‘Don’t try to rub osteoarthritis away with oil’

Lucknow: A misplaced faith in ‘tel malish’ (oil massage), castor oil applications and over-the-counter painkillers is pushing thousands of osteoarthritis patients towards advanced joint damage, with many seeking medical care only after years of avoidable deterioration, orthopaedic specialists in the city have warned.Ahead of World Arthritis Day on Oct 12, doctors said patients often spend five to 10 years relying on home remedies and self-medication before consulting specialists. By then, chronic pain, difficulty in walking and joint deformities have often narrowed treatment options to surgery.Experts said the biggest challenge is the tendency to dismiss joint pain as a routine consequence of ageing.“Most patients try oils, massages and painkillers for years. They reach us only when walking becomes difficult or the joint starts deforming,” said Prof Shailendra Singh of KGMU’s orthopaedics department.