Why Joint Pain Is Rising in Younger Patients: Overuse, Sedentary Life and Autoimmune Disease

Around 10 to 14 ml of blood is drawn from the patient into a kit-supplied vial containing heparin, then centrifuged to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of the blood. This typically yields about 5 ml of PRP solution, which is injected as multiple pricks around the tendon or ligament rather than as a single injection, to achieve the best results.

Platelets contain multiple growth factors, including PDGF and TGF-beta, that promote healing through two mechanisms: increasing vascularisation of the target tissue and stimulating cellular regeneration. One group of factors increases local blood supply, while another increases cellular activity — together they drive ligament, tendon and articular cartilage repair.

For articular cartilage involvement, collagen type 2, often combined with Boswellia, promotes cartilage cell multiplication and needs to be taken long-term. For partial tears of ligaments and tendons — which are rich in collagen type 1 and 3 — separate collagen 1 and 3 formulations are more appropriate, since they support healing of that specific tissue.

Go in a graded way and know your own limits — the simple principle is Young's modulus: push a muscle or tendon beyond its elastic limit and it will fail. Many young patients doing heavy weights on a gym instructor's encouragement end up damaging their elbows and shoulders. Proper training for gym instructors would prevent a lot of this. That said, if instruction is proper and progression is graded, strength training in younger years does directly help maintain bone strength into old age.

Overuse will definitely damage the kidneys, and can even cause kidney shock with permanent damage. There is also a real risk that commercial protein products are contaminated with anabolic steroids. Gym users should consult a nutritionist or dietitian to be guided on protein source and dose relative to body weight and activity level, rather than following generic online advice.

Long-distance runners typically strain the hamstrings, Achilles tendon and hip abductors, a pattern distinct from field-sport athletes, who more often injure the foot, ankle, knee and hip.

Two to three hours of continuous screen use produces cervical and lumbar stiffness as the anti-gravity muscles of the neck and dorsal spine weaken under sustained postural load, and this pattern also compounds obesity.

Rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, hypothyroid arthropathy and juvenile arthritis all present in this age group, with morning stiffness, swelling and progressive loss of range of motion as hallmark features.

Long-term steroid use for these conditions produces steroid-induced osteopenia on top of the joint damage itself, creating a cycle of reduced mobility, further bone loss and rising fracture risk.

A recent survey in India found around 30% of young people now have a BMI above 30, adding mechanical load on top of the joint strain already caused by sedentary living.