Surrounded by hundreds of followers, politicians in Telangana are trying to reach out to people by taking up padayatras. And this is not a recent phenomenon. Right from the beginning, we have seen politicos walking their way among the crowd to make a mark. But, their journey was and is never easy. It involves heavy physical exertion lasting for months together.
Here, orthopaedicians have something to say. Recently, a sports and regenerative orthopaedic surgeon said that embarking on long walkathons without bone health and other check-ups, and sans physical preparation, can lead to bone health issues lasting for lifetime.
There have been cases in the two Telugu states where politicians had to cut short their yatras after developing health complications.
Regenerative orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Kolla Saketh said that weight issues with knee, back and other factors, determine if anyone is fit to take up marathon walks.
Osteoarthritis (knee pain) and back pain developed during yatras might cause discomfort throughout life. If politicians develop stress fractures, ligament injuries, cartilage wearing, pain in heels and legs, or recurrence of an old injury, the issues can last for two to six weeks.
Check-ups before journey
So, he has suggested politicians and their followers to opt for pre-padayatra orthopaedic clinical and radiological check-up by sports medicine surgeons, clinical examination to assess any old injury, or any orthopaedic issues due to ageing, and X-Rays and MRI scan if necessary.
“This will help them to get an idea of how long they can walk, for how many days, breaks needed, and vulnerability to complications involving bones. If anyone plans to participate in marathon walks, it is suggested that they take up physical actions such as warm-up and proper tone-up of muscles, and muscle strengthening exercises, for at least a month before the padayatras. Even selecting the right kind of footwear like sports shoes with softer material silicone insoles or micro-cellular rubber material is a must,” he said.
