the go—you can bring your sachets of Viartril-S easily!
Viartril-S has been established in Malaysia for over 25 years. It is owned by Mylan, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in the United States.
For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/ViartrilSMalaysia
This is a medicine product advertisement K.K.L.I.U 1753/2019
Sources: Viartril-S, https://www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis-prevention#outlook, and https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/arthritis-of-the-knee/
References:
- Bruyere O et al. Total joint replacement after glucosamine Sulphate treatment in knee osteoarthritis: results of a mean 8-year observation of patients from two previous 3-year, randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16 (2): 254-60.
- Rovalti LC et al: The Clinical profile of glucosamine sulfate as a selective symptom modifying drug in osteoarthritis: Current data and perspectives. Osteoarth.Cartil.5 (suppl.A), 72 (1997)
- Roberto Palma et al. “Crystalline Glucosamine Sulfate in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis Evidence of Long-Term Cardiovascular Safety from Clinical Trials” The Open Rheumatology Journal, 2011, 5, 69-77