Degenerative Joint Disease
Osteoarthritis (or degenerative joint disease (DJD)) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly the entire elderly population. Osteoarthritis is described as a generally progressive loss of articular cartilage accompanied by sclerosis of subchondral bone and, in many instances, the formation of subchondral bone cysts and osteophytes. The osteophytes are the overgrowth of bone that make joints look big and are the abnormalities that physicians see on x-ray showing arthritis in the joints.
This decrease in cartilage and the overgrowth of bone causes the person with arthritis to have restrictions in motion, joint pain, crepitus with motion, joint effusions, and obvious joint deformities.
Warning signs: Soreness and aching in the joint and surrounding tissues generally accompanies development of osteoarthritis. A grating sensation is frequently heard with movement of the joint. Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in the knees, hips, spine, and ankles, as well as the shoulders and at old fracture sites that have occurred within joints. The latter is particularly true with ankle and wrist arthritis. This is because osteoarthritis forms anywhere that joint instability exists.
"Standard Treatments" The standard medical treatment for osteoarthritis involves the use of non- steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Unfortunately, however, it has been recently shown that these medications may actually promote further deterioration of the joint. Therefore, although these medications may be helpful in reducing pain, they may not be beneficial in the long run. At the minimum, everyone would concur that they do nothing to help the repair process of the soft tissue injury.
Things that may help at the health food store: Over the past several years additional information has accumulated in regards to the use of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and collagen II. These products are available without a prescription from health practitioners or the local health food stores. They have been shown to be effective in pill form or via injection. Glucosamine can be extremely helpful in reducing pain from osteoarthritis and can also help prevent further deterioration of the joint.
As good as some of the treatments are for pain; nothing comes close to the effectiveness of Prolotherapy. Prolotherapy is the only treatment that can stimulate the regrowth of the injured tissue. Prolotherapy can tighten the ligaments around a joint and can also be quite helpful in reducing joint pain immediately, through direct injection into the joint. Proper exercise can then be resumed in order to bring the strength and flexibility of the surrounding muscles to a normal level. The muscles then help to protect the joints from any further injury.
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
We all know where Carpal Tunnel Syndrome comes from: Pressure, damage, or repeated injury to the median nerve at the wrist. We all also know that wrist surgery has limited and widely varying degrees of success in treating it. Women are more likely to have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome because it has been linked to pregnancy, PMS, and menopause. Where typing at a keyboard is also a major factor, this one time realm of women office workers is now nearly equally shared by men as the number of computer related jobs increase among the male population.
Other factors for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome include rheumatoid arthritis, renal failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Unfortunately, many patients with elbow and hand pain have been misdiagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A typical Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patient will experience pain and numbness in the hand. Because most physicians do not know the referral pain patterns of ligaments, they do not realize that cervical vertebrae 4 and 5 and the annular ligament can refer pain to the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Ligament laxity can also cause numbness. Cervical and annular ligament laxity should always be evaluated prior to making a diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome should not be done until an evaluation is performed by a physician who understands the referral problems of ligaments and is experienced in Prolotherapy.
Seldom do patients find relief from "Carpal Tunnel" complaints of pain in the hand and elbow with physical therapy and surgery because the diagnosis is wrong. The most common reason for pain in the elbow referring pain to the hand is weakness in the annular ligament, not from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Several sessions of Prolotherapy will easily strengthen the annular ligament and relieve chronic elbow pain.
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