Green leafy vegetables & fruits must for joint health, say healthcare experts

Team L&M

With the paramount objective to cascade awareness and disseminate knowledge about taking care of joints during winter, to lead a healthier, happier, and prosperous life the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) organised a webinar on Healthy Life in Winter: Taking Care of Joints. The webinar, a part of the Illness to Wellness initiative, highlighted how joint pain can be caused by many types of injuries or conditions.

Joint pains are symptoms of an injury or an underlying health condition. However, cold weather does create joint pains. During cold months, joint pain complaints become more frequent than in other season of the year. Stiffness, aches, and pains are often associated with changes in weather.

Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri Dr John Ebnezar said, “Healthy joints play a very important role in mobility. Mobility is extremely important for a healthy life, and it is aptly said ‘Mobility is life and Life is Mobility’. It keeps us healthy and fit. Reduced mobility can give rise to various health problems especially in the elderly. It may exacerbate diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, obesity etc. All these co-morbidities can reduce the quality of life and may give rise to increased morbidity and sufferings. Hence it is very important to have healthy joints more so in old age. Winter increases the joint pains,as it causes stiffness of the muscles, leading to reduced and painful movements of the joints, he added.”

Dr Ramkinkar Jha, Chief & Unit Head Orthopaedics (Unit III) Artemis Hospitals, Gurugram focused on reducing the risk for joint pain in winters. Winter season is known to cause stiffness of the muscles, especially around joints, which makes them harder to move and people tend to perceive more pain in winter.

Many people turn to yoga as a way to exercise gently, as well as to reduce tension and improve joint flexibility, according to Yoga Instructor Arpita Roy. Haematology, Bone marrow transplant, CAR-T therapies are the prime example of how rapidly the immunology is moving towards the bedside and making big changes in the standard of care and treatment landscape in the medical field.

Dr Rajesh Kesari, the founder and director of Total Care Control in Delhi-NCR and a member of the RSSDI EC who moderated the discussion, said that healthier joints starts from making right food choices with some physical activity. “Reducing intake of inflammatory foods such as sugar and gluten-rich eatables, and increasing intake of anti-inflammatory foods such as green-leafy vegetables and fruits goes a long way in strengthening the joints,” he said.