| What
is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a common disease that causes pain and stiffness in the
joints. Affected joints include;
knees,
hips, elbows, wrists, ankles, shoulder, etc.
Healthy joints are made up of bones that are covered in a smooth cartilage
and a fluid known as synovial fluid. The synovial fluid acts as a
lubricant and shock absorber for the joint.
The
synovial fluid can thin out and lose its' elasticity in people with
osteoarthritis. The smooth cartilage on the ends of the bones can wear
away and break down. Causes can include; age, obesity, sport injuries or
work related accidents.
People
with osteoarthritis will experience pain during movement or at rest.
Joints can be stiff and swollen. Some people will experience a loss of
movement range in the joint. The disease can interfere with many normal
activities like walking, sports or even sleeping.
There
are several treatments for osteoarthritis. Consult your health care
professional for the treatment that best suits your individual needs.
Viscosupplementation treatments and products
including Synvisc may be quite effective when
simple pain killers stop producing results. The treatment is localized to
the affected area. Viscosupplements are administered through an
intra-articular injection into the synovial space of the joint. The
treatment works by improving the natural viscosity of the synovial fluid.
The improvement in the 'lubrication' of the joint results in increased
mobility and reduced pain.
Side affects and risks tend to be minimal, while results can be quite
good. Discomfort during the injection can be reduced by using a local
anesthetic. Many doctors are quite well experienced in this type of
injection. Most people will experience pain free conditions for 6 to 8
months. Treatments can be repeated and cases have been observed of even
longer pain relief following repeat treatments.
Oral Glucosamine
Sulphate and Oseoarthritis
In the case of osteoarthritis the doctor is trying to:
1. control pain
2. control or even stop the degenerative process.
Glucosamine sulphate is very effective for early, less severe
osteoarthritis. Glucosamine has been found to alleviate or even reverse a
number of symptoms in all joints when used. These include articular pain,
joint tenderness and swelling. Studies show that it also tends to inhibit
further degradation of the articular cartilage and increase articular
function. There are indications that it may have the ability to actually
reverse cartilage damage.
Glucosamine is also found to be well tolerated, not contributing to the
stomach distress associated with many of the available painkillers.
Another important feature is that it does not appear to come in conflict
with other medications that the patient may be on.
The length of treatment time can vary depending on the severity of the
condition and the limitation on the range of motion.
Referenced from Current Medical Research and Opinion Vol 7 No 2 1980
Prolotherapy (also known
as Sclerotherapy or Proliferative Therapy)
"Injection prolotherapy is the injection of a solution for the purpose of
tightening and strengthening loose or weak tendons ligaments or joint
capsules through the multiplication and activation of fibroblasts
(primitive connective tissue cells that are the workhorses of repair and
growth)"....K. Dean Reeves MD
All studies using
prolotherapy were conducted on patients in which the acute healing period
had not been successful. The bodies spontaneous repair cycle for soft
tissue normally takes 6 to 8 weeks. If, after this period pain and limited
range of motion still exist connective tissue weakness can be considered.
This chronic connective tissue tissue dysfunction can be due to a
degenerative change. Prolotherapy treats this weak attachment by using the
body's own natural ability to heal ligaments and muscles without scar
tissue. By injecting a solution directly into the ligament it causes a
mild inflammatory reaction. A thickening and strengthening occurs which
helps to alleviate the chronic pain. These changes
increase the load bearing ability of the affected connective tissue. This
therapy is best suited for chronic myofacial injuries common in athletes,
whiplash and industrial injuries. Prolotherapy will result in significant
increases in ligament mass and thickness. Reduction in pain and improved
range of motion. Positive results have been archived in people with
fibromyalgia.
Patients can sometimes
benefit from a combination of treatments at the same time.
Viscosupplementation, Glucosamine and Prolotherapy can be combined to
obtain positive outcomes.
Should
you and your physician decide on viscosupplementation as part of your treatment, please consider
us for the purchase of today's most popular
viscosupplementation products, available from Canada at very competitive
prices.
For
further reading on arthritis we recommend the following links:
Arthritis: Timely Treatments for an Ageless Disease
from FDA website.
Monograph Series on Aging-related Diseases IX.
Osteoarthritis from Health Canada website. |
