IHH Healthcare Malaysia, with its network of 16 hospitals comprising Gleneagles Hospitals, Pantai Hospitals and Prince Court Medical Centre has launched the nationwide #MovementMatters campaign to promote better bone and joint health among Malaysians.
According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, close to 2.5 million Malaysians suffer from back pain as a result of a sedentary work-from-home lifestyle that has emerged from the pandemic.
At IHH Healthcare Malaysia hospitals, most of our orthopaedic patients are presented with disc displacement, strains and sprains, as well as general trauma and fractures attributed to sports and other injuries.
IHH Healthcare Malaysia’s Chief Executive Officer Jean-François Naa said that the #MovementMatters campaign aims to combat orthopaedic conditions among Malaysians by creating awareness of the importance of bone and joint health and assessment.
“We want to let people know not to take minor pain or discomfort lightly. By sharing validated information and extending our medical expertise, we hope to build healthier communities as part of our aspiration to Care. For Good,” he said.
“If you think about it, a healthy diet and physical activity are basically what keep your bones and joints healthy. Even by doing simple exercises, as long as you do it regularly, can make a huge and positive difference. What we do not want is to let bone-related conditions or diseases get in the way of us staying active and healthy,” he said.
These statement were supported by Dr Khairul Mohd Khalid, a consultant in orthopaedic surgery from Pantai Hospital Batu Pahat who was available for any questions visitors had about bones and joints.
“We want to encourage people to do various physical activities as the bones and joints depend in our daily activities which could actually help us achieve stronger bones.”
“For joints, the cartilage that protects them actually gets nutrition from joint’s movements. Less movement means less nutrition and this would weaken the joints, this is why moving is important for both bones and joints,” he said in an interview.
The #MovementMatters campaign was launched in three regions, namely in Kuala Lumpur at Lalaport, Toppen Johor (Level 1) and in Gurney Plaza, Penang.
The #MovementMatters activities included an informative and interactive journey towards understanding and improving bone and joint health like ‘Pedal Your Way Towards Stronger Bones & Joints’ where participants who completed the challenge, stood a chance to win a mystery gift. There was also a Body Posture Assessment area where IHH Healthcare’s team of qualified rehabilitation experts provided assessments on body posture and advised about underlying health conditions and potential risks of developing bone and joint diseases. There was also the Health Booth for visitors to get loads of health information, calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI), receive tips for healthy nutrient intake and ask questions about bones and joints.
Check the creative photos on social media under the #MovementMatters hashtag where people shared their bone health journey with friends and family.
