Good to heaven, bad to hell” – this wasn’t a saying from a religious sermon but practical advice from a physiotherapist for patients with knee pain. “If you have pain in one knee, when climbing stairs, step up with your pain-free or ‘good’ knee first, as if going to heaven. While descending, step down with your ‘bad’ knee first,” advised Rabindranath Ghosh.

Ghosh is a physiotherapist and a part of the team from Manipal Hospitals in IB Block that had come to a health camp in AC Block recently. There were a number of tests like blood pressure, blood sugar, pulmonary function test, and bone mass density tests being conducted, other than doctor and physiotherapist consultation.

Ghosh got complaints from patients with osteoarthritis, lower back pain, tennis elbow, heel pain, post-knee replacement issues, and the like. “Physiotherapy can reduce progression or even improve these conditions,” he said.

For osteoarthritis, he advised maintaining ideal weight, avoiding sitting on the floor or sitting cross-legged, and refraining from squatting. For the stairs, he recommended using the “heaven-hell” formula. “If you experience pain, apply ice and exercise for 30 minutes, five times a week. Walking and swimming are the best forms of exercise for such patients.” He showed customised exercises for patients too.

Ghosh also addressed neck pain caused by mobile phone usage. “Instead of lowering your neck to read from the phone, lift the phone to eye level so your neck stays at zero degree. A similar problem happens to those using laptops, again placing them much lower than eye level.”

The solution is to use a laptop stand, that elevates the monitor to eye level. When working from home, use a table, not a bed. Sit on your chair without bending forward or slouching back. Stay upright but with a cushion, and use an ergonomically designed chair,” he said.

Ghosh also addressed a common confusion regarding pillows. “Some people use two pillows, while others don’t use one at all. Both are wrong. Use a pillow that maintains your neck at its idle position, with its natural curvature. A memory foam pillow is fine too,” he advised.

For those with lower back pain, he forbade them from bending forward. “If you need to lift something off the ground, bend your knees and lift rather than bending your back.”

The health cum blood donation camp was organised by Salt Lake AC Block Yubak Sangha. “Seventy-five people donated blood and 115 residents came for the health check-up,” said president Tapesh Majumder. “We do such a camp every year.”

The event was supported by the Inner Wheel Club of Salt Lake City. “Besides helping financially, we motivate domestic helps, caretakers and the like to come for this camp as they rarely see the importance of getting checked. Even after much coaxing, they might just say it’s too hot to step out and forget about it,” added Jayshree Paul Choudhury, block resident and past president of the club.

Minister and MLA Sujit Bose dropped by too. “The blood donation camp is especially important now that the number of such camps has fallen drastically around the elections,” he said. “To maintain health, I eat on time and I eat right, but everyone should do check-ups,” he said.

Councilor Ratna Bhaumik got her own vitals checked and was all smiles when her blood pressure came 124/80. “I may have the pressure of work on my shoulders but the secret to my health is my smile,” she said, flashing one.