Be subjective with pain
At the age of nearly 60, Mr. Le Van Hue (Lap Vo, Dong Thap province) has many problems with bones and joints, causing difficulties in daily activities. Mr. Hue recounted that at first, he only felt numbness and mild pain in his leg. Thinking it was "normal pain and fatigue", he bought medicine to take himself, instead of going to the doctor. When the pain became severe and he could not walk at times, Mr. Hue went to the doctor and as a result suffered from osteoarthritis.
About 2-3 months ago, my leg started to hurt, but I only bought medicine outside. Because I am also subjective, thinking that the weather changes, fatigue is normal. It was only when I could not bear the pain, went to the doctor, and underwent tests that the doctor informed me that I had osteoarthritis, Mr. Hue recounted.
Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Kim Phi (Ninh Kieu, Can Tho City) has suffered from knee pain for a year. Although the pain significantly affects daily travel and activities, especially when standing or sitting, Ms. Phi has only recently been to the hospital for examination and check-ups. After being diagnosed with joint disease by a doctor, Ms. Phi realized that she needed to pay more attention to her health and not be negligent with mild pain, which seemed harmless.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phi (Ninh Kieu, Can Tho City) is another case of joint degeneration that has lasted for 10 years. To deal with mild pain in the knee joint in the early stages, Ms. Phi chose to arbitrarily use medicine on the outside. Only when she had difficulty moving did she go to the hospital for examination and discovered that she had osteoarthritis.
"Currently, I continue to take medicine and do physical therapy according to the doctor's instructions. If I am not subjective at first, go to the hospital for examination when the pain has just appeared, I think the condition will be easier and the time and treatment costs will be reduced, Ms. Phi shared.
Initial symptoms of "complaining"
Talking to Lao Dong, Dr. Duong Huu Duc - Director of Can Tho Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital, said that through annual statistical reports, the rate of patients with osteoarthritis is on the rise. Compared to 2024, the rate of patients with osteoarthritis coming for examination and treatment at the hospital increased by about 20 - 30%.
Notably, the initial symptoms to recognize diseases of osteoarthritis are quite "complaining", often manifested in inflammation, causing smiling, persistent pain, sometimes causing patients to pass by, leading to subjectivity and negligence in examination and treatment. However, there are also some cases where they only discover that they have degraded spine and knee joints during screening or examination for another disease.
There are many causes of osteoporosis, in which, the older the person, the more susceptible to the disease.
According to Dr. Duc, the process of osteoporosis often has 4 stages. If detected early, in stages 1 and 2, the patient can be treated with non-medication measures (rehabilitation, preventive methods). If in stages 3 and 4, sometimes, it is necessary to perform invasive procedures, even joint replacement. Otherwise, it can affect motor function or cause disability for the patient.
