Preparations for the restoration of hyaline cartilage. Medicine for increasing cartilage tissue in joints. The principle of action of chondroprotectors

Since osteochondrosis is a systemic disease that affects not only intervertebral discs, but also affects other important organs and systems, treatment should be carried out comprehensively. Medicines for the treatment of osteochondrosis perform the following tasks:

• Anesthesia
• Elimination of the inflammatory process
• Improving blood circulation in affected tissues
• Restoration of cartilage tissue
• Restoring joint mobility
• Relieving depression caused by constant pain.

Damaged cartilage tissue cannot recover completely. This is an irreversible process. But thanks to a properly selected set of medications and procedures, the patient’s condition can be significantly improved and the destruction of discs can be stopped.

Drug treatment of osteochondrosis consists of several stages:

• Eliminate pain and relax muscles
• Elimination of inflammatory processes caused by damaged spinal cord nerve roots.
• Restoration of cartilage tissue and mobility.

Treatment of osteochondrosis with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

To treat pain, the patient is prescribed analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for osteochondrosis (NSAIDs), which eliminate pain, swelling and inflammation. Medicines are prescribed both externally (ointments, gels, rubs) and internally (injections, tablets). There are several groups of NSAIDs.

1. Diclofenac group

Diclofenac is the most common drug for the treatment of osteochondrosis and the main active ingredient of many drugs: Diclak, Voltaren, Ortofen, Diclobene, Dicloran plus, Diclo-F, Dicloberl, etc. The drug increases the analgesic effect of other analgesics and relieves inflammation. But it is not prescribed to pregnant and lactating women, patients with peptic ulcers and children.

2. Ibuprofen group

Ibuprofen-based drugs have almost the same properties as diclofenac-based drugs. But these drugs can be prescribed to pregnant and lactating women and children under the supervision of a doctor, since ibuprofen is easier to tolerate. Preparations based on ibuprofen: Nurofen, Dolgit, Ibuprom, Ibupron, Reumafen.

3. Indomethacin group

Indomethacin-based drugs have characteristic anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that act directly on the affected tissue. But such drugs in large doses or when applied extensively to the affected area cause side effects (abdominal pain, damage to the gastric mucosa, indigestion) within a few days. Therefore, contraindications for drugs of the indomethacin group are the same as for the diclofenac group. The drugs include: Indovazin, Indomethacin, Arthrocid, Inteban, Indocid, Indobene.

4. Ketoprofen group

Drugs in this group relieve inflammation and pain ten times faster than ibuprofen drugs, but also have side effects. The group of drugs includes: Fastum Gel, Bystrum Gel, Ketonal, Flexen, Febrofid.

5. Nimesulide group

Drugs in this group belong to a new generation of anti-inflammatory drugs. They do not have such serious side effects as the drugs described above. Therefore, they are often prescribed to patients with diseases of the musculoskeletal system, in particular osteochondrosis. The drugs are prescribed mainly externally. With prolonged use, undesirable reactions are possible: itching, redness of the skin, peeling.

Group drugs: Nise, Nimesil, Nimulid, Nimika.

All non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for osteochondrosis and as painkillers.

Vasodilators for the treatment of osteochondrosis

As a result of pain and muscle tension with osteochondrosis, narrowing of blood vessels occurs. This leads to oxygen starvation of tissues and dysfunction of internal organs. To prevent such consequences, vasodilators are prescribed for osteochondrosis.

To restore blood circulation in the affected tissues, Pentoxifylline, Trental, Eufillin, Xanthinol nicotinate are prescribed. The drugs dilate blood vessels and improve tissue nutrition. For a better restorative effect, Berlition (a lipoic acid preparation) is prescribed.

Muscle relaxants for the treatment of osteochondrosis

Pain relief in the treatment of osteochondrosis is supplemented with muscle relaxants. The drugs relax muscles and have a calming effect. When muscles relax, blood circulation is restored, pain is reduced, mobility is restored, and faster regeneration of affected tissue occurs. Without drugs from this group, the healing process will take much longer.

Baclofen, Mydocalm, Sirdalud (Tizanidine), Cyclobenzaprine, etc. are used to treat the disease. These drugs are very effective for muscle spasms, but have unwanted side effects. Therefore, taking muscle relaxants is carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Mydocalm, unlike other drugs, does not have a sedative effect and goes well with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Preparations for the restoration of cartilage tissue

When treating osteochondrosis, it is important to restore cartilage tissue and achieve stable remission of the disease. For recovery, chondroprotectors and a complex of vitamins are prescribed.

Chondroprotectors are drugs that have anti-inflammatory and restorative properties and improve joint mobility. They are prescribed orally or externally. Medicines containing chondroitin and glucosamine (Oseoartisi, Teraflex) are widely used. Local medications include Chondroxide and Collagen Ultra ointment.

Vitamin and mineral complexes improve calcium metabolism and restore damaged ligaments and tendons. Such preparations include complexes containing vitamins B, D, E, A, C, calcium, and phosphorus. When osteochondrosis develops against the background of osteoporosis, Calcium D3 nycomed is prescribed.

B vitamins reduce pain and restore the sensitivity of affected nerve fibers. Vitamin B complex is included in such drugs as Neurobion, Neuroplex, Milgama, Neurorubin, etc. Vitamins A, C, E act as antioxidants and improve metabolic processes.

Sedatives

In case of illness, not only drugs for the treatment of osteochondrosis are prescribed, but also sedatives. Prolonged pain syndrome can cause stress and depression, which causes ineffective treatment of the underlying disease.

In such cases, tincture of valerian, motherwort, and soothing teas are prescribed. For severe disorders, antidepressants are prescribed (Gidazepam, Eglonil, Donormil, etc.). Prescribing antidepressants and sedatives sometimes reduces the consumption of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

The quality of treatment of the disease will depend only on the correctly selected complex and method. Therefore, do not self-medicate. This may lead to undesirable consequences. The doctor should tell you what drugs to treat osteochondrosis after the examination.

Vasodilators are medications that reduce the tone of the smooth muscles of the walls of blood vessels, as a result of which their lumen increases. The muscle tone of the vascular walls is constantly maintained by nerve impulses arriving here via sympathetic nerve fibers (regulating almost all functions of the internal organs). Thus, pharmacological agents can dilate blood vessels in two ways:

1. by weakening the nerve impulse (neurotropic vasodilators),
2. by directly influencing the vascular muscles (myotropic vasodilators).

Vasodilator drugs prescribed for osteochondrosis

With osteochondrosis, against the background of degenerative changes in the intervertebral joints, a pain syndrome develops, accompanied by inflammation and swelling of the surrounding tissues. In this case, sympathetic nerve fibers are affected, and the flow of impulses going to the blood vessels is weakened. As a result, the vessel spasms, its lumen decreases, and the blood supply to the internal organs is disrupted. Oxygen starvation leads to disruption of metabolic processes in tissues, and organ functions are disrupted. If all these phenomena persist for a long time, then diseases of the internal organs involved in the pathological process may develop.

To prevent this from happening, vasodilator drugs are always prescribed in the complex therapy of osteochondrosis. These drugs exert their effect indirectly: microcirculation in the pathological focus improves, blood stagnation is eliminated, metabolic processes are normalized, nerve impulse is restored, and the healing process proceeds faster.

The main vasodilators prescribed for osteochondrosis:

• Eufillin. This drug is a bronchodilator (drugs that dilate the bronchi). In addition, having an antispasmodic effect, it can significantly improve cerebral and peripheral blood circulation. Therefore, aminophylline is used to treat various neurological diseases, for example, osteochondrosis. Most often this drug is used for electrophoresis. This procedure helps restore microcirculation and trophic processes in the intervertebral cartilage.
• Pentoxifylline (Trental) is a drug that improves microcirculation and rheological properties of blood, has an indirect vasodilator effect, and is indicated for circulatory disorders of various localizations.
• Xanthinol nicotinate is a vasodilator that improves microcirculation and has antiaggregation activity. The drug causes expansion of peripheral vessels and improves collateral circulation, oxygenation and metabolic processes in tissues.
• To enhance the restorative effect, Berlition (lipoic acid) is prescribed. This is a metabolic drug, the main mechanism of action of which is to increase endoneural blood flow, restore energy processes in the nerve and the normal functioning of neurovascular bundles in relation to internal organs. The drug improves trophic processes in neurons, causes dilation of blood vessels, and thus has a restorative effect on all cellular processes. Therefore, Berlition is indicated for osteochondrosis.
• Actovegin (deproteinized calf blood extract). The drug contains a large number of different nutrients (nucleosides, amino acids, oligosaccharides and intermediate products of fat metabolism). It restores peripheral blood circulation and vascular tone, stimulates all metabolic processes in our body. This drug has a pronounced therapeutic effect on patients with cerebrovascular disorders. The therapeutic effect of Actovegin is associated with the restoration of impaired blood circulation and the development of collaterals. In addition, it improves the transport of oxygen to tissues and organs, reducing hypoxic effects on tissues.

Vasodilators for cervical osteochondrosis

With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood supply to the organs of the head, including the brain, is primarily affected, since with this pathology a persistent spasm of the vertebral arteries develops, which play an important role in the vertebrobasilar circulation. The patient is bothered by constant headaches, dizziness, nausea, movement disorders, lethargy, and general weakness. Therefore, treatment regimens for the cervical spine always include drugs that improve cerebral circulation. Such drugs include vinpocetine, piracetam and other nootropic drugs. They stimulate carbohydrate and protein metabolism in the brain in various forms of cerebrovascular insufficiency.

• Vinpocetine is a corrector of cerebrovascular accidents with vasodilating, neuroprotective and antihypoxic effects. It selectively increases cerebral blood flow and improves oxygen delivery to the brain.
• Piracetam is a nootropic drug that improves metabolic processes and blood supply to the brain.

Treatment of osteochondrosis is complex, each drug is prescribed to achieve a single effect, although there are also combination drugs. Only a doctor can select an adequate treatment regimen in each specific case. Therefore, do not endure the pain, contact the clinic in a timely manner, this will help avoid various unpleasant complications.

Tablets for joint arthrosis are varied, since this disease has different genesis and manifestations.

Characteristics of arthrosis

Arthrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic (usually chronic) pathology of the joints. The results of this disease are:

• destruction of cartilage tissue;
• capsule transformation;
• changes in the synovium;
• dystrophic processes in ligamentous and bone tissues.

This is one of the most common diseases of our time. It is especially typical for older people, although sometimes joint diseases develop at a relatively young age - at 35-40 years.

Among the variety of joint lesions, the following stand out:

• gonarthrosis - damage to the joints of the knees;
• coxarthrosis - a disease of the hip joint;
• spondyloarthrosis - arthrosis of the small joints of the spine;
• arthrosis of the shoulder joint.

This disease can occur in one joint, then it is called “monoarthrosis”. In the case of multiple lesions, this pathological process is called polyarthrosis.

This disease manifests itself in acute and chronic stages. During an exacerbation of the disease, severe pain appears; in a chronic process, pain in the joints becomes constant, mild and aching.

Causes of arthrosis

The main reason for the development of pathological processes in the joints is metabolic disorders. It is for this reason that cartilage loses its elasticity.

The mechanism of destruction is the loss of proteoglycans by cartilage. These are specific protein compounds that constantly maintain cartilage in a healthy state. It is proteoglycan that forms the main substance of the very connective tissue that is involved in the construction of interstitial layers, performing the function of a lubricant of joints.

These substances perform the function of binding extracellular water and cations. They also fix calcium ions in foci of ossification.

Since the role of proteoglycans in maintaining joint health is extremely important, drug treatment of arthrosis is often based on restoring their presence in the joints.

All causes can be divided into two parts - metabolic disorders themselves and factors stimulating the development of pathological processes.

The destruction of articular cartilage can lead to:

• hormonal imbalance;
• decreased intensity of blood supply to the joint;
• hereditary predisposition;
• age-related changes;
• traumatic injuries;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• psoriasis;
• lupus erythematosus;
• syphilis;
• tuberculosis,
• encephalitis;
• too much body weight;
• inflammatory processes in the joints;
• poor nutrition;
• prolonged exposure to low temperatures;
• long-term intoxication of the body;
• colds;
• pathologies of the thyroid gland;
• hemophilia;
• impaired blood supply to the femoral head;
• professional risks.

General principles of treatment of the disease

There are three ways to treat this disease:

• medicinal, that is, the use of drugs from the pharmaceutical industry;
• external methods of exposure (rubbing, compresses, etc.);
• traditional methods (treatment with herbs, bee products, etc.).

Arthrosis sometimes has to be treated throughout your life if the acute stage of the disease becomes chronic. Especially long-term treatment will be required for those who have developed polyarthrosis as a result of complications after infectious diseases, have a hereditary predisposition or hormonal imbalance.

This does not mean that arthrosis is incurable. You just need to take the treatment of this disease seriously. It is necessary to influence not only the joints themselves, but also the causes of their disease should be eliminated.

In the treatment of arthrosis of any nature, there is a strict rule: if a drug does not have a positive effect on the course of the disease for several months, it must be discontinued and replaced with another drug with different characteristics.

Drug treatment

Medicines for arthrosis are usually aimed at relieving pain and eliminating inflammation. If the patient’s disease is just beginning to develop, being in the acute stage, drugs for arthrosis must be prescribed intravenously or intramuscularly. Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs are usually used.

Local preparations (ointments, gels, rubbing, etc.) will give the desired effect only at subsequent stages of treatment, when the most powerful and effective medications for arthrosis of the joints will be used.

Taking anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs is often started with small doses, determined on an individual basis. Usually, the first drugs for the treatment of arthrosis are prescribed together with a drug that seems to have nothing to do with the joints. We are talking about tablets or capsules called Omeprazole. This remedy is aimed at supporting the gastrointestinal tract during the period of taking a large number of medications.

Before taking anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs, they must be tested for side effects and tolerability.

After the patient has begun to treat his arthrosis, the medicine should relieve the main symptoms. When the pain and signs of acute inflammation go away, it is necessary to prescribe chondroprotectors. Despite the fact that they do not fight inflammation, these are the most effective medications for arthrosis. Their function is to help the body restore destroyed cartilage tissue. An example of a popular chondroprotector is Glucosamine.

These drugs need to be used for a long time. Moreover, over the age of 50, it is advisable to use them as prophylactic agents. The fact is, over time, the body itself no longer produces the substances from which cartilage tissue is built. So you have to replenish them with various medications and dietary supplements.

Many doctors prescribe vasodilators to their patients. This is necessary in order to increase blood flow in the body. This usually has a positive effect on the condition of the joints. Vasodilator drugs are especially effective during the period when hip arthrosis is being treated. The fact is that its transformation disrupts the blood supply to other organs. Vasodilation is also necessary so that blood can more easily penetrate into the joints themselves.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs COX-1

Medicines in this group, known by the abbreviation NSAIDs, are considered the main means of treating osteoarthritis and arthritis. They are aimed at eliminating inflammation or at least reducing the intensity of its development. Unlike drugs whose therapeutic effect is based on hormones, these drugs have fewer side effects and, of course, contraindications.

In modern medicine, all drugs of this type are usually divided into two categories: cyclooxygenase inhibitors COX-1 and COX-2, which means they are divided into the first and second types of drugs. This division is based on the composition and specific effects of the main components of the drugs.

Which drugs in this group are used for arthritis?

1. "Aspirin". It is one of the oldest means of combating inflammation, high and constantly changing temperature, and pain of various origins. Moreover, this is the very first medicinal drug that was produced to combat inflammatory processes. Usually it is prescribed first, as soon as the knee hurts or other symptoms of joint damage appear.
   This veteran of the pharmaceutical industry relieves pain and provides first aid to joints. However, with serious lesions, it is, of course, impossible to cure with Aspirin alone.
   When taking acetylsalicylic acid, you must remember that tablets of this drug have a bad effect on the digestive system, especially on the gastric mucosa. In addition, they reduce blood clotting.
2. "Diclofenac". After acetylsalicylic acid, this drug is one of the most popular among all NSAIDs. Diclofenac was first produced a long time ago - about fifty years ago. It is made in the form of tablets and ointments. This means that it can be used for acute arthrosis, including for the treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint. It is also used for chronic arthrosis, but during exacerbations.
   Diclofenac can simultaneously be used as a pain and inflammation reliever.
   Depending on the manufacturer, diclofenac is also produced under other names: “Clodifen”, “Voltaren”, “Dicloberl”, “Ortofen”, “Olfen”, “Diklak”, “Vurdon”, etc.
3. "Ibuprofen." The use of this drug to combat inflammation also has a long history. It is prescribed in the same cases as Aspirin, since it is ineffective in severe forms of the disease. For example, it makes no sense to take it in case of stage 2 coxarthrosis. However, some analgesic effect will still be guaranteed.
   This drug is produced under the brand name “Ibuprofen” in Russia. Manufacturers abroad assigned it other trade names: “Bolinet”, “Ibuprom”, “Burana”, “Brufen”, “Ibalgin”, “Nurofen”, “MIG-400”, “Faspik”, etc.
4. "Indomethacin". This drug is considered to be one of the most potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs from the category of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs COX-1. It is produced in tablets, gels, ointments and even rectal suppositories, which allows it to be actively used as a medicine for arthrosis of the hip joint.
   Like every drug with a strong therapeutic effect, Indomethacin has many contraindications and side effects.
   “Indomethacin” is popular not only among consumers, but also among manufacturers, therefore it has many trade names: “Indovazin”, “Metindol”, “Indovis EC”, etc.
5. "Ketoprofen". This drug is comparable in strength and nature of effect to Ibuprofen. It is used for all forms of arthrosis, but it especially helps if the foot or knee hurts. However, its purpose goes far beyond pain relief. Since Ketoprofen is produced not only in tablets, but also in the form of gels, aerosols, rubbing balms, injection solutions and rectal suppositories, it can be used for coxarthrosis of the hip joint.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs COX-2

This group of drugs is classified as a new generation of updated drugs. Since manufacturers took into account the shortcomings in the group of COX-1 drugs, the new generation of drugs has a pronounced selective effect. This reduces the risk of unwanted side effects in the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, the overall tolerability of these drugs was increased in this group.

In addition, drugs in the COX-1 category have a bad reputation for their destructive effects on the cartilage tissue of the joints. Later generations of drugs from the COX-2 group have lost such properties, which increases their value in the fight against arthrosis of any localization.

Among them, the most popular representatives are the following drugs.

1. Meloxicam. This remedy has a very strong effect. Experts usually prescribe it for coxarthrosis of the hip joint and other severe forms of articular lesions. The active substance of this product is movalis. The main advantage of Meloxicam is the possibility of long-term use. This remedy can be treated continuously for several months, which increases the therapeutic effect and reduces the risk of exacerbation. This is especially important for coxarthrosis of the hip joint.
   Manufacturers produce Meloxicam in the form of tablets, suppositories, ointments, and injection solutions. The tablets of this drug are especially powerful because they have a prolonged effect, so you can take 1 piece of them once a day.
   Medicines containing the active substance movalis are produced under the following brands: “Mataren”, “Artrosan”, “Melbek-forte”, “Movasin”, “Melbek”, “Mesipol”, “Lem”, “Mirlox”, “Meloflam”.
2. "Celecoxib." This remedy has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. This is especially valuable given the low number of side effects in the gastrointestinal tract. "Celecoxib" has a wide spectrum of action. When used, it is possible to treat arthrosis of the foot, knee and hip joints.
3. "Nimesulide". A typical representative of drugs with updated composition. It not only relieves pain and reduces the rate of development of inflammatory processes. It also has pronounced antioxidant properties. This combination of properties inhibits the destruction of articular cartilage.
   Nimesulide is produced in the form of tablets, gels and granules for the production of solutions. Such a wide range allows the drug to be used at different stages of the disease.
   Other names of the drug are “Aulin”, “Remisid”, “Nise”, “Mesulide”, “Nimegesik”, “Aktasulide”, “Flolid”, “Aponin”, “Kokstral”, “Nimid”, “Prolide”, etc. .d.

Contraindications and precautions

There are no absolutely safe drugs. At a minimum, any tablets affect the gastrointestinal tract, even those that treat it. And most of the new NSAID tablets also have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system.

All NSAIDs in the treatment of arthrosis are contraindicated in pregnant and lactating women. Special precautions should be taken by people suffering from pathologies:

• gastrointestinal tract;
• liver;
• kidney;
• of cardio-vascular system.

What to do if, for example, your leg hurts and your stomach is affected by gastritis? If you cannot get by with external means, then in this case you need to drink crushed tablets, diluting them in a small amount of water. They do not dissolve in water, but small particles are absorbed faster and cause less harm to the gastrointestinal mucosa.

The worst thing to do, for example, is to treat coxarthrosis with a diseased liver or damaged kidneys. The fact is that NSAIDs have a strong effect on blood flow in the kidneys. In this case, water and sodium are retained in the body. If this factor is not taken into account, then stable hypertension and increased pathological processes in the kidneys and liver can be caused.

Especially big problems often arise when treating a person with drugs for arthrosis of the hip joint. Due to its anatomical features, this lesion is difficult to treat with external means. The solution may be to use short-term courses and formulate an individual dosage.

If a person has problems with the functioning of other organs, then drugs for coxarthrosis (especially at the early stage of the disease and during an exacerbation) are best selected in the form of injection solutions. They act faster, are easier to remove and do not affect the gastrointestinal tract.

If you need to treat arthrosis of the foot, then sometimes it makes sense to replace NSAIDs with topical agents, since there is little muscle and fat tissue in the foot, which makes it easier for drugs to penetrate during physical therapy or compresses.

Typically, the treatment of joint problems does not have a clear division into the stage of taking NSAID drugs and other therapeutic agents. The combination of taking anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors with external agents gives quick results and reduces the load on the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys.

During the remission stage, both NSAIDs and chondroprotectors are often discontinued, replacing them with therapeutic procedures in the form of compresses and rubbing. However, as mentioned above, patients of retirement age should take chondroprotectors periodically as a preventive measure.

Cartilage is a connective tissue found in many parts of the body. Even though cartilage is tough and flexible, it is quite easy to damage.

Cartilage plays an important role in the human body:

• reduces friction and acts as a cushion between joints;
• helps support weight when we run or bend or stretch a limb;
• holds bones together, such as the chest bones;
• some parts of the body are almost entirely made of cartilage, such as the outer parts of the ears;
• In children, the ends of long bones are made of cartilage, which eventually turns into bone.

Unlike other types of tissue, cartilage does not have a blood supply. Because of this, the restoration of joint cartilage takes a long time, compared to other tissues that are supplied with blood.

There are three types of cartilage:

• Elastic cartilage (yellow cartilage)- the most resilient and elastic type of cartilage. Elastic cartilage makes up the outside of the ears and part of the nose.
• Bone- the toughest type of cartilage, capable of supporting a lot of weight. It is found between the discs and vertebrae of the spine and between the bones of the hip and pelvis.
• Hyaline cartilage- elastic and hard. Such cartilage is found between the ribs, around the trachea, and also between joints (articular cartilage).

All three types of cartilage can be damaged. When the cartilage in a joint is damaged, it can cause severe pain, inflammation, and even disability. According to statistics from the US National Institutes of Health, one third of American adults over the age of 45 suffer from knee pain caused by cartilage damage.

Causes of destruction of joint cartilage tissue

• Direct hit- if the joint is subjected to excessive stress, for example during intense exercise, a bad fall or a car accident. Athletes have a higher risk of joint injuries, especially if they participate in joint-intensive sports such as football, rugby, and wrestling.
• Wear- A joint that experiences prolonged periods of stress can become damaged. Obese people are more likely to suffer from wear and tear of the knee cartilage than a normal weight person, simply because their body is under a much higher degree of physical stress.
• Long-term inflammation, and eventually loss of cartilage in the joints. This condition is known as osteoarthritis.
• Lack of movement- Joints need to be moved regularly to stay healthy. Long periods of inactivity or immobility increase the risk of cartilage damage.

If care is not taken to restore the cartilage tissue of the joints, this can lead to such severe damage that a person cannot walk. In addition to immobility, patients are bothered by severe pain. All small defects in articular cartilage can eventually lead to osteoarthritis if given enough time.

General principles

There are a number of non-surgical treatments that can help relieve the symptoms of articular cartilage damage.

Physiotherapy Exercises that strengthen the muscles surrounding or supporting the joint can help relieve pressure on the joint and reduce pain.

Painkillers Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, help reduce swelling and pain.

Chondroprotective agents, which prevent further destruction of cartilage.

Support devices- such as a cane.

Lifestyle changes- such as a decrease in activity that uses the affected joint.

In more severe cases, when restoration of the cartilage tissue of the joints is impossible and the joint has lost mobility, the doctor may recommend surgery. Surgical treatment of damaged articular cartilage includes the following procedures: arthroscopic debridement, bone marrow stimulation, bone tissue transplantation, implantation of autologous chondrocytes. Innovative methods of cartilage restoration include growing new cartilage from the patient's own stem cells, but this is still undergoing research.

Medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short, are used to reduce pain, warmth, swelling, and redness of the skin associated with a disease (or injury) that has caused cartilage damage. The three most commonly used NSAIDs are aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Aspirin is one of the most misused drugs due to its wide availability. It has several mechanisms of action.

• First, it prevents pain signals from reaching a part of the brain called the thalamus.
• Aspirin also irreversibly inhibits chemical mediators of inflammation that cause pain and additional inflammatory responses.
• In addition, aspirin reduces fever and affects the hypothalamus in the brain, which leads to vasodilation and sweating.

Side effects of aspirin include stomach upset, heartburn, nausea, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), headache and diarrhea. Aspirin affects the blood clotting system, which means that bleeding in damaged tissue may be increased. It can also increase soft tissue swelling and therefore increase the time required to recover from injury.

Although ibuprofen also has pain-relieving (analgesic) and antipyretic effects, it does not affect blood clotting to the same extent as aspirin.

Paracetamol does not have significant anti-inflammatory effects, but has antipyretic and analgesic effects. It is effective in relieving moderate pain and does not affect the stomach.

Due to possible side effects, all NSAIDs should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Chondroprotective agents- non-hormonal drugs used to treat degenerative processes in arthritis and help normalize synovial fluid and cartilage matrix. They stimulate the synthesis of collagen and proteoglycans by chondrocytes, as well as the production of hyaluronic acid, and inhibit cartilage degradation; and prevents fibrin formation in the subchondral and synovial vasculature.

To restore cartilage tissue of joints, the following chondroprotective drugs are usually prescribed:

It serves as a lubricant and shock absorber in the synovial fluid, and is found in the vitreous humor of the eye. HA is not well absorbed when taken orally, but is widely used as an injection into a sore joint.

Possible mechanisms by which GC may act therapeutically include:

• providing additional lubrication of the synovial membrane;
• control of the permeability of the synovial membrane, thereby ensuring control of effusion;
• Directly blocking inflammation by getting rid of free radicals.

Glucosamine. Numerous test tube studies have shown that glucosamine stimulates the synthesis of proteoglycans and collagen by chondrocytes. Glucosamine also has a weak anti-inflammatory effect. The effects of glucosamine therapy have been studied using intravenous, intramuscular, and oral routes of administration. When administered orally, about 87% of the administered dose is absorbed by the body. The use of glucosamine for the treatment of osteoarthritis is convenient and well tolerated by patients.

Chondroitin sulfate. This substance is a natural component in several tissues in the body in addition to cartilage, including tendons, bones, the cornea, and the heart valve.

As a chondroprotective agent, chondroitin sulfate has metabolic effects and also competitively inhibits many cartilage-degrading enzymes. Also, according to the latest research, taking chondroitin sulfate can prevent the formation of fibrin blood clots in synovial or subchondral microvessels. Chondroitin also has an antiatherosclerotic effect.

Theoretically, taking this drug orally and as an ointment or cream increases blood flow to tissues. Although it is a large molecule, the bioavailability of chondroitin following oral administration has been well documented. The human body and experimental animals absorbed about 70% of orally administered chondroitin sulfate.

Physiotherapy

A sedentary lifestyle reduces the amount of proteoglycans (protective molecules) in cartilage tissue and leads to rapid wear of the cartilage. Therefore, physical therapy is successfully used to restore joint cartilage in patients who are overweight or lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Thanks to physical therapy exercises, such as “bicycle”, blood flow to the diseased area improves, ligaments are strengthened and the source of inflammation is reduced. Swimming is also very beneficial; it significantly reduces the stress on the joints.

How to restore joints with diet and folk remedies

Glycine and proline are the most abundant amino acids in collagen fibers in human tissue. Although the body can produce these proteins, a diet low in protein can create glycine and proline deficiencies.

But these substances are found in abundance in gelatin. Therefore, patients with arthritis and arthrosis, as well as those who are looking for how to restore joints using natural methods, are advised to include gelatin-rich bone broths in their diet.

Refined carbohydrates in foods such as white flour foods, white rice and sugary foods and drinks should be avoided.

Physiotherapy

Physical therapy is a great example of how to rehabilitate joints without the help of medications. However, physical therapy works best in combination with medication therapy.

• thermal procedures;
• acupuncture;
• massage;
• electrical pulse stimulation of muscles;
• laser therapy;
• magnetotherapy.

They are usually carried out in a clinic or hospital, after which the patient can return home.

Folk remedies

Ginger is a popular home remedy for treating knee pain caused by worn-out cartilage. Its effectiveness is due to the presence of anti-inflammatory compounds.

• Grind a small piece of fresh ginger, add one glass of water and cook for 10 minutes.
• Strain and add a little honey and lemon juice to the broth.
• Drink two to three cups of this ginger infusion daily until the pain goes away.
• You can also massage your sore knee with ginger oil two or three times a day.

Restore synovial fluid

Olive oil is a good source of lubricin. It is a protein that improves the ability of synovial fluid to protect the surrounding cartilage and serves as a lubricant.

A regular dose of olive oil promotes the regeneration of synovial fluid. Since drinking olive oil every day will be difficult even to maintain healthy joints, it is enough to use olive oil to dress a salad or any dish.

Osteochondrosis is considered a problem of the century, along with varicose veins. The disease is familiar to many; methods of combating the disease are popular. Serious illnesses should not be treated at home. Only a doctor can prescribe the correct treatment, so it is recommended to make an appointment.

Features of the drugs

Medicines are divided into:

• correctors of bone tissue metabolism;
• correctors of cartilage tissue metabolism;
• combination drugs.

Similar medications are prescribed for osteochondrosis and metabolic bone diseases, including:

• osteoporosis;
• hypercalcemia;
• hypoparathyroidism.

Medications:

1. Slows down the destruction of bone tissue;
2. Stimulate the formation of the matrix of cartilage and bone tissue;
3. They replenish and replace the deficiency of joint fluid.

Corrective drugs

Correctors of bone and cartilage tissue metabolism:

• chondroprotectors;
• glucosamine;
• chondroitin sulfates;
• sodium fluoride;
• dihydrotachysterol.

For osteochondrosis, doctors prescribe chondroprotectors. The products contain substances important for tissues - glucosamine, chondroitin. There are products in mono format and combined combinations. Doctors recommend paying attention to combined chondroprotectors, which are considered effective.

Forms of release of corrector drugs:

1. Injections;

Medicines should be taken for a long time, as prescribed by a doctor. It is not worth prescribing for yourself, on the advice of friends. Such treatment will not bring results. The duration of treatment is individual.

For osteochondrosis of the spine:

1. Protect cartilage from destruction;
2. Regenerate tissue under the influence of connective tissue synthesis;
3. Relieves the inflammatory process;
4. Anesthetize the problem area;
5. Reduce the dosage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Chondroprotectors have contraindications and restrictions for use:

• Kidney diseases;
• Liver disorders;
• Hypersensitivity to drugs;
• Pregnancy;
• Lactation period;
• Age less than 15 years.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is the “building material” of cartilage and ligaments. These are amino sugars that are not spent on energy production by the body, but are used to form the necessary tissues:

• cartilage;
• tendons;
• ligaments;
• heart valves;
• joint fluid;
• hair;
• nails

It is important that the body has enough substance. With a deficiency, connective tissue is not produced. Therefore, doctors prescribe drugs containing glucosamine in the treatment of osteochondrosis:

1. Elbona (solution for injection intramuscularly);
2. Chondroxide Maximum (in the form of 8% cream);
3. Dona (tablets for oral administration).

Chondroitin

Chondroitin protects and nourishes cartilage and ligaments from injury. These are proteoglycans - high molecular weight polysaccharides. Thanks to chondroitin sulfate, cartilage retains water inside, which contributes to shock absorption during movement. Action of chondroitin:

• shock absorption when walking;
• anti-inflammatory effect;
• analgesic effect;
• increased flexibility of the spine;
• improving vertebral mobility.

The drugs have a beneficial effect on the body, restore damage, and affect the cardiovascular system. Medicines are given:

1. Chondroxide (tablets, solution for injection intramuscularly);
2. Chondroxide Forte (cream);
3. Chondroguard (solution for injections);
4. Chondrolone, Artradol (in the form of lyophilisate);
5. Chondroitin sulfate, sodium sulfate (tablets, ointment);
6. Mucosat (solution for injections);
7. Chondroitin gel, AKOS, ARTRA (capsules).

It is better to take chondroitin with glucosamine. They are prescribed in different preparations, but in one course, sometimes combined drugs are prescribed. Combinations – capsules Teraflex, Teraflex Advance, Artra. By working together, the substances enhance each other’s effects and the effectiveness of treatment increases.

The article was written for general educational development. To establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment, ALWAYS consult a doctor

Hello, friends! Let's continue the topic of cartilage damage. We will look at hyaline cartilage injuries and try to answer questions injury prevention And cartilage restoration, how to treat and restore joint cartilage.

Hyaline cartilage covers the touching heads of our bones in a joint and can become damaged very easily. To prevent this from happening, nature provides a complex and unique structure. Considering all the features of this structure, if you treat your joints correctly, their service life is enormous. Unfortunately, cartilage has a very limited potential for regeneration (self-healing).

If an injury occurs and the cartilage is damaged, cracked, or exfoliated, then it is restored in this case due to the supply of blood and nutrients from the bone. It is on this property that the operation is based. But the newly formed restored tissue already consists of. This fabric does not contain enough . This tissue is not suitable for performing the functions of hyaline cartilage; it is less reliable, not as strong, smooth and elastic than the original one. But it is better to have at least such tissue in the form of a patch on the cartilage than to have nothing.

My point is that in such a situation with the restoration of cartilage, especially if there is already damage or if surgery has been performed on the cartilage, you need to think about what to do to strengthen the cartilage tissue, push for natural restoration and protect yourself from subsequent damage and joint diseases, the likelihood of which, unfortunately, increases many times over.

Nutrition and restoration of joint cartilage tissue

Be that as it may, these are living tissues, so in any case they consist of living cells that are born, live, feed, reproduce and die. Cartilage cannot be nourished like all other cells of our body, due to the nutrients that the blood brings to them. Cartilage does not have capillaries. This is understandable: no vessels can withstand the loads experienced by the cartilage of the knee joint; they will simply burst immediately. There are no nerve endings there, otherwise every step we take would be accompanied by severe pain. But you need to eat. The cartilage tissue of the joints is nourished by osmosis. Quite a difficult phenomenon to explain. Therefore, I will write this: nutrients approach the joint, there they are taken and dissolved in the fluid produced by special cells, and the synovial fluid, entering the joint, constantly mixing and renewing there, absorbing into the cartilage fibers, nourishes them with the necessary substances and takes away decay and waste products . And so that the entire process described is most effective The following conditions must be met:

The synovial fluid should be fairly thin.

This point, in principle, should be clear to everyone and does not require much discussion. In order for the synovial fluid to be liquid, it is needed. You need to determine your daily intake of clean water (30 ml x your weight) and drink it. Something can only be diluted with water. I met people who said that their joints were cracking, but when they started drinking more water, the crunching stopped. It's as simple as that, and he may have prevented injury and cartilage destruction. True, you need to be careful here: crunching without pain or discomfort can be natural for the joints. If the crunch goes away after warming up and exercises, everything is fine; if it is accompanied by pain, see a doctor. The same goes for blood. Only water can “thin” the blood, nothing else. Aspirin or other drugs with a similar effect can prevent the thickening of blood cells for a certain time, but time will pass and everything will return. In addition, only sufficiently liquid blood can quickly and easily deliver nutrients and oxygen through vessels and capillaries to the most remote corners of our body and to the joints. I think it is clear that the consumption of clean water is one of the main conditions for the restoration of cartilage tissue. If you do not accept this simple condition, the rest will be useless.

Synovial fluid should be in sufficient quantity,with its deficiency, the contacting parts of the jointwill put more pressure on each other and collapse.

This indicator in a normal, uninjured joint also depends on the amount of water consumed and other nutrients needed by the body and, in particular, by special cells located on the surface. If these conditions are met, the body will produce as much fluid as necessary.

If we take the condition after surgery (during surgery, the internal environment of the joint is washed), then in order to replenish the composition of the fluid and protect the cartilage, the doctor prescribes drugs - the main component of synovial fluid and the intercellular substance of cartilage tissue. These drugs are also called "synovial fluid prostheses". Their main function is to retain water in the knee joint. They are expensive. The cost depends on various factors, as well as the degree of processing. Some drugs are injected into the joint after operations and for prophylaxis during heavy sports activities, others - for degenerative diseases of the joints and cartilage. The degree of viscosity of the drug determines how long it can remain in the joint cavity and replenish the lack of its own synovial fluid. belong to the group. This is the topic of a separate article and we will definitely talk about it. Here I will say that hyaluronic acid preparations are beneficial for the joint and the whole body, one minus is that introduction into the joint (even a simple injection) is a violation of its environment and the likelihood of infection. And each person’s joint can react differently. You have to be careful with this. Hyaluronic acid preparations can also be in the form of additives (dry matter). Just like other drugs of the chondroprotective group, their effectiveness has not been precisely determined and is controversial. So, drink water.

– a group of medicines and biologically active food additives intended to maintain and restore cartilage tissue.

The joint must constantly renew and mix the intra-articular fluid, and this can only be achieved through the mechanical work of the joint, its flexion and extension.

Here, too, everything is clear: standing water is a swamp and a breeding ground for everything bad. A new portion of liquid with nutrients should be mixed with the old one and enrich it. If there are not enough movements, then enrichment does not occur and the cartilage has nothing to feed on, its cells starve and die, and there is no talk of restoration at all. After surgery on the cartilage, doctors forbid standing on the leg to allow it to heal; putting pressure on it during this period is dangerous. But it is precisely during this period, when you cannot stand on your leg, that you need to move your leg even more and make flexion and extension movements, constantly mixing the fluid of the knee joint. Carefully, controlling movements, up to the pain threshold.

Synovial fluid should be rich in composition, those. contain in the required quantity all the necessary nutrients for cartilage tissue cells. Cartilage tissue takes the necessary microelements and vitamins only from synovial fluid.

First let me remind you that our body is a complex interconnected system. And this system, as it was invented, requires standard substances: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, enzymes, fiber, and. For us everything is quite simple. It is necessary to consume all this in the right quantities, and the body itself will figure out: where, why and what to send it. What will go to the heart, what to the bones, what to the joints. This entire article could be boiled down to a couple of phrases: drink water, eat well and move - you don’t need to know anything else. But who will read it then? And will you believe it so easily? We need evidence, arguments, etc. So let's continue.

In each of my articles about the various components of a joint, I focused on their composition. The compositions of ligaments, cartilage, menisci and synovial fluid were analyzed. This means that in order for all this to live and be restored, it must be given to him in the required quantity. So it turned out that for the joint, in addition to the standard set of nutrients, you need:

• specific substances glycosaminoglycans (this includes) ,

In fact, the body produces all this itself if it has enough of what to produce it from. But modern science and medicine believe that it would be a good idea to directly give him these substances. And then everyone will be fine: the body will not waste time and effort to produce these substances, and their sufficient quantity and even excess will ensure effective restoration (in this case of cartilage). Well, let’s believe science and for now accept the fact that in order to maintain and restore cartilage tissue and the joint itself, we need good nutrition and these substances in the form of nutritional supplements.

In other articles we will analyze each of these substances: which ones, how much, for whom and how to choose and how to take and whether to take.

For effective regeneration of cartilage tissue,It is necessary to maintain a high level of chondrocytes - the main cartilage cells of the tissue.

The issues of restoration of cartilage tissue and the production of necessary compounds and substances are dealt with chondrocytes.

Chondrocytes, by their nature, do not differ from other cells in terms of development and regeneration; their metabolic rate is quite high. But the problem is that there are very few of these same chondrocytes. In articular cartilage, the number of chondrocytes is only 2-3% of the mass of the cartilage. Therefore, the restoration of cartilage tissue is so limited.

In order for the cartilage of the knee joint to recover, it is necessary achieve high numbers and activity of chondrocyte cells. We only need complete nutrition, which they can receive through synovial fluid and through physical activity.

And there is one more thing that should not be forgotten. Let me remind you that in the joint, under the influence of various reasons (internal and external), processes of destruction and restoration constantly occur. And our task is maintaining a balance between factors that damage articular cartilage and factors that promote its protection and regeneration. In case of injury or after surgery on cartilage, the task becomes more complicated: it is necessary to achieve restoration of cartilage tissue faster than it is destroyed. And they deal with issues of restoration in our body hormones. Hormones speed up metabolic processes. Under the influence of hormones, muscle tissue is restored after stress and damage, bone tissue, ligaments and tendons are strengthened. Hormones also take part in the process of cartilage restoration. Or rather, as modern science believes, one hormone - insulin-like growth factor hormone (IGF). It is he who is able to cause division of chondrocytes. The amount of this hormone in the blood directly depends on the intensity of training and load. The more intense and frequent it is, the more hormone there is and the more intense the process of cartilage restoration. We will definitely return to this issue. Let's consider artificial and natural analogues of this hormone. I also have experience in this.

The joint must constantly move, otherwise the synovial fluid will not be able to effectively penetrate the cartilage tissue and carry nutrients there. Thus, the vital activity and restoration of cartilagealmost entirely depends on our physical activity.

Well, I won’t be original: movement is life, or rather, life is movement. And even more specifically: the life of a joint is... Let's not take injuries into account. Why do joints get sick and cartilage deteriorate?

A man is born. As a child, he constantly runs, jumps, explores the world, and does not sit still. Study begins: we sit down at the table and reduce physical activity, but we are saved by metabolism and a strong, growing young body, with great recovery potential. We get older, sit on a chair for a longer period of time, then get into the car and go home, but growth already stops, the processes of metabolism, regeneration and recovery slow down due to natural reasons; in joints, destruction processes begin to prevail over restoration. The cartilage is destroyed.

Don’t you think that the right way out is to start running and jumping right now, when your body and joints need it most? Please note that this scheme can be applied to any part of our body.

I have extensive experience communicating with rehabilitation doctors. I have a lot of programs and exercises, both my own and those found somewhere. I'll sort them out and give them to you someday. But that's not the main thing. If you have an injury, or you have already experienced knee surgery, there are specialists who will give you their recommendations. In this case, you cannot do without consulting a doctor and you need to listen to him. If you are an athlete, then your task, on the contrary, is to control the load and listen carefully to your body. Gradually you will feel when you can move on to the next step and increase the load on the injured limb. The main thing is not to force things, gradually, smoothly increase the load and return to the previous level.

I want to give some advice to those who go to work, live the ordinary life of a city dweller, but understand the need to change something in their lives and are trying to come to a more active and healthy lifestyle. I assume that otherwise you would not be reading this blog.

Let’s move away from exercises and complexes, no one will do them all the time, but I also can’t give you a way to heal your joints without doing anything in a week. Sorry.

I also work in an office, I also sit on a chair at the computer all day, but now I’m at home. True, there is quite a lot of active activity in my life: I do high-intensity training for two to three hours, three to four times a week. But if we put this aside, there are no differences. What am I doing?

Firstly, I highly recommend adding sports and hobbies to your life, if you haven’t already. This will enrich life, make it brighter and richer. You will feel that you are different from many in that you can do something that others cannot. You will be proud of yourself and your body (and it will be so, the body will not go anywhere, it will be forced to tone up in order to match your activity). You won’t sluggishly trudge home, thinking: “Now eat, then watch TV and sleep. There are still two days until the weekend.” Goals and plans will appear.

You came to the office, sat down on a chair and began to work. How to proceed?

After a certain amount of time (an hour or two), and so several times a day, you need to:

- Take your eyes off the monitor. Close your eyes with the inner ribs of your palms, apply light pressure and perform rotational movements for 10-20 seconds. And continue to sit with your eyes closed for another 20-30 seconds.

— Then get up and slowly walk to the cooler (the source of quenching the thirst of an office worker).

— Pour a glass of water.

- Slowly drink water and at the same time, without rotating your head, look with your eyes in different directions in your office (up and down, right and left).

“After that, you can go out into the corridor, walk around and return to your place.

- Don't sit down right away. If you are very busy and don’t have time, then pick up your documents and continue reading while standing (as one of the options).

- At the same time, rise and fall on your toes several times.

- Rotate your body several times in different directions.

— Without stopping looking at the documents or the monitor, bend down and stretch your lower back, do several bends (you must keep your back straight).

- Are you tired? You can sit down and continue working.

- Now let's move on to the legs. They're not busy, are they?

— You can do leg exercises as often as you want. Stretch, spread, strain the leg muscles, press the pedal (work with the foot), and at the same time the knee joint will make small movements. Perform these exercises alternately and with both legs together. You can even dance tango under the table with your feet. Nobody sees.

In my opinion, it's simple. If you wish, you can easily diversify this set of exercises. Please note that I do not give either the number of times or the number of approaches: just do as many as you see fit. This is better than just sitting in one place all day without moving.

And after work, you can go to training or the gym, yoga, horse riding, shooting at a shooting range, dancing, martial arts, wushu, ballet, etc. and so on. Well, don’t forget about your loved ones, dates, cinema, theater, walks.

If you already have problems with cartilage, you cannot forget about it. But you shouldn’t completely limit yourself in everything and think about it constantly. Change your life a little, add more exercise, consume the necessary substances, eat well and move on with your life. And all this will only diversify and enrich life, make it healthier and longer. There is no need to justify yourself and say: “I don’t have time. I'm busy (busy). We have to get things done."

I usually give this example. Imagine a smart, workaholic scientist. He sits day and night, writes, opens, works, does not see the white light, forgets not only to move, but even to drink and eat. A little more and he will finally invent a perpetual motion machine or prove how to defeat an incurable disease. They support him and are waiting for results. And then bam, the body can’t stand it. Stroke. I wonder why? The man dies. His works were never completed, the disease was not defeated, and the perpetual motion machine was not invented. Everything he did was unnecessary: ​​the result was never achieved. But there wasn’t enough time, as usually happens, just a little bit. Like this. And it’s one thing if our scientist is 90 years old. What if 50? He did not have time and ruined himself, and we did not receive a great discovery or healing.

Let's move on to the issue of returning to active activity after injury. Usually, after operations on knee joints and cartilage, doctors say something like: “By the way, chess is also a sport.” The phrase is deadly, especially if there were some plans, hopes and goals. For professional athletes this is generally scary. For us, ordinary people who also do something, it also hurts to hear this.

Firstly, it must be said that ordinary doctors prohibit everything, so if you play sports and have an injury, you need to contact sports doctors who deal with sports injuries. There the situation and opinions will not be so categorical. I remember once at the clinic I went to the gastroenterologist and complained that sometimes heartburn occurred, there was such a period. I was forbidden to do everything: bending, bending, pumping my abs, etc. So, how do you like it? By the way, as soon as I started drinking more water, the problem with heartburn disappeared. My trainer tells me the same thing about the doctor.

Secondly, the main advice is to take a gradual, deliberate approach to your studies. Both rehabilitation, after injury, and basic, related to your sport. The loads should be consistent, gradually becoming more difficult. If you feel pain, it means that this is your limit for now. You can't overcome the pain. Trust your body, it will tell you and you will feel like you can do more.

Another question that deserves a separate article is psychological state after injury. This is what worries me personally the most right now. Here, too, the only way is consistency and slowness. The body was able to do something more, and the brain will gradually understand it. So, step by step, step by step, you will return to your previous life and stress. Of course, anything can happen and there are injuries that you need to come to terms with and accept, reconsider your life and previous activities. But let's not think about it. Positive thoughts and attitude play a huge and often decisive role in any human activity.

Non-hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs

Now, as for the tablets, the so-called anti-inflammatory painkillers non-hormonal drugs. It has long been proven that such tablets have a negative effect on the cartilage tissue of the joint and gradually destroy it. Destruction occurs both under the influence of the chemicals themselves and the fact that by taking painkillers and not feeling a pain signal from the knee, you load it, thereby provoking even greater mechanical destruction. These drugs can be used occasionally, in moments of acute intolerable pain. Then it's justified. And as soon as the opportunity arises, you need to quickly go to the doctor for examination and find out the reasons.

The same applies to injections of similar drugs into the joints. This also includes hormonal drugs. Only as a last resort, when the doctor has accurately determined that the benefit will be higher than the harm from such an injection, only then is the use of such means justified. This may be an infectious infection or a severe, persistent inflammatory process.

Folk remedies for treating cartilage and joints

As you understand, this question, especially when it comes to traumatic injuries, is completely irrelevant. I think that on the Internet you can always find a large number of folk remedies for relieving pain and treating joints. But you must understand that any tincture, wrapping the knee in a cabbage leaf or rubbing an injured joint with burdock decoction will not solve the problems. These remedies are good later, when you know the causes of the pain, and when the doctors have done everything they could. They will help relieve slight swelling, cool, warm, and reduce weather pain that occurs in the damaged joint. Folk remedies can replace expensive creams from pharmacies, designed to warm up the joint and thereby increase the flow of additional nutrients to the sore spot. These are very valuable remedies invented by nature, but you need to know when to take them and hope for their effect. I am also against all chemistry and pills that heal and cripple at the same time. That is why, when choosing products and supplements for myself, I am guided by their natural origin and the absence of side effects.

That's all. I think it’s time to finish and not burden you with any more information.

I'll make a small announcement. I feel that the time has come to write a whole series of articles about various substances and supplements that are necessary both for the entire body and for our joints. Gradually, step by step, I will try to sort it all out and give it to you. So subscribe to the blog, read and apply.

If you have any questions, write and comment. But do not forget about some of the principles that are given in the article about. I am not a doctor, but as a person who has suffered and experienced a lot, as they say, “in the know,” I can quite help with questions that doctors usually do not answer.

All the best, don't get sick!

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Various pathologies in the functioning of blood vessels are the cause of most serious diseases. Most often, elderly people suffer from this, whose vessel walls are no longer so elastic, and many arteries are clogged with toxins. But now, even at a young age, many people experience various vascular disorders. And in many cases they cause headaches, tachycardia and fatigue. They can help cope with these problems. They are designed to restore tone and reduce the risk of blood clots and improve the general condition of the patient.

Symptoms of vascular disorders

To maintain overall health, it is very important that the blood vessels work correctly. This means that their walls must be permeable and elastic. For normal blood circulation, the vessels must have the ability to narrow or expand in time. If they lose elasticity, their walls thicken and become fragile, this can lead to blood clots or a stroke. At the initial stage of vascular disease, the patient usually experiences the following symptoms:

Frequent headaches;

Dizziness;

- “Nootropil” improves blood microcirculation in the brain. It does not dilate blood vessels, but restores damaged brain tissue.

Such drugs are used not only by sick people. They are often drunk if there is a need to improve memory, learning ability, when overworked and in extreme situations. And vegetative-vascular drugs, which include piracetam or aminalon, are successfully used in the treatment of dystonia.

Migraine medications

This fairly common disease, which brings suffering to millions of people, also occurs due to vascular dysfunction. But the usual ones are not suitable for its treatment, because the attack is accompanied not only by vasospasm, but also by their sharp dilation. Therefore, in addition to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and painkillers, you need to use special drugs for migraine:

- “Avamigran” effectively relieves migraine-like pain due to cerebrovascular accidents.

Drugs from the group of serotonin hormone antagonists counteract the sharp dilation of blood vessels: “Imigran”, “Zomig”, “Maxalt” and others.