World Disease Day is celebrated this Wednesday (30)

October is known worldwide for being breast cancer awareness month, but its penultimate day is also intended to draw attention to the fight against rheumatism. This is a set of diseases that affect the locomotor system, that is, joints, cartilage, muscles, tendons and ligaments, among which the most common are osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, gout, tendonitis and bursitis, rheumatic fever and arthritis. rheumatoid.

However, anyone who thinks that rheumatic diseases affect only the elderly is mistaken: “Any person, regardless of age and gender, can be affected by any of them, which tend to cause pain and are not contagious”, explains orthopedist Marcelo Midlej Reis, a specialist in knee surgery. “Furthermore, there is a possibility that the condition may worsen due to genetic factors, trauma, obesity, physical inactivity, stress, anxiety, depression and even climate change.”

Although they are not curable, rheumatic diseases can be treated. Therefore, it is essential to seek a specialist if you experience joint pain for more than six weeks, which may be accompanied by redness, swelling, heat or difficulty moving them, especially when waking up.

Depending on the case, treatments are adopted through physical exercise or the use of medication. “Low-impact exercises, such as weight training, walking, cycling and swimming, help strengthen the muscles around affected joints, improve flexibility and range of motion, and reduce pain and inflammation, which can get you laid off. the use of medications”, explains Marcelo.