How dangerous is it to have joint pain before 30 years old?
In the past, osteoarthritis often occurred in middle age, but today the disease has gradually become younger due to changes in living and working habits, especially in office workers.
Many people think that osteoarthritis is a disease of the elderly from 45 years old and up. In fact, osteoarthritis can occur at any age. Studies on human development have shown that the age when people "cross the other side of the slope" to begin the degenerative process is about 27 years old. However, this is just a reference number. If we pay attention, we can easily see that people of the same age have very different physical and health conditions. At the same age of 30, there are people who are very healthy, there are people who suffer from many bone and joint diseases such as neck and shoulder pain, back pain, etc.
That proves that each person has their own "physiological age", which is the age of the body's cells and tissues. "Physiological age" depends partly on the body and age, but is mainly determined by a number of factors such as psychology (relaxed or often under pressure from life, work, etc.), nutrition - endocrine (obesity, menopause, diabetes), nature of work, living habits. Of course, the level of influence of the above factors on organ systems and body parts is different and causes different conditions.
What is osteoarthritis?Degeneration (aging) in general and osteoarthritis in particular is often not considered a disease but a condition. Doctors cannot cure it because it is a natural process of the body. However, we can improve the condition and prolong this process.
Osteoarthritis is a condition of cartilage damage, subchondral bone and reduced quality of synovial fluid. Normally, the articular cartilage is intact, smooth and the subchondral bone structure is stable. When the joint degenerates, the articular cartilage is worn away, roughened, and more seriously, the subchondral bone ends can be exposed. At the same time, the subchondral bone area also changes its structure, leading to a reaction that produces inflammatory substances, causing symptoms such as pain, swelling, and reduced mobility.
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| Patients with lumbar spine degeneration are being treated. Photo:Minh Truong. |
Osteoarthritis does not directly threaten the patient's life, but it greatly affects the quality of life. From easily recognizable signs such as: neck and shoulder pain, back pain, numbness in the limbs, headaches or migraines, patients need to be examined and treated early. If left for a long time, patients may experience dangerous complications such as: weakness in the limbs, loss of sensation in the limbs due to nerve damage, leading to difficulties in movement, mobility, daily activities and work.
Why do office workers often suffer from early osteoarthritis?Due to the nature of their work, office workers often have to work continuously with computers, sitting time can last more than 8 hours a day, the working environment is mainly in air-conditioned rooms without exposure to natural light. In addition, with the arrangement of the workplace not suitable for the body's condition (computer screen can be too high or too low), using phones, tablets continuously in one position, being lazy to exercise or being lazy to stand up from the chair are the leading causes of osteoarthritis in office workers.
Each organ system in the body, including bones and joints, only works well and maintains its ability to work for a certain period of time and under certain conditions. Sitting too long, working continuously, and a sedentary lifestyle cause overload to the bone and joint system, leading to early degeneration. It is not difficult to see that patients coming to musculoskeletal clinics are increasing in number and getting younger, among the young patients, most are office workers.
To prevent osteoarthritis, people need to note:
- After sitting at work for about 45 minutes, stand up, walk around and do some light exercise. This not only helps reduce the load on the musculoskeletal system but also helps the brain relax and increase work efficiency.
- Drink enough water even when not thirsty, an average of 2 liters/day. Water is an important component in bone structure and other organs in the body.
- Maintain a balanced diet and avoid alcohol abuse.
- Need to have a reasonable working and resting regime. Keeping the spirit happy and comfortable is the best method to prevent early degeneration.
