A sedentary lifestyle, exacerbated by spending several hours a day at the television, video games or computer, increases young people’s risk of having musculoskeletal problems earlier in life, said Jorge Romano Romero Medical Sub-Director at the Jalisco’s Specialties Hospital, belonging to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS).
He said the lack of physical activity causes rapid loss of elasticity in the joints as hand and knees, causing degenerations that are the first reasons of care at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the hospital.
Roman Romero explained that after 40 years people can begin to naturally lose elasticity, besides presenting some degree of joint wear (osteoarthritis). He added that after 50 years, this pathological condition primarily affects women because of hormonal suppression during menopause and post menopause, when estrogen production decreases.
He said another factor that predisposes young people to suffer an injury of this type is doing some sport activity without gradual and constant physical training. He added that a common factor in these patients is that they practice a sport sporadically, when the ideal is that physical training should be practiced gradually and daily to achieve optimal physical condition to carry out an activity of high performance.
He added that the recovery or rehabilitation of patients with osteoarthritis largely depends on their age and the condition of their tissues and structures regarding degeneration.
In Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, he said, most patients are people older than 50 years, with an average age of 58 years.
Source: La Jornada
