Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is a degenerative condition that results in the deterioration of cartilage tissues that support the weight-bearing joints in the body. The condition, also called degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is closely linked to the aging process and consists of outgrowth of bone, bone spurs and soft cysts on the affected joints and bones. It affects 20 million Americans, primarily women and adults over age 45.
How does osteoarthritis develop?
It is important to note that, although associated with old age, osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease are not simply a result of the aging process, nor are they a result of general wear and tear on the joints as some believe. These conditions almost always begin as a ligament weakness resulting from injury.
Joints are composed of two bones covered with articular cartilage, which allows the joint to glide, and ligaments, which hold the two bones together. Healthy articular cartilage and ligaments enable the bones to glide evenly over one another. If the ligaments become weak, the bones will glide in an uneven manner. One area of the bone will bear additional weight on the articular cartilage when the joint is stressed. This uneven distribution of joint stress creates an even greater strain on the weakened ligament. Eventually all ligaments of the joint become lax and the joint becomes more and more unstable. As a result, articular cartilage breakdown occurs, causing a grinding or crunching noise when the joint is moved—as well as pain!
When ligaments can no longer stabilize a joint, muscles and tendons will tense, often increasing a person’s pain. When these soft tissues can no longer do the stabilizing work, the bony surfaces rub against each other.
As the condition develops, the bone around the affected joint thickens, and bony growths called osteophytes form. If the synovial tissue that lines the joint capsule becomes inflamed, fluid may accumulate within the joint. This causes pain and swelling in the joints and decreases their mobility. In later stages of the disease, decreased amounts of cartilage in the joints hinder movement.
Although natural medicine specialists see a clear link between ligament injury and the onset of osteoarthritis, conventional medical practitioners cannot reach consensus on a cause of osteoarthritis. They identify certain factors that may increase the risk of developing the disorder, including repeated strenuous activity or reoccurring injury, excessive weight gain, and possibly heredity.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Symptoms of osteoarthritis may include pain and tenderness in a joint that worsens with activity and is relieved by rest; stiffness after long periods of rest; discomfort in a joint before or during a change in weather; bony lumps on the middle or end joints of the fingers or the base of the thumb; loss of joint flexibility; swelling and tenderness around the joint; restricted joint movement; creaking or cracking of joints and bones; and referred pain in areas remote from the site of damage but on the same nerve pathway as the affected joint.
Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis but they do not address the root of the problem. By strengthening structural weaknesses in the body, as natural medicine therapies like Prolotherapy do, osteoarthritis pain may be alleviated permanently.
have you tried conventional treatments for osteoarthritis without success? Would you like an alternative to the traditional recommendations? Give us your comments.
We hope our readers have been enjoying the latest issue of JOP and passing it along to colleagues, patients, and loved ones. The goal of the Journal is to help spread the word about the life-changing effects that Prolotherapy can have on a person’s life. We are constantly reviewing the literature, blogs, articles, and research that is out regarding Prolotherapy and the word is DEFINITELY getting out there. With more doctors using the technique and more athletes receiving the treatment (especially high profile professional athletes), acceptance continues to grow. Our goal is to see Prolotherapy become the first-line treatment for conditions such as back pain, knee pain, meniscus tears, carpal tunnel, headaches, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, hip pain, pelvic pain, shoulder injuries, and much more.
Prolotherapy just makes sense. It stimulates your own body to heal the injured area. Ligaments are often the source of the pain and the only treatment we know of that can heal ligaments is Prolotherapy. Exercise, massage, chiropractic, ultrasound, supplements, etc. do not heal the injured area. These may help the muscles get stronger, but the underlying ligament weakness remains unless something is used to stimulate healing.
Dr. Hauser is one of the leading proponents of Prolotherapy and is leading the team at Journal of Prolotherapy in getting the word out there. We are thankful that he continues to dedicate so much time and effort to this cause.
People need to know that there is a better way to heal their chronic pain and/or sports injuries. NSAIDs, rest, ice, cortisone shots, MRIs etc. all result in long term degeneration, leading to surgery. The end result is often that the patient still has pain, weakness, and cannot do the things he/she loves to do.
Most patients are turning to Prolotherapy because they want a cure. Often insurance companies are not covering the treatment because it is not “the norm.” Well, the norm is covered, but it causes further degeneration? When you look at the patient’s out of pocket expenses for “covered procedures” often they would have been better off getting Prolotherapy (financially speaking) because their co-pay is actually higher than the cost of Prolotherapy. One word of caution to our readers or those of you contemplating Prolotherapy vs traditional treatments – do not let your insurance company decide what is best for you!
The good news is that Prolotherapy is gaining acceptance and many people are jumping on the band wagon and getting the help that they need! GO FOR IT!
If you are looking for a physician who does Prolotherapy, please check out www.getprolo.com.
Feb 2010 the CDC and the Arthritis Foundation announced a major initiative to dramatically reduce the impact of osteoarthritis on Americans. Arthritis is already one of the nation’s most common cause of disability. The article states that 46 million people have arthritis and an estimated 67 million will be affected by 2030. The article goes on toe state that the prevalence is escalating and the average annual costs are around $5700/person/year. Dr. John Klippel, MD, president of the Arthritis Foundation is quoted as saying, “Now is the time that we as a nation must invest our resources in the prevention of osteoarthritis…This national public health agenda with the CDC and the new public awareness campaign with the Ad Council will dispel the myth that osteoarthritis is an inevitable part of aging and will call on the nation and individuals to take proven steps to prevent and decrease the pain and disability of arthritis.”
The article goes on the discuss the agenda – which includes self management education, physical activity, injury prevention, and weight management.
Unfortunately, what this article fails to mention is the ligament injury connection to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is more common than all the other types of arthritis combined. It is well-established that injury to a joint increases the chances that the joint will develop osteoarthritis over time. Precipitating causes include sudden impact or trauma, overuse or repetitive motion injuries, biomechanical abnormalities (congenital or acquired), ligamentous injury, joint hypermobility, obesity, intra-articular or systemic corticosteroids, avascular necrosis, and hereditary factors. Osteoarthritis, though the accepted term used to describe degenerative joint disease, is misleading because it primarily relates to cartilage, not bone, and involves degeneration, not inflammation. A lack of understanding about the development of osteoarthritis has resulted in a broad array of symptom-based treatment options such as rest, ice, heat, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, narcotics, braces and wraps, physical therapy and exercise, chiropractic, viscosupplementation, corticosteroid injections, and surgery. While advances have been made in joint replacement, cartilage repair, cartilage replacement, and spinal procedures, treatments to limit or even reverse articular cartilage breakdown have been lacking. Being that ligament injury, excess laxity, joint hypermobility, and clinical instability are known to be major causes of osteoarthritis, any treatment which can address restoration of ligament function would help reduce the incidence, pain, and dysfunction of osteoarthritis.
The Feb 2010 Journal of Prolotherapy issue contains a full article on the ligament injury connection to osteoarthritis.
Mark Wheaton, MD and Nichole Jensen provide the Journal of Prolotherapy readers with an amazing article in the JOP 2010; (2)1:294-304 discussing the ligament injury connection to osteoarthritis.
Injury to a joint increases the chances that the joint will develop osteoarthritis over time. Osteoarthritis, though an accepted term used to describe degenerative joint disease, is misleading because it primarily relates to cartilage, not bone, and involves degeneration, not inflammation. A lack of understanding about the development of osteoarthritis has resulted in a broad array of symptom-based treatment options such as rest, ice, heat, analgesics, anti-inflammatories, narcotics, braces and wraps, physical therapy, chiropractic, viscosupplementation, corticosteroid injections, and surgery. Being that ligament injury, excess laxity, joint hypermobility, and clinical instability are known to be major causes of osteoarthritis, any treatment which can address restoration of ligament function would help reduce the incidence, pain, and dysfunction of osteoarthritis. Prolotherapy is a treatment that can cure the ligament injuries associated with osteoarthritis and offers a safer, less costly option to patients.
To read the full article, subscribe to the Journal of Prolotherapy at www.journalofprolotherapy.com.
