A Shock Absorber to Help Knee Pain

Is there any similarity between a car and the human body? We do have one thing in common—the need for efficient shock absorbers.

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Cars provide a rough ride when worn-out shock absorbers fail to cushion the blows of a potholed road. And for thousands of patients, broken-down shock absorbers in the knee means there’s never a day free of debilitating pain. There is a way to ease this discomfort. It’s called “viscosupplementation,” or joint-fluid therapy. It’s one of the best-kept secrets of patients and many doctors. Osteoarthritis has become a major disability. More than 4 million people are affected with knee osteoarthritis in Canada. Most are in their prime career age 20 to 64. The World Health Organization claims that osteoarthritis is the fourth cause of disability in women and the eighth most important one for men. It’s because synovial fluid in the knee joint, which 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 painkillers. 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 been 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 of Durolane, given at the site of the pain, has been available for several years. It’s not a household word, but this is about to 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 therapy has a 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 requires only 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, 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, cartilage damage will occur earlier. Strengthening the quadriceps, the large muscle in the front of the upper thigh, helps 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, which is one of the main building blocks of cartilage. To manufacture it, you need adequate amounts of vitamin C. Injections of Durolane are done by rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, specialists in sports medicine, and other doctors trained in this procedure. For more information see the Web site [url=http://www.durolane.ca]http://www.durolane.ca[/url].