54 per cent India's suffering from joint problems afraid of surgery

Mumbai, Nov 24 (UNI) About 54 per cent of Indians suffering from joint problems are afraid of surgery, according to DePuy Medical, a Johnson and Johnson company (J&J) which has released the results of an AC Nielsen Interactive Survey .

The study further shows that there are varieties of arthritis affecting almost 150 million people in India and 67 per cent of the respondents didn't have insurance to cover the treatment costs.

The highest level of knee problems emerged in the income group of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 (51 per cent).

The study was commissioned to determine the impact of joint problems on the lives of patients as well as the current needs and barriers to the surgical treatment approach. The study covered a sample group of 133 respondents with a 43:57 male-female ratio across eight Indian cities ( Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kanpur, Lucknow, Baroda, Surat and Coimbatore ).

Key triggers for pain were ''sitting on the floor'' impacting 68 per cent of the male respondents and 71 per cent female respondents and ''traveling long distances'' which impacted 75 per cent men while only 64 per cent of the women saw this as a major trigger for knee pain. Squatting, bending and using the Indian toilets caused pain equally for men (67 per cent) and women (66 per cent). The study also revealed that women with knee joint problems (58 per cent) had severe problems in visiting religious places.

Ninety-eight per cent of the respondents relied on TV as a primary mode of entertainment indicating a very sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, 39 per cent of the respondents with knee joint problems were either retired (25 per cent) or were unable to work (14 per cent).

Speaking to reporters today, Dr P K Banerji, Head of Department of Orthopaedics, Peerless Hospital and B K Roy Research Centre, Kolkata said,'' What is shocking to understand from the survey is that over 58 per cent of the respondents are trying self-medication or homemade recipes. Self medication worsens the situation, which combined with the inherent fear of surgery at over 50 per cent is worrisome.'' Yoga seems to be the primary means for tackling with knee joint problems, with 57 per cent of the respondents saying that their state was improving with yoga and they did not need to visit a doctor immediately. Even while the pain gets unbearable, 40 per cent of the respondents visited a General Practitioner (GP) till three years of knee problems. The respondents cited the following reasons for not going to the orthopedic surgeon - fear (57 per cent), natural phenomenon of aging (57 per cent), yoga (67 per cent) and obesity (43 per cent), while 38 per cent of the respondents thought home remedies were improving their condition nullifying the need to visit a surgeon.

J&J Spokesperson Anil Nayak said,'' We at DePuy have been pioneers at introducing products that help patients. We believe that what really matters to the patient and the surgeon is an implant system which provides enhanced function, has proven Longevity and ultimately results in patient satisfaction.'' Based on strong corporate values, Johnson&Johnson Medical India is in the business of caring and providing solutions to doctors, patients and nurses. They offer an extensive range of high technology medical and surgical equipment, devices and services, a name that is the preferred choice of the leading healthcare professionals in India and the world over. The business is organized into franchises to focus on target customer and better service.

UNI