Dr. Kirschmaier visited India last year, where he had the opportunity to understand the experiences of Indian doctors. He was astonished by what he saw. Dr. Kirschmaier believes that rheumatology in our country is still stuck at the level of the last century.
After attending several high-profile conferences in Germany, Dr. Kirschmaier agreed to give an interview to the Indian media. What did this renowned doctor find problematic in India's treatment methods, and why does he say that patients with joint pain in India will never fully recover?
- When answering questions from German journalists, you mentioned that you were shocked by what you saw happening in India. Can you elaborate on this?
- Look, first of all, let me make it clear that I have no issues with India, its culture, or its people. However, I must say that the state of healthcare in your country is truly poor. It is at least 20, and possibly even 30 years behind. At least when it comes to treating joint and musculoskeletal system diseases, that's what it seems like. We can say that rheumatology, as a science, doesn't even exist in India.
Let's take a look at what medications Indian doctors prescribe for treatment: Viprosal, Dolgit, Voltaren/Fastum gel, Diclofenac, Teraflex, Nurofen, and similar drugs.
But these medications don’t heal joints or cartilage; they only provide relief from symptoms — meaning they just reduce pain, swelling, etc. Now, think about what’s happening inside the body. When we take a medication or apply an anesthetic gel or get an injection, the pain goes away. But as soon as the effect of the medicine wears off, the pain comes back immediately.
Pain is a very important signal from our body indicating joint issues. When we simply suppress the pain, it puts more stress on the deteriorating joints. This causes them to degrade 3 to 5 times faster, leading to changes that cannot be reversed and can even leave one completely disabled.
In Europe, this method of treating joint pain was stopped 20 years ago. There, painkillers are only given in emergencies and even then, with extreme caution and in limited doses. In Germany, they can only be purchased under strict control, with a doctor’s prescription.
So-called 'chondroprotectors' are completely banned because they are useless drugs, and spending money on them is foolish.
Doctors and pharmacy owners in your country are making people disabled! It’s clear that while these expensive painkillers provide symptom relief, they are far more profitable for them than actually curing the disease permanently. But how can they have the courage to do this?
- What is the situation regarding joint treatment in Germany?