Dec 11, 2020
Natural therapies have been a valuable option for patients seeking alternative options to traditional medical treatments. These natural remedies can help relieve pain and stiffness associated with joint arthritis. It can also play an important role in one’s overall wellness.
Natural Ways to Reduce Joint Pain
Massage
Massage therapy has shown many health benefits for thousands of years. It can help improve flexibility, improve circulation, manage chronic pain, and improve rehabilitation. It can also promote overall well-being by reducing anxiety, promoting relaxation and improving sleep.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine which involves very thin small needles that are inserted through the skin at specific acupuncture points on the body. It is believed to stimulate the central nervous system, improve blood flow and activate the body’s natural painkillers. A meta-analysis study showed that acupuncture can not only improve chronic knee pain associated with osteoarthritis, it can also improve short and long term physical function.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that uses deep breathing, meditation and body postures. Several studies have shown significant reduction in pain and function with improved strength, balance and gait, when used as an adjunct in the management of arthritis.1 The psychological benefits of Yoga therapy have been shown in the published literature to help reduce blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety and many other benefits.
Exercise
Exercise keeps your joints flexible and improves the strength of supporting muscles. Low impact exercises such as walking, cycling, and aquatic therapy are great options for patients with joint arthritis. Working with a physical therapist or a personal trainer offers many benefits in addition to getting proper exercise. They can perform manual therapies, counsel on proper positioning and body movement and recommend assistive devices such as braces. Aquatic therapy, also known as pool therapy or water therapy, is an alternative option for those who can not perform land-based therapies with less risk of exacerbating their joint pain. The gravity reduced environment of water can allow for gentle movements to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance that is better tolerated by some.
It is important to maintain a regular home exercise routine to continue the benefits of exercise and maintain overall health.
Weight loss
Being overweight is a major risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis. Losing weight removes extra pounds of pressure on swollen, painful joints. Maintain a healthy weight by combining a balanced diet with regular physical activity.
Heat and Cold
Heat can relieve muscle and joint stiffness while cold can reduce inflammation, swelling and pain. These are easily available modalities that can help manage joint pain and reduce the need for pain medications .
Natural alternative arthritis treatments are generally safe and can be a good adjunct to standard medical treatments. Some do have scientific evidence to support their efficacy, however others need more research to evaluate their benefits. Patients can discuss these treatments with their doctor to determine if these are appropriate for their specific needs.
1 Ebnezar J, Nagarathna R, Yogitha B, Nagendra HR. Effect of integrated yoga therapy on pain, morning stiffness and anxiety in osteoarthritis of the knee joint: A randomized control study. Int J Yoga. 2012;5(1):28-36. doi:10.4103/0973-6131.91708
Nov 17, 2020
Turmeric, a spice from South Asia derived from the Curcuma longa root, has been used as a medicine for nearly 4000 years. Recent studies have shown that turmeric may help to relieve joint pain caused by arthritis because the active ingredient, curcumin, is now known to have anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has been shown to have similar efficacy to diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, with fewer side effects. Similar improvements in pain severity and function were seen with curcumin and diclofenac in a randomized, controlled clinical study of 139 patients with knee osteoarthritis. Nineteen patients in the diclofenac group (and none in the curcumin group) required anti-ulcer medications at 28 day followup [1].
Turmeric for Joint Pain Relief
Curcumin has also been shown to have a strong antioxidant capacity. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis were given the curcuminoid and were compared to a group that received a placebo for 6 weeks. [2] Researchers measured the levels of enzymes known to influence inflammation (e.g. superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA)). The treatment group showed significant changes in these enzymes suggesting that short-term supplementation with curcumin decreases oxidative stress.
Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low or high dose bio-optimized Curcuma longa in 150 patients with knee osteoarthritis measured serum biomarkers of cartilage degradation (sColl2-1). [3] The high dose extract showed a transient but non-significant decrease in the cartilage degradation biomarkers. Moreover, pain improvement in the low- and high-dose extracts was better than in the placebo group after 90 days of treatment.
The effects of topical curcumin 5% ointment on osteoarthritis knee pain in patients older than 70 years was studied in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial.[4] Subjects applied either the ointment or a placebo (Vaseline) twice a day for 6 weeks. The pain intensity was significantly lower in the group receiving the curcumin ointment than in the placebo group suggesting that this treatment may be considered for older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
[1] Shep D, Khanwelkar C, Gade P, Karad S. Safety and efficacy of curcumin versus diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized open-label parallel-arm study. Trial 2019; 20:214.
[2] Panahi Y, Alishiri GH, Parvin S, Sahebkar A. Mitigation of systemic oxidative stress by curcuminoids in osteoarthritis: results of a randomized controlled trial. J Dietary Suppl. 2016;13(2):209–20.
[3] Henrotin Y, Malaise M, Wittoek R, Vlam K, et al. Bio-optimized Curcuma longa extract is efficient on knee osteoarthritis pain: a double-blind multi center randomized placebo controlled three-arm study. Arthritis Research and Therapy 2019; 21, 179.
[4] Jamali N, Adib-Hajbaghery M, Soleimani A. The effect of curcumin ointment on knee pain in older adults with osteoarthritis: a randomized placebo trial. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2020, 20:305.
Sep 3, 2020
You may have seen stories in the news about the potential of cell therapy to treat severe cases of COVID-19. One story in particular mentioned positive results of an experimental study of stem cells with the patient mortality rate decreasing from 85 percent to 15 percent.[i] Stem cell therapy has been shown to have regenerative, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties. Although this patient sample was very small, this is yet another reminder that cell therapy has moved to the forefront of medicine.
Bone marrow transplantation for blood diseases has been in use for more than 40 years[ii], but more recently has been used to treat orthopedic injuries including joint degeneration and pain.
Why Do My Joints Hurt?
It is not uncommon to experience pain in the shoulders, elbows, knees or hips. Sometimes even the toe joints can hurt. Whether big or small, painful joints can make daily activities difficult and significantly impact your quality of life.
Pain in the joints may result from several different conditions. These include:
· Osteoarthritis: a condition that develops when the cartilage in the joints begins to break down. It often occurs as a result of trauma, aging, obesity or genetic factors.
· Tears or sprains to soft tissues surrounding the joint such as muscles, tendons and ligaments.
· Chronic inflammation due to autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
The good news is that cell therapies that use a patient’s own blood, bone marrow or adipose (fat tissue) have proven to be effective at treating joint pain without surgery or extended rehabilitation.
Fat Cells or Bone Marrow Cells?
Cell therapy is derived from two major sources of cells, adipose (fat) cells and bone marrow cells. Each can be easily obtained in the clinic, but the two offer different healing properties.
Adipose-derived cells are taken from the abdomen, flank or thighs. These cells can repair and replace damaged or injured tissue. The specialized healing cells are called pericytes and they direct other cells to form new blood vessels, awaken stem cells and stimulate the growth of new tissues such as cartilage, bone and tendon. They also secrete powerful anti-inflammatory and pain relieving molecules.
Bone marrow cells can be used for injury recovery and more rapid healing. That’s because bone marrow contains cells that have the ability to improve circulation, decrease inflammation and regenerate healthy tendons, ligaments and cartilage.
How Effective is Cell Based Therapy?
Like all medical treatments, outcomes are significantly impacted by several factors, including:
· The extent of the damage being treated.
· The patient’s overall health prior to the procedure.
· How the orthobiologics are prepared for treatment.
· For many patients, however, using adipose and bone marrow cells to treat orthopedic injuries is highly effective and does not present many of the risks associated with traditional invasive surgery.
The procedure is performed on an out-patient basis in the physician’s office. Most patients require only a single treatment and many are able to resume their normal activities within days.
San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group is one of only six clinics in the U.S. to participate in a first-of- its-kind FDA-approved clinical trial to treat knee osteoarthritis using a patient’s own fat-derived stem cells.
Drs. Christopher Rogers and Mary Ambach of San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group were chosen based on their extensive experience with cell therapy to treat orthopedic conditions.
Sources:
[i] News – Medical: Study: Cellular Therapy Can Improve Severe Cases of COVID-19
[ii] Hopkins Medicine: Research: Cell Therapy
