Tag: Osteoarthritis

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Knee Care

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The knees are one of the larger joints in the body, supporting its entire weight. It is a hinge joint, like that of a door, capable only of moving forwards and backwards. Attempts to force a door to move sideways or push it open in the wrong direction will result in the door “coming off its hinges.” A similar problem occurs when the knee is forced to move in the wrong direction.

Click & see the pictures:

The knee joint is composed of three bones, the lower end of the femur and the upper ends of the tibia and fibula, articulating with one another. The raw bones do not grate against each other. They are separated by a “joint space” filled with synovial fluid, lined with articulating cartilage and separated by little washers called meniscii. There are ligaments inside the joint holding it in place. Considering the size of the knee joint, these ligaments are woefully inadequate. In the front of the knee is the kneecap or patella.

Click & see: Anatomy of knee :

The knee undergoes constant wear and tear. Our daily activities involve walking and climbing stairs as well as exercising. In a lifetime, the knee joint functions over and above its capacity!

The knee undergoes constant wear and tear. Our daily activities involve walking and climbing stairs as well as exercising. In a lifetime, the knee joint functions over and above its capacity!

Pain in the joint can be acute and occurs owing to injury, infection, or age-(or overuse) related degeneration. The cartilage breaks down, exposing parts of the bone underneath. The raw nerves are exposed and this becomes very painful. Bits of broken cartilage can get trapped in the joint. When that occurs, movement can result is sudden pain and the joint can get locked.

Dislocations and injuries are more common in the young — basketball and football are notorious for causing knee injuries. This is because there are sudden abrupt changes in the direction of movement, which may be against the normal anatomical direction of movement. The player may land awkwardly or fall, bruising and injuring the joint.

The two knees support the weight of the entire body between them. The bones are physically capable of supporting only a certain amount of weight. Obesity causes the knees to degenerate rapidly. Depending on gait and posture, one side may wear out faster than the other. This may result in a bow-legged appearance. Walking is extremely painful and the gait may be crab like. The entire joint may be swollen and painful. Or, the pain may be localised on one side. At times, instead of the whole joint, the area under the patella gets worn down and irregular. As that rubs against the bones underneath, there is terrible pain with movement.

Children seldom develop knee pain without injury or a fracture. Boys can develop pain as part of certain inherited congenital syndromes or birth defects in the knee. The patella may also get dislocated. This is more common in teenage girls.

Click & see :

Infections, acute trauma and fractures result in swollen, warm and tender joints. Arthritis, especially rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, can produce a similar picture. Infection always produces fever. Gout usually affects the big toe but can present itself as a painful knee joint. It may be worth checking uric acid levels.

CLICK & SEE:

Ayurvedic remedies  of knee pain

Ayurvedic Therapy – A Promising Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis?

Natural Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Knee Pain
Ayurveda for Osteo Arthritis (Knee Joint Pain)

Homeopathy for Knee Pain

Knee Injury Treatment With Six Homeopathic Medicines

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, Indi

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News on Health & Science

Curcumin Relieves Pain and Inflammation for Osteoarthritis Patients

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A study shows that a formulation of curcumin can relieve pain and increase mobility in patients with osteoarthritis.  It can also reduce a series of inflammatory markers.
..CLICK & SEE
100 patients with osteoarthritis were divided in two groups — the first group was given the “best available treatment” and the second group was given the same treatment plus 200 mg of the curcumin formulation each day.

According to IFT:
“The results showed that the [curcumin]-treated group had a statistically significant reduction in all primary clinical end-points … These results were complemented by the evaluation of a series of inflammatory markers, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]) … while no significant variation was observed in the ‘best available treatment’ group.”

This could eventually lead to a phase out of NSAID use, at least as a treatment for mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis.

Resources:
*  IFT January 11, 2011
* Alternative

Posted By Dr. Mercola | January 31 2011

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Exercise Healthy Tips

Hip Exercises Reduces Knee Pain

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New research shows that a twice weekly hip strengthening regimen proved effective at reducing or eliminating the kind of knee pain referred to as patellofemoral pain (PFP) in female runners.  Stronger hips may correct running form errors that contribute to PFP.

Click to see video of heap exercises :

The study used a pain scale of 0 to 10, with 3 representing the onset of pain and 7 representing very strong pain. The injured runners began the six-week trial registering pain of 7 when they ran on a treadmill, and finished the study period registering pain levels of 2 or lower.

According to Science Daily:
“PFP, one of the most common running injuries, is caused when the thigh bone rubs against the back of the knee cap. Runners with PFP typically do not feel pain when they begin running, but once the pain begins, it gets increasingly worse … PFP essentially wears away cartilage and can have the same effect as osteoarthritis.”

Vigorous physical activity in young children results in stronger hip bones.

More than 200 six-year olds participated in a study. Researchers measured bone mass and analyzed the structure of the hip and thigh bone. Physical activity was assessed for seven days.

If you find the excerpt from the treatment video helpful you might want to consider the full DVD set that can be very beneficial for a large variety of injuries.

According to Science Daily:

“The results showed that there was a relationship between time spent in vigorous activity and strength of the femoral neck, both in terms of shape and volumetric mineral density. This was independent of other factors such as diet, lifestyle and physical size.”

Sources:
Science Daily June 7, 2010
Science Daily June 6, 2010

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Two Arthritis Powerhouses Even Stronger Together

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New research shows that omega-3 fats and glucosamine work together to provide additional benefits for people with osteoarthritis

Scientists gave 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate to the study participants, but some also received 200 mg of omega-3 fats. Both groups had about the same number of participants who reported a 20 percent or less reduction in pain.

But according to Dr. Christiane Northrup:

“However, when researchers asked those who experienced an 80 percent reduction in pain, those in [the glucosamine plus omega-3 group] reported reduced morning stiffness and pain in the hips and knees by between 48.5 and 55.6 percent, compared to 41.7 to 55.3 percent for those in [the glucosamine only group].”

Resources:
Christiane Northrup, MD March 30, 2010
Advances in Therapy September 2009; 26(9):858-71

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Featured Healthy Tips

‘Arthritis risk’ for Middle-Aged Exercise Addicts

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Middle-aged men and women may be risking  arthritis if they overdo their exercise regime, research suggests.

A US study of more than 200 people aged 45 to 55 and of “normal” weight found those doing the most exercise were the most likely to suffer knee damage.

Running and jumping may also do more damage to cartilage and ligaments than swimming and cycling, researchers said.

One arthritis charity said it was important to keep fit and most people would not have any problems.

Osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis – is a degenerative joint disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness and affects 8m people in the UK.

It is more common in women, and the risk increases with age and weight.

Presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, the researchers said their study included people who had not reported any previous knee pain.

Activity:-

Based on a questionnaire designed to work out how much exercise they do, participants were split into low-, middle- and high-activity groups.

A typical high-activity individual would do several hours of walking, sports or other types of exercise per week, as well as gardening and other household chores.

They then underwent MRI scans of the knee, looking for tears, lesions and other abnormalities in the cartilage and ligaments.

The damage seen was associated solely with activity levels and was not age or gender specific, the researchers said.

And it also seemed to be linked to the type of exercise a person did, although the researchers said this needed to be looked at in other studies.

Study leader Dr Christoph Stehling, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco said: “Our data suggest that people with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk for developing knee abnormalities and, thus, at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.

“This study and previous studies by our group suggest that high impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health.

“Conversely, low-impact activities, such as swimming and cycling, may protect diseased cartilage and prevent healthy cartilage from developing disease.”

A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said that the gains of exercise far outweighed any potential risks.

“We have known for years that certain high impact sports and jobs are associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee, but for the vast majority of people exercise is good, not only for the cartilage but for total body health.

“Most people can exercise without any problems, but if you have had a joint injury or torn cartilage or ligaments you should be cautious about weight-bearing exercise, and swimming and cycling may provide a better option for you.”

Kate Llewelyn, of the charity Arthritis Care, said: “Osteoarthritis used to be considered wear and tear arthritis, but it’s now thought that there are many more factors than age and use that contribute to its development.

“Many people wrongly assume that exercising when you already have arthritis is a no no, but in fact appropriate exercise is one of the best ways to help control pain, boost energy, keep you mobile and strengthen your joints.”

Source: BBC News:Nov. 30.’09

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