Latest news with #GalwayUniversityHospital
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
All you need to know about joint pain
Analysis: The recommended treatment for most joint conditions is appropriate exercise and education on how to manage pain during daily activities Joint pain is a common issue for people of all ages and is the reason for over 20% of GP appointments. Given that many of these appointments are repeat visits, combined with the dire state of our outpatient orthopaedic waiting lists (over 64,000 waiting at present), it is clear that these conditions are not being managed well by a large number of people in Ireland. The recommended treatment for most joint conditions is appropriate exercise and education on how to manage pain during daily activities. Unfortunately, misconceptions about prolonged joint pain can be a stumbling block for people starting a new activity or treatment programme. From E3 Rehab, everything you need to know about knee osteoarthritis and the exercises to deal with it Prolonged, or chronic pain in a joint (such as osteoarthritis) is different from an acute or traumatic joint injury (eg torn ligament), in that it usually lasts for a period of greater than three months. Pain has an important protective role in our bodies, like an alarm alerting us if something is wrong. But if pain persists for longer than the typical healing period, it no longer serves a protective role and can negatively impact our health and quality of life. Understanding the science of pain and recognising the types of things that influence your pain can be a huge step in learning to live well these joint conditions. A joint is where two bones meet and allows for our bodies to move. The surfaces of these bones are covered by a tough, slippery material called cartilage and an enclosed lubricating synovial fluid. We used to think that conditions like osteoarthritis were all about the cartilage getting damaged or "worn out", but we now know that there are much more complex things happening in the joint. From RTÉ Brainstorm, all you need to know about back pain We see changes to the cartilage, the bone and the surrounding soft tissues (ligaments and muscles). We also see more inflammatory markers in the joint fluid, meaning that your joint condition can also be affected by things like obesity, sedentary lifestyles and even the types of diets that we choose. Do I need an MRI to understand what is happening? Unless there has been a specific injury or trauma to the joint, there is no need to get an MRI for joint pain. Even an X-ray is no longer recommended to diagnose conditions like osteoarthritis. While the damaged structures in a joint can be a source of pain, almost one in two people over 40 years of age have "damaged" knee joints on imaging and experience no pain. Findings on an MRI scan, such as cartilage defects, meniscal tears and bone bruises/spurs, should not be a source of worry. We now know they are likely a normal part of ageing – just like wrinkles on the skin! From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Consultant Physician at Galway University Hospital John Carey on back pain and overreliance on MRI scans Does increased pain mean my condition is getting worse? Our beliefs, past experiences and worries can all influence the pain we feel. If we take a walk in the woods in Ireland and feel a scratch on our leg, we may not pay any attention to it. If we take a walk in the outback in Australia, we may respond a lot differently to a scratch if we know there are dangerous snakes in the vicinity. Our bodies react to a potential threat in a different way if we attribute pain to "damage". Muscles are more tense, our stress response increases, which heightens the pain we feel. It can be very reassuring to know that pain does not mean there is any damage occurring to the structure of the joint, and does not mean the condition is getting worse. Temporary fluctuations in pain are very normal and can be exacerbated by increased day-to-day stress in our lives, a poor night's sleep or starting an activity that we are not used to. Should I stop exercising if my joint hurts? It is very important to exercise if you have a joint condition, but it is important to identify when activity needs to be modified. Less activity won't protect the joint, and your overall health will suffer in as little as two weeks if you stop completely. It may be helpful to know that it is safe to continue to exercise when you experience your familiar pain, as long as the pain is acceptable to you. From RTÉ Brainstorm, why some runners get injured - and how to stop it happening You can also expect the pain to reduce the more you exercise if you use the following two guiding rules: (i) a pain rating of 5 or less on a scale from 0 to 10 while exercising is considered OK or acceptable and (ii) your pain should return to your baseline level within 24 hours. This can help you to decide if you are ready to progress your exercise or if you need to reduce the duration, change your activity type or take more rest breaks. While following these rules, even people with moderate to severe osteoarthritis who had been scheduled for joint replacement surgery were able to complete a 12-week progressive exercise programme with acceptable levels of pain. In fact, three in four of those who took part in the programme felt well enough to opt out of surgery in the next year. Is surgery inevitable if I have joint pain? Most types of joint pain resolve with appropriate management. The vast majority of people, even with conditions like osteoarthritis, do not get worse over time and do not need a total joint replacement. While many people may be familiar with being told "it's not bad enough YET to get surgery", chances are it never will be. Surgery should only be considered when pain is severely impacting on quality of life and when recommended treatments of exercise and lifestyle management have been adequately trialled. Surgery should only be considered when pain is severely impacting on quality of life More information on how to manage your pain, including safe exercises for joint conditions such as hip and knee osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain, lateral hip pain and degenerative meniscal tears, can be found on the Joint Pain website. This website was co-designed with experts, healthcare professionals and people with joint conditions in Ireland, with the support of a Health Research Board Knowledge Translation Award (KTA-2022-023). This information is based on research evidence but should not replace individualised advice offered to you by your healthcare professional.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish paramedics claim fatigue putting lives at risk after ambulance overturns
Paramedics across the country claim their lives are being put at risk because of fatigue. One crew had a lucky escape this week when their ambulance crashed into a ditch and overturned on a road on their way home to Castlebar, Co Mayo, after they delivered a patient from Sligo General Hospital to Galway University Hospital. It is understood the crew were asked to do the extra duty call after their marathon 12-hour shift had ended. Paramedics nationwide claim this is now a regular occurrence and they are often asked to do 16 hours a day because of demand on the system. It is believed the crew involved in the west of Ireland accident blamed tiredness for the incident. They had been working all night. No other vehicle was involved and thankfully neither of them were seriously injured. Luckily there was also no patient in the ambulance at the time. A senior paramedic who revealed details of the incident said: "This happens all the time, a 12-hour shift can be a 13, 14, 15 or 16 hours shift. We are sick of working extended duty and we never get finished on time. "But to be sent on a hospital to hospital transfer like this crew were, after working all night, is wrong. "It is dangerous and unfortunately we are going to see more of these accidents caused by fatigue if something urgent is not done about it. "If we say 'No', the Control Room asks us, 'are you refusing to do the call?' and our paramedic staff are terrified they will be disciplined as a result. "They are accepting these calls after their shift is finished out of fear when they should do a dynamic assessment and say 'no'." In a statement the HSE said: "The HSE can confirm that a National Ambulance Service vehicle returning from an incident was involved in a single vehicle collision. "No patient was on board and no staff injuries have been reported. Local line management is following up on the incident in line with normal HSE procedures." The HSE said the NAS Emergency Care Service provided 24/7 services, 365 days of the year with vehicles covering in excess of two million kilometres per month. It stated: "Rostering arrangements for staff are agreed with the trade unions and provide for most staff to work 14 shifts per month or an average of 169 shifts per year. Working arrangements must comply with Health and Safety regulations."
