For thousands of UAE residents, the slow crawl between Dubai and Sharjah is more than a test of patience, it may be quietly hurting their health. Medical experts are now warning that those long, motionless minutes behind the wheel could be taking a serious toll on commuters’ knees.

According to leading knee specialist Dr Azam Badar Khan, popularly known as Dr Knee, early knee pain and stiffness are becoming increasingly common among regular drivers stuck in daily congestion. What should ideally be a quick 30-minute trip often becomes a marathon commute well over an hour, and that prolonged immobility comes with consequences.

“Keeping your knees locked in one position for too long compresses the joint,” Dr Khan explains. 

“Over time, this leads to pain, swelling, and early degeneration, and we’re seeing this now even in people as young as 35.”

The routine grind between Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates places constant, repetitive strain on drivers: accelerator–brake movements, limited opportunities to stretch, and steady pressure on the knee joint from sitting too long. 

Dr Khan says more than 40 per cent of his patients are between 30 and 50 years old, many of whom spend one to two hours a day in their cars. Over time, these long periods of inactivity weaken the quadriceps, the key muscle supporting the knee, making joints more vulnerable to injury and chronic discomfort.

But it’s not all bad news. Dr Knee stresses that a few simple adjustments can make a surprisingly big difference. Ensuring your seat is positioned so your knees don’t sit higher than your hips, avoiding overextension while driving, and taking quick “micro-breaks” to flex or gently stretch the legs can help restore circulation and reduce pressure. Strengthening the supporting muscles with just a few minutes of daily exercise also provides vital protection, while maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce unnecessary strain.

And there’s one post-commute habit Dr Khan wants drivers to ditch immediately: sitting cross-legged at home. After hours of knee compression in traffic, he says, this position only worsens stiffness and slows recovery.

“Traffic may be part of life here, but knee damage doesn’t have to be,” Dr Khan says.

Through his initiative, Let’s Walk Again with Dr Knee, he continues to push for early awareness and intervention. Upcoming knee-health camps and free check-ups across Dubai aim to help residents spot warning signs sooner, long before everyday activities become difficult.

“Prevention is always better than cure,” he adds. 

“Don’t wait for the pain to take over.”

In January, something extraordinary will unfold in Malawi, one of the world’s least developed countries, where knee specialists simply don’t exist, and where thousands live with chronic pain they’ve quietly carried for years. For many Malawians, the idea of walking without discomfort has long felt like a distant dream.

That may finally begin to change.

Dr Azam Badar Khan, better known across Dubai as “Dr Knee”, is returning to Malawi to lead the country’s first-ever knee surgery camp, bringing hope to patients who’ve never had access to this kind of care. And for the surgeon who has been working in Dubai’s top hospitals for more than 20 years, this mission is personal.

“When you meet someone who has lived with pain for 20 years and tells you they’ve simply ‘learned to manage,’ it stays with you,” Dr Knee said. “This camp is about giving them back the ability to move, work, dance, and live.”

A Country Where Knee Pain Is a Life Sentence

Last December, Dr Knee travelled across Blantyre and the capital, Lilongwe, where he examined more than 400 patients in just four days. The cases told the story of a nation battling what he calls a “silent epidemic of mobility loss.”

From severe osteoarthritis to injuries left untreated for decades, nearly every patient had one thing in common: There was nowhere to go for help.

Malawi, home to more than 21 million people, has no dedicated knee surgeon and limited orthopaedic services. Many people rely on makeshift support, living each day with grinding pain.

A Camp That Could Change Everything

In January, that begins to shift. Over six days, Dr Knee and his team will perform advanced procedures, from total knee replacements to corrective surgeries, at LMJ Hospital in Blantyre and LSF Hospital in Lilongwe.

Regional health officials say the impact could be transformational, not just for the patients, but for the country’s entire healthcare system.

Skill-sharing with local doctors, new treatment pathways, training programmes, all of it could plant the seeds for Malawi’s first real orthopaedic network.

Why Dubai Matters

Behind this mission is a city that has quietly become a launchpad for global medical outreach: Dubai.

“Dubai gave us the reach to scale a mission that started with a simple idea, helping people walk pain-free for longer,” Dr Knee said.

With its international connectivity and innovation-driven healthcare sector, the emirate has helped turn Dr Knee’s mobility mission into a cross-border movement spanning Africa, Asia, and soon even more regions.

A Blueprint for a Continent

The Malawi mission is only the beginning. Talks are already underway with health authorities in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Uganda to develop broader mobility care programmes.
Back in the UAE, Dr Knee is also preparing for his first Dubai edition of the “Walk Again with Dr Knee” campaign this February, a project focused on early diagnosis, public awareness, and accessible joint care.

“We’re building a network of mobility care across continents,” he said. 

“Every step we take in one country helps strengthen the next.”

For patients in Malawi, those steps could soon feel lighter, and, for many, pain-free for the first time in their lives.

In a profession where compassion and care often come at the cost of personal well-being, Siddhayu Baidyanath, India’s 108-year-old Ayurvedic and herbal wellness pioneer, turned the spotlight on the healers themselves.

Through an inspiring evening titled “Self-Love – The Siddhayu Way,” the brand celebrated doctors not just as caregivers but as creative individuals, musicians, dancers, poets, and artists, highlighting how self-expression can be a form of healing too.

The event, held in Dubai, brought together leading medical professionals and wellness advocates to explore the deeper connection between self-care, emotional well-being, and Ayurveda’s holistic philosophy.

Honouring the healers

The evening was graced by Dr Sanjay Paithankar, Managing Director and owner of Right Health Group, as the guest of honour, alongside Pranav Sharma, Managing Director of Siddhayu Baidyanath.

“Doctors often devote every moment to caring for others, leaving little time for themselves,” said Dr Paithankar. “An initiative like this beautifully reminds us that nurturing our own happiness and passions is an equally important part of healing.”

A celebration of creativity and compassion

Under the uplifting theme Self-Love – The Siddhayu Way, doctors took centre stage, expressing their hidden talents through music, dance, poetry, and art. The performances served as a reminder that self-care isn’t limited to rest and recovery; it’s also about joy, expression, and rediscovering oneself.

A standout moment of the night was a captivating performance of “Love You Zindagi” by Tarangini, a Dubai-based dance group led by Paromita Bhatia, whose fusion of classical and contemporary styles drew rousing applause.

“Doctors dedicate their lives to healing others. This event is our way of reminding them to pause, celebrate themselves, and embrace self-love, the Siddhayu way,” said Niraj Bhatia, Global Commercial Head, Siddhayu Baidyanath.

A new chapter in wellness innovation

Adding to the evening’s significance, Siddhayu Baidyanath unveiled its latest innovation,  VVS 10 capsules, an advanced Ayurvedic formulation designed to enhance vigour, vitality, and stamina. The launch, led by Pooja Shevtekar, Head of Marketing and Niraj Bhatia, Global Commercial Head, included the premiere of a compelling product film.

With its products registered under the UAE Ministry of Health (MOH) and available at leading pharmacies such as Aster, Siddhayu Baidyanath continues to strengthen its presence in the UAE and across 40 countries worldwide.

Wellness begins with self-love

The evening concluded with a message that resonated beyond the stage, a reminder that doctors, too, deserve the compassion they so freely give. Through Self-Love – The Siddhayu Way, Siddhayu Baidyanath reaffirmed its belief that true wellness begins with caring for oneself — body, mind, and spirit.