A free orthopaedic camp at Tadipatri for knee, back, shoulder and hip pain, with on-site consultation, X-ray assessment where indicated and physiotherapy guidance. Older adults with difficulty walking or climbing stairs were the main group seen.
Joint pain is one of those conditions people in this district live with rather than treat. By the time an older adult attends a camp, it is common to find several years of steadily reduced walking distance, difficulty rising from the floor, and long-term use of painkillers bought without a prescription.
The camp provided orthopaedic consultation, examination of joint alignment and stability, and X-ray assessment where the history suggested it. Physiotherapists demonstrated quadriceps strengthening and back care exercises, and each patient left with a written home programme rather than only a prescription.
Advice on daily habits formed a large part of the day: avoiding deep squatting and cross-legged sitting where the knees are already worn, using a raised seat or western-style toilet where possible, choosing supportive footwear, and reducing weight, since every kilogram lost removes several kilograms of load from the knee.
Patients whose disease had advanced beyond conservative management were counselled on joint replacement — what it involves, what recovery looks like, and what it costs — with an honest explanation that surgery is worth considering only when pain and disability persist despite proper physiotherapy and medical treatment.
Patients from Tadipatri who need follow-up at the Anantapur campus can book through /book-an-appointment, and camp queries can be sent through /contact-us.