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Shoulder Problems and Modern Treatment
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AKUH holds free community health awareness programme
Karachi, 3rd Sept, 2005. "Shoulder pain is a fairly common problem
and affects the patient's daily activities and work. The two groups
that suffer most from this problem are middle-aged or elderly patients
and sportsmen." This was stated by Dr M.A. Wajid, Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon, at 'Signs, Symptoms and Care', a health awareness programme
held at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on September 3, 2005 in
Karachi.
"Amongst middle-aged people, wear and tear of shoulder muscles causes
inability to perform above-the-shoulder activities," continued Dr
Wajid. He added that such patients are also unable to sleep on the
affected side and face difficulty in getting dressed.
Dr Wajid informed the seminar participants about the various groups
who are most commonly affected by shoulder problems. These include
sportsmen, primarily throwing athletes and cricket bowlers as well
as young patients who have sustained previous shoulder dislocation
and now suffer from repeated dislocations with minimal trauma.
In recent years, Dr Wajid added, it has become possible to successfully
treat such conditions through medication, rehabilitation and arthroscopic
(keyhole) surgery. "The key advantage here is that it is usually a
same-day care procedure. The procedure entails an approach that allows
minimal surgical trauma and the recovery time is far less than in
the techniques used previously, resulting in less pain, early movement
and better outcome," he concluded.
As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment to creating
awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKU has organised
over 190 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad
and the UAE, benefiting more than 38,000 people.
Similarly, AKUH's Patient Welfare Programme reaches out to patients
by providing assistance to those who are unable to afford the medical
cost of their treatment. In 2004, 71 per cent of all patients treated
at AKUH were from low- to middle-income areas. Since the inception
of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs.1.22 billion has been disbursed
to more than 225,000 needy patients.
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