Could these recommendations benefit other arthritic joints such as the wrists?
Mr. Haque: Anecdotally, our authors do not hear about pain in joints except for the knee and spine. To a limited extent, some of these recommendations may help patients with spinal arthritis as well.
What do you see as the greatest obstacle to implementation?
Mr. Haque: These recommendations, although permissible in the Muslim faith, are not part of traditional ritual and thus patients may simply forget to implement them. We advise physicians to ask patients which recommendations they are most likely to follow and to monitor how these have worked for them.
What is your best overall advice for broaching this issue with patients?
Mr. Haque: Holistic, functional, and culturally sensitive recommendations will be highly appreciated. Physicians are therefore encouraged to share this guidance with Muslim patients while using terms such as Salah, pronounced saa-laah, and Sajdah, pronounced sajduh and meaning prostration, and engage in a healthy dialogue.
These guidelines received no funding. The authors disclosed no competing interests relevant to their recommendations, but Dr. Magrey reported consulting and research relationships with private-sector companies outside of this work.