Singapore: A local survey of elderly Singaporeans found 42 percent of the respondents to have knee pain with 40.7 percent living in pain for five years or more. The survey revealed that only five in 10 individuals choose to consult a doctor.

The survey also found that as high as 47 percent chose to suffer in silence or self-medicate. According to the survey report, nearly half of the patients refused to undergo surgery and only one out of 10 was open to undergoing surgery.

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the 10 most disabling diseases in developed countries, and is associated with reduced mobility and lower quality of life. Osteoarthritis is the underlying diagnosis for more than 90 percent of the increasing total hip or knee joint replacement operations being undertaken worldwide . The independent survey was sponsored by Wellchem Pharmaceutical to mark World Arthritis Day 2012.

The survey sought to find out from its more than 200 survey respondents aged between 50-69 years, their personal experience of osteoarthritis and the types of treatments they chose to relieve their pain and trauma. Most of the elderly surveyed when consulting a doctor on their knee pain, chose a GP [45.2 percent], a polyclinic [32 percent], Chinese physician [23 percent] or private specialist [22.5 percent].

The treatment most often prescribed by doctors, were painkillers [59 percent], followed by nutritional supplements [27.6 percent] and Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM [18.8 percent].