Joint pain is one of the most popular causes of disabilities globally, including Nigeria. While patients with such health condition are either abandoned due to ignorance or indulge in self medication, experts believe that patient education, though not a norm in Nigeria, is a critical tool in achieving preventive healthcare, rather than paying more emphasis on curative medicine.
Speaking during the launch of the Joint Pain School (JPS) in Lekki, Kunle Onakoya, consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, Lagoon Hospitals, said that the initiative by the hospital is aimed at educating and creating support for individuals suffering from joint pains due to various causes.
With the pains in the knees, hips and shoulders been the commonest ailments Nigerians suffer from, followed by pain in the back and neck, Onakoya explained that communication plays a major role in patients and knowledge on pain is very poor in the country. He noted that some healthcare workers tell patients with joint pain that there is no cure as many individuals, including elderly people are told to live with pain.
“The joint pain school presents a fantastic opportunity for anyone afflicted with joint pains or relatives of those disabled by joint pains to learn about causes of such painful joints and modern treatment options for alleviating the symptoms. Lagoon Hospitals as part of its corporate social responsibility is extending the JPS to Victoria Island, Abuja and Apapa, with plans to extend this initiative to other parts of the country.
“The classes at the school which will be open to every Nigerian free of charge would largely be run by a team of international experienced orthopaedic surgeons, orthopaedic nurse and trained staff. Admission is completely free but booking will be required in advance. Our long term goal is to launch this initiative nationwide. It is our firm belief that with the launch of the school, the agony associated with living with joint pains will be highly reduced,” Onakoya explained.
Segun Abudu, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Birmingham, UK, who is currently on sabbatical with Lagoon Hospitals, disclosed that there is a lot of misinformation on the Internet and other media channels on joint pain management.
With the JPS initiative being the first of its kind, Abudu noted that the hospital remains focused on improving patient education about joint pains among Nigerians, including medical experts as part of the Continuous Medical Education (CME).
Abudu noted that when the JPS was launched at Apapa in 2011, the hospital did not envisage how popular these classes would become with the demand for joint pain management said to be on the rise, hence the need for Lagoon Hospital to champion patients’ care through education.
Though healthcare providers knew about pain management, Abudu hinted that patients do not often get the best care available.
“When we launched the JPS at Apapa in 2011, it was the first of its kind in Nigeria and at the time, we did not envisage how popular these classes would become. The demand for this service led to the hospital holding JPS session at Victoria Island and Lekki. Admission is completely free but booking will be required in advance,” Abudu added.
Alexander Chiejina
