-By DR. KAIWAN RANDERIA

Dr. Kaiwan M. Randeria is an Orthopedic Surgeon, holding a Fellowship in Joint Replacement Surgery.
He aims to increase awareness about bone health, which has been adversely affected in keeping with today’s unhealthy lifestyle and nutritional issues. [Connect with him at: drkaiwan94@gmail.com ]

As an orthopaedic surgeon to many community members, I’ve come to realise something simple: our knees, shoulders and spines quietly narrate who we are – how we live, how we age, how we cope and how we show up for life. As a community blessed with longevity, age 80 is common, 90 isn’t rare too – that’s a privilege! Longevity also means our joints are asked to perform faithfully for decades longer than biology initially planned. Our joint cartilages don’t re-generate just because we are spirited!

I see lots of cases of osteoarthritis, stiff shoulders and lower backs that have supported long careers and disciplined lifestyles. But what stands out isn’t just the diagnosis, it’s the attitude. Parsis, by and large, are practical about discomfort: “It’s manageable,” they often say, which often means it’s been present quietly for months.

The joints of our community reflect a life well lived- Years of standing in prayer. Climbing staircases in baugs and old buildings. We excel at whatever we do – running businesses, teaching, cooking, hosting and dancing, even if the knees mutter mild objections. I’ve also noticed that while there is no ‘blind acceptance’, there is some fear, making patients want to understand what’s happening in their body.

Contrary to popular myth, orthopaedics is not synonymous with surgery. In fact, most musculoskeletal conditions are managed conservatively. Strengthening, physiotherapy, activity modification, posture correction, bone health optimisation – these form the foundation. Surgery, when required for non-traumatic injuries, is just one tool among many. Not a default always, simply an option, considered carefully and respectfully.

The larger theme I see is balance. Our community has traditionally valued education, discipline and independence. That independence shows up physically too. People wish to remain mobile – to attend functions, visit Agiaries, travel, participate in family milestones, etc. Mobility equals participation. When someone tells me they want to be able to walk comfortably, they’re not making a medical demand. They’re expressing a desire to remain engaged with life. That’s not vanity. That’s vitality.

Similarly, I’ve seen the other side – the quiet tendency to minimise one’s own discomfort. “Others have bigger problems.” “It’s just age.” “I don’t want to trouble anyone.” These are generous instincts. But health isn’t selfish. Addressing pain early isn’t weakness, it’s prudence.

Our smaller gene pool and shared ancestry may predispose us to certain patterns: earlier degenerative changes, bone density variations, metabolic influences. Add modern sedentary routines and we get a predictable mix of stiffness and wear-and-tear. It’s simply reality and reality responds well to awareness.

One of the most encouraging shifts I’ve observed is the growing openness toward preventive care. Strength training is no longer seen as something only for athletes. Balance exercises are understood as fall prevention, not frailty. Vitamin D, bone markers and DEXA scan checks are routine. These are quiet revolutions and they matter more than any procedure ever could. There’s also something uniquely comforting about infusing humour even in discomfort – an elderly patient once joked that her creaky knees were “older than her baug’s staircase!” making me burst into laughter. That humour isn’t always denial, it’s resilience.

As we approach Navroz, a time of renewal and reflection, perhaps we can widen the idea of renewal beyond rituals and feasts. Renewal can also mean recommitting to movement – to flexibility, to listening to early warning signs without catastrophizing them. Healthy ageing does not mean pain-free perfection. It means functional independence. It means being able to participate in life comfortably. It means understanding that stiffness is common, but suffering silently isn’t necessary and importantly it means making informed choices, not rushed ones.

Orthopaedics is about explaining what is happening inside the joint, outlining options clearly, and allowing patients to decide what aligns with their lifestyle and comfort. There’s no virtue in overtreatment but there’s also no virtue in unnecessary endurance. The sweet spot lies in guided by evidence and individual values.

Listening to our community through its joints has taught me humility. The body ages, but spirit often does not. I have seen 80-year-olds with determination that would intimidate teenagers. I have seen graceful acceptance of limitations, paired with a desire to remain active within those limits. That, perhaps, is the most Parsi quality of all: adaptability without drama.

So, this New Year, while we exchange good wishes, perhaps we can add one quiet resolution: to treat our bodies with the same respect with which we treat tradition. Move regularly. Strengthen sensibly. Seek clarity when something feels persistently off – visit the doctor when needed. Above all, keep upping your ‘joint-account’ with added health – stay engaged with life because healthy joints are enablers of connection which allow us to stand, walk, embrace, pray, cook, celebrate and belong. Listen to your body carefully and not fearfully, and our bones will continue to carry us forward, one steady step at a time. Navroz Mubarak!