Post Chikungunya joints and muscle pain management

Mr Rahman, 56 years old, came to the hospital with a complaint of severe pain in several joints, causing difficulties in walking and other daily activities. The patient said he had experienced a fever that lasted 2 to 3 days. After examination it was diagnosed as a case of post-chikungunya. Like Mr Rahman, many people are suffering from severe pain in different joints and muscles, especially after Chikungunya fever. Every day many of them are seeking relief from this obnoxious pain and discomfort in their lives.

How will you understand?

•   Joint pain is a common and very often longer symptom after chikungunya fever, lasting for months or years.

•   Pain due to inflammation (tenderness, swelling and will feel hot in the area), which can affect joints like hands, wrists, ankles, and feet.

•   Joints may be swollen, stiff, and sometimes restricted in movement.

•   Occasional fatigue, headache, nausea, muscle pain and rash.

Management

A physiotherapist will assess as per the protocol and will ensure both physical and functional limitations as you gripe.

•   Ice packs: you can apply a cold pack wrapped in a cloth to the affected areas; that will relieve your pain and swelling.

•   Warm baths: sometimes (especially when not swelling) warm bathwater can also help soothe inflamed and sore joints.

•   Sufficient water intake: Water intake and sufficient hydration because dehydration can worsen joint aches.

•   Therapeutic exercise – there are several types of exercise which can be planned and designed by a physiotherapist for you and can be practised based on complaints, like mild exercises, joint mobilisation, muscle stretching and strengthening exercises around the joints, which help dramatically reduce pain and joint swelling. Moreover, they improve your daily movements and other functions quickly.

How can you prevent being infected?

•   Chikungunya virus is transmitted by infected female mosquitoes, especially in daylight hours.

•   Standing unused storage water around the home and environment can cause growth.

•   Patients suspected of having CHIKV infection should avoid getting mosquito bites during the first

Proper awareness and accurate management of chikungunya outbreaks can be formulated; a multidisciplinary intervention approach ought to be introduced from the beginning of the disease. Specific exercises and physiotherapy could be a very important treatment strategy to relieve pain and other joint and muscle discomfort.

The writer is Vice Principal at Dhaka College of Physiotherapy (DCPT), Dhaka.
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