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'"Shoulder pain
is a fairly common problem and affects the patient's daily activities
and work routine. 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 December 4, 2004 in Karachi.
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| Dr.
M A Wajid, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, AKU, speaking on
common shoulder problems and its modern treatment. |
"Amongst middle-aged
people, wear and tear of shoulder muscles leads to an inability
to perform overhead activities," continued Dr Wajid. He added that
such patients are also unable to sleep on the affected side and
face difficulty in dressing themselves.
"The other group
affected is sportsmen, primarily throwing athletes and cricket bowlers."
Another special group comprises patients whose shoulders were previously
dislocated and now suffer from repeated dislocation with minimal
trauma, Dr Wajid explained. "These conditions are treatable and
after careful assessment and treatment, such patients can revert
to their normal activities," he disclosed.
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| Panellists
answer the audience's questions at 'Signs, Symptoms and Care'
a health awareness programme held at Aga Khan University Hospital. |
Only in recent
years, Dr Wajid added, it has it become possible to treat such conditions
through medication, rehabilitation and arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery. "The key advantage here is that it is a day care procedure. The
patient goes home the same day and there are two or three small
holes through which the whole procedure is performed, resulting
in less pain and early movement," he concluded.
As part of its
outreach programme and societal commitment to creating awareness
of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKU has organised over
150 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad
and the UAE, benefiting more than 33,000 people. Similarly, Aga
Khan University Hospital's Patient Welfare Programme reaches out
to patients by providing assistance to those patients who are unable
to afford the medical cost of their treatment. In 2003, 74 per cent
of all patients treated at the AKUH were from low- to middle-income
areas. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over
Rs. 1.05 billion has been disbursed to more than 200,000 needy patients.
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