Bone and Joint Care

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How to Prevent Travel Injuries

Traveling is an exciting opportunity to explore new places, enjoy new experiences, and create lasting memories. This holiday season, whether you are heading out on a short weekend getaway or embarking on a long-awaited vacation, it is important to prioritise your safety and well-being. While the goal is to relax and have fun, injuries such as slips and falls, bone fractures, and ankle sprains can quickly put a damper on your trip. Fortunately, a few simple precautions can help reduce your risk and keep your holiday enjoyable.

Here are some tips you can follow while on holiday to lower your risk of getting injured.

One of the most effective ways to prevent injuries while traveling is to wear proper clothing and footwear for the activities you have planned. If your itinerary includes long days of walking or exploring, choose comfortable running shoes or sturdy hiking boots that provide good ankle support. Footwear with proper cushioning and grip can make a significant difference in preventing sprains and falls. Avoid bringing brand-new shoes that have not been “broken in,” as they can cause painful blisters, a small issue that can quickly become a big nuisance when you are far from home.
Stretching before and after travel is another important habit to adopt. Long periods of sitting during flights, bus rides, or car journeys can lead to muscle tightness, stiffness, and discomfort. Incorporating a few simple stretches into your pre-travel routine can help loosen tight muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce your risk of strains or injuries once you begin your holiday activities. Stretching after you arrive at your destination can also help relieve tension built up during your journey.
Packing smartly is equally essential when it comes to preventing injuries. Heavy, overpacked luggage may seem manageable at first, but lifting or carrying it over long distances can strain your back, shoulders, and neck. Before you start packing, consider what you truly need and avoid bringing unnecessary items. Choose luggage with ergonomic features, such as adjustable straps, padded handles, or wheels with good manoeuvrability, to help distribute weight evenly. These features can significantly reduce the risk of back and shoulder injuries when you are on the move.
Being aware of your surroundings is another simple yet vital way to stay injury-free during your travels. Unfamiliar environments often come with unexpected hazards, such as uneven floors, slippery surfaces, loose wires, or hidden steps. Take your time when navigating new spaces and avoid rushing, especially in crowded areas or when carrying bags. Wearing appropriate footwear with good traction will also help prevent slips and falls, particularly on wet or polished surfaces commonly found in airports, hotels, and tourist attractions.

By choosing appropriate footwear, incorporating stretching into your routine, packing carefully, and staying mindful of your surroundings, you can significantly reduce your risk of travel-related injuries. Taking these steps will help ensure that your holiday is spent making happy memories, not dealing with avoidable accidents.

Top 3 Steps To Prevent Falls For Elderly

In Singapore, falls are a primary cause of injury among older adults, and many of these falls happen at home. Hear from Geriatric Medicine Specialist Dr. Vina Doshi on the importance of preventing falls in elderlies, and ways you can do so.

Read the story

Understanding Bone & Joint Care: Your Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Support

Move well. Feel well. Caring together for your bones and joints means taking care of your range of movements and the quality of life you want. From exercise and nutrition, to attending to injuries and long- and short-term conditions, moving well can influence your daily routines, work and play.

Empowering Yourself with Knowledge

This resource provides information about cancer, including:

Importance of Bone & Joint Care: Understand the importance of maintaining your bone and joint health.
Common Orthopedic Conditions: Learn about the different types of common orthopedic conditions and their characteristics.
Key Risk Factors: Explore various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that may leave you susceptible to orthopedic conditions.
Ways to Improve Bone & Joint Care: Learn about lifestyle factors and preventive measures to minimize your risk of orthopedic conditions.

What is Bone & Joint Care?

Bone and joint care focuses on maintaining the health and function of your musculoskeletal system, which includes bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It involves preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions that affect these structures, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, fractures, sprains, and strains. Good bone and joint health is essential for mobility, independence, and overall quality of life.

Importance of Bone & Joint Care

Mobility & independence: Healthy bones and joints allow you to move freely and perform daily activities without pain or limitations.
Pain prevention: Bone and joint problems can cause chronic pain that affects your ability to work, sleep, and enjoy life.

What Causes Orthopedic Conditions?

Heart disease is caused by a complex interplay of factors, including:

Non-Modifiable Factors: Age, gender, ethnicity family history, and inherited genetic mutations.
Modifiable Factors:
- Lifestyle: Diet, occupation, sports and physical activities, and poor posture.
- Health: Obesity, Prior injuries

Symptoms of Orthopedic Conditions

Symptoms of orthopedic conditions may vary depending on the type of orthopedic conditions. However, some general signs and symptoms include:

Pain in the affected segment of the bone or joint
Swelling and Redness
Joint stiffness
Limited range of movement
Numbness, tingling or weakness

Important Note: These symptoms may also be indicative of other health conditions. Speak to our Specialists today for proper evaluation and diagnosis.

Common Orthopedic Conditions in Singapore

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes the breakdown of cartilage, the smooth tissue that cushions the ends of bones in joints.
Fractures happen when there is a break in a bone, which can be caused by trauma or osteoporosis.
Sprains & Strains, are stretches or tears of a ligament (sprain) and stretches or tears of a muscle or tendon (strain).
Back Pain can be caused by various factors, including muscle strains, ligament sprains, disc herniation, and spinal stenosis.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome happen when the median nerve, which runs through the wrist, is compressed.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that typically develops during adolescence.

Orthopedic Treatment Goals

Relieve pain to reduce discomfort and improve daily functioning
Restore and maintain function to help patients return to normal activities
Slow disease progression, especially in chronic conditions

Improving Bone & Joint Health

Here are some helpful ways to improve your bone & joint health:

Eat a heart-healthy diet with an emphasis on calcium-rich food such as dairy-products and leafy green vegetables.
Get enough vitamin D which is essential for calcium absorption. You can do so by getting sufficient sunlight or from fortified foods and supplements.
Engage in regular physical activities by doing weight-bearing exercises such as jogging or stair climbing, muscle-strengthening exercises which build muscle mass and flexibility exercises such as yoga and stretching.
Practice good posture, avoid slouching and maintain proper posture while sitting and standing.
Manage existing medical conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis through medication and lifestyle changes.

Mobility

Enjoy the right form of exercise at your preferred pace. Listen to your body and improve your everyday mobility with the movement solutions that suit you.

Learn about fall prevention in the elderly, hip and knee joint replacement, and nutrition information from our medical and allied health specialists.

Care

Get tips and takeaways for the benefit of your daily routines and activities from our orthopedic and allied health specialists for various conditions and treatment options.

Learn about conditions relating to shoulder and elbow, neck, back and spine, hand and wrist, foot and ankle, geriatric care, and sports injuries. Helping you with individualized care.