GEORGE TOWN, March 29 — Lack of awareness on the importance of bone and joint health has caused about 40 per cent of Malaysians to experience bone and joint complications.
Pantai Hospital Penang's orthopedic and traumatology surgeon, Dr Boon Huck Wee said that people are more concerned about cholesterol and diabetes health checks compared to bone (osteoporosis) and joint (arthritis) assessments.
"More women tend to experience arthritis when they reach the age of 50 as they go through menopause and 80 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men experience both osteoporosis and arthritis problems.
"The most common symptoms are spine (back bone), disc and hip fracture," he told reporters during the #MovementMatters campaign press conference today.
He added that according to the International Association for the Study of Pain, close to 2.5 million Malaysians suffer from back pain as a result of a sedentary work-from-home lifestyle that has emerged from the pandemic.
Dr Boon added that weight and age are among the contributing factors to bone and joint problems.
In order to avoid experiencing these problems, he said one should maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat healthy and do regular physical activities such as swimming, cycling and morning walks.
"People should exercise 20 minutes once or twice a week...it is better if they can do it every day.
"They can start to detect pain in their early 40's...50 years and above is the right age to undergo a bone and joint examination," he said.
As such, IHH Healthcare Malaysia, with its network of 16 hospitals including Gleneagles Hospital, Pantai Hospital and Prince Court Medical Centre, launched a nationwide #MovementMatters campaign to promote better bone and joint health among Malaysians.
This free campaign aims to combat orthopedic conditions among Malaysians by creating awareness about the importance of bone and joint health and assessment.
— Bernama
