SBS Show 'Three Perspectives' Explores Solutions for Joint Inflammation and Pain Relief

SBS's knowledge and health variety show 'Three Perspectives' delves into managing inflammation starting from the joints and finding ways to alleviate severe pain.

Airing on Sunday, the 12th, at 8:35 AM, 'Three Perspectives' will focus on 'knee health' as outdoor activities increase with the warm spring weather in April. Symptoms like a heavy, stiff knee after starting exercise or discomfort when climbing stairs are often dismissed as temporary fatigue. However, these could be signs that cartilage is silently wearing away. Experts emphasize the importance of early management of seemingly minor pain to maintain joint health.

Inflammatory substances originating from the joints can spread throughout the body via the bloodstream, affecting the heart, liver, and brain. Studies have shown that arthritis patients have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and inflammation spreading to the brain can lead to cognitive decline and depression. Thus, knee pain, often overlooked, could be the 'starting point of inflammation' that disrupts the entire body.

Docent Lee Chang-yong highlights the tragic life behind the legendary 19th-century French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who enjoyed 'Blackpink-level' popularity. Known for being the first French woman to play Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' she once wrote to her doctor asking to have her leg amputated, sparking curiosity about her story.

Family medicine specialist Lee Seo-hyun explains, "There is no approved medication worldwide to stop arthritis, and it remains close to an incurable disease." Maintaining the cushioning structure within the joint is key to protecting it from inflammation, emphasizing the importance of a crucial component at its core.

Orthopedic specialist Cho Jin-woo describes the reality of arthritis pain as "bones grinding inside the knee, feeling like a knife stabbing the joint." Pain scale analysis shows that while toothache scores 4-5 and childbirth pain around 8, end-stage arthritis pain reaches a staggering 9.1, marking it as one of the worst pains humans can experience.

This pain is a reality for more people than expected. Since the mid-20th century, knee arthritis has doubled, with approximately 4.3 million people in South Korea suffering from the condition as of 2023. This number is equivalent to half of Seoul's population, indicating that many are living in a state of 'enduring pain.' Before the inflammatory response originating in the joints spreads throughout the body, attention must be paid to 'this' that can extinguish the inflammation's flames.

Join MC Kim Seok-hoon, So Seul-ji, science writer Kwak Jae-sik, docent Lee Chang-yong, family medicine specialist Lee Seo-hyun, and orthopedic specialist Cho Jin-woo as they explore the origins of excruciating pain from three perspectives in the 40th episode of 'Three Perspectives,' airing Sunday, the 12th, at 8:35 AM.

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr