Beat Covid? Now, care for your bones

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Many who have beat Covid-19 have been complaining of complications such as bone and joint pains. Even after getting vaccinated, people have suffered from swelling in the joints. Read on to know how Covid affects our bones and what you can to do treat the different conditions

Bone death

Also known as avascular necrosis (AVN), in this painful condition, the bone tissue dies due to lack of blood supply. It mainly affects the hip joint and thigh bones, but can also occur in the knee, shoulder, ankle and other joints. It is mostly caused by the excessive use of steroids in Covid-19 treatment 

Symptoms
  Pain and stiffness of the joint, pain while walking, groin pain and shoulder pain
  Persistent pain in the hip, knee that can make walking and weight-bearing difficult
  If neglected, it can become severe to such an extent that even lying down hurts

Diagnosis & treatment
  An MRI scan is the best way to confirm this condition
  The early stages can be managed with medicines or minor surgery
  Minimally-invasive stem cell therapy can also cure this condition at an early stage
  In early stages, patient can be treated with core decompression which avoids joint destruction.

Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) is another latest regenerative therapy procedure 
  But if the hip joint is damaged or has collapsed, a total hip replacement surgery is the only solution

Reactive Arthritis

Covid-19 is known to cause a few autoimmune diseases such as reactive arthritis. Joint pains and swelling are triggered by an infection in another part of the body. This usually occurs in the knees, ankles and feet

Symptoms
  Severe joint pain and body stiffness in the morning
  Knees, ankles, feet, wrist and shoulders are the most-affected areas
  In some cases, toes/fingers might also swell up 
  Symptoms start a week after Covid infection and affects men more 
  Intensity of the pain tends to be moderate to severe 

Diagnosis & treatment
  An orthopaedic surgeon checks the affected joints for swelling, tenderness and range of motion 
  Some blood tests may be recommended to ascertain signs of inflammation and antibodies

associated with other types of arthritis inflammation
  It can be managed by using painkillers, anti-inflammatory medication and exercises 

Aspergillus Osteomyelitis

This rare condition, which may develop in some Covid-recovered patients, causes severe bone damage to the spinal-disc spaces 

Symptoms
  Mild fever, severe back/joint pain 

Diagnosis & treatment
  An MRI scan can confirm the severity and extent of bone-damage to the disc-spaces in Covid-recovered patients

Take care of your bones 
  Lack of exercise, remaining indoors without exposure to sunlight, leading inactive lifestyle and limited movement while recovering during Covid-19 would lead to weight gain, stress, Vitamin D

deficiency and joint pains
  It is advised to take a bone mineral-density test post Covid and discuss the results with your doctor
  Following a healthy lifestyle, good rehabilitative care, daily workouts, good posture, nutritious diet are a must to avoid complications 
  Those with a history of Covid-19 must consult their orthopaedician if they suffer from any of the above-mentioned symptoms

(Dr Dasaradha Rama Reddy Tetali, senior consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda)