A Shock Absorber to Help Knee Pain
29 Sep 2008
Is there any similarity between a car and the human body? We do have one thing in common, the need for efficient shock absorbers. Cars provide a rough ride when worn-out shock absorbers fail to cushion the blows of a pot-holed road. And for thousands of patients broken-down shock absorbers in the knee mean there’s never a day free of debilitating pain. There is a way to ease this discomfort called "Viscosupplementation or joint fluid therapy" It’s one of the best keep secrets among patients and many doctors.
Osteoarthritis has become a major disability. More than four million people are affected with knee osteoarthritis in Canada, most are in their career prime ages 20-64.The World Health Organization claims that osteoarthritis is the fourth cause of disability in women and the eight most important one for men. It’s because synovial fluid in the knee joint that normally acts as a shock absorber, has lost its ability to cushion the impact between bones and joints.
The goal of doctors managing osteoarthritis is to control pain and improve function. For years, doctors have prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and other pain killers. They do arthroscopic surgery and more complicated hip and knee replacements. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study on arthroscopy concluding that there are many non-surgical choices that are equally effective in managing pain. The toxic effects of anti-inflammatories have also be well documented.
So why not replace nature’s shock absorbers at the source? The technology called viscosupplementation helps to restore the natural lubricating and shock absorbing function of the synovial fluid, recreating the cushion between bones and joints.
Viscosupplementation is making a comeback with a product named Durolane. One simple injection given at the site of the pain, Durolane has been available for several years. It’s not a household word, but this is about t change. A recent survey shows that many family physicians want to learn more about its use in easing arthritic pain.
Durolane is produced from non-animal sources decreasing the risk of allergic reactions. It’s non-toxic and well tolerated by patients. The unique technology in Durolane has safety record of 18 years in many areas of medicine and has been used in Europe and many other countries.
The speed with which Durolane works differs from patient to patient. Some people experience immediate relief of pain. But the majority notice that their discomfort is eased over the course of a few days. Durolane only requires a single injection and The Canadian Federation for drugs and Health Technologies published that it is cost effective when compared to other treatments.
Dr. Tim Rindlisbacher of Toronto’s Cleveland Clinic states, "My patients seem to report the greatest pain relief 8 to 12 weeks after receiving treatment, and they commonly feel some benefit for six months to a year".
Durolane does not cure the damaged joint, but, the cushioning effect of Durolane does slow down the daily wear-and-tear of the knee’s cartilage. Some patients may have initial but short-lived discomfort, swelling and/or stiffness localized to the joint.
Keeping fit helps to decrease the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee. This means keeping active, but there’s a price to pay for being too active. You can push a car’s shock absorbers too hard over rocky roads and the constant pounding of excessive jogging does the same for cartilage in knees. And if you’re overweight the earlier cartilage damage will occur.
Strengthening quadriceps muscles, the large muscle in the upper thigh, helps to take some of the stress of knees. Good low impact exercise such as, swimming or simply getting up and down several times from a chair can be helpful.
To have healthy cartilage you also require collagen. Collagen is one of the main building blocks of cartilage and to manufacture it you need adequate amounts of vitamin C.
Injections of Durolane are done by rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, specialists in sport medicine and other doctors trained in this procedure.
For more information see the web site www.durolane.ca
