Osteoarthritis
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Osteoarthritis
Also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD), osteoarthritis 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; (in our opinion) nothing comes close to the effectiveness of Prolotherapy. Prolotherapy 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.
TMJ Syndrome...
A commonly forgotten area in regards to headache and neck pain is the temporomandibular joint.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the physical connection where the jaw meets the skull. The TMJ is needed to keep the jaw in proper alignment, especially when talking and eating. A painful and clicking TMJ is called Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJS). TMJS symptoms are very similar to those of Barre-Lieou Syndrome. The symptoms, such as dizziness and vertigo, that physicians ascribe to the TMJS, may actually be due to Barre-Lieou Syndrome.
It is well-known that there is a relationship between head posture and jaw position. This can easily be shown by a person putting the head in proper alignment. This position will be comfortable if the lower jaw is back. If the lower jaw is forced forward while the neck and head are in the position, tension is felt in the hack of the neck.
Typically in TMJS the lower jaw (mandible) is extended forward. A head forward posture exaggerates the problem. This forward mandible aggravates the cervical ligament laxity which increases the neck pain. Again an endless cycle of pain and disability is created in the neck, head, and face region. Prolotherapy injections to strengthen both the cervical vertebrae and the temporomandibular joint will solve this problem.
Eventually the mandible moves forward to the extent that it will stretch the lateral TMJ ligament and produce pain. Once the lateral TMJ ligament becomes lax the joint will click. It is important to note that clicking in any joint is an indication of ligament laxity of that joint. Joint clicking is never normal or a good sign. Joint clicking, whether it is in the TMJ, knee, neck, or lower back is always abnormal. It is a sign that the bones are beginning to rub against each other. The body's compensatory mechanism for such a situation is to tighten muscles and to grow more bone. The end result will be degeneration, arthritis, and stiffness in that joint. Prolotherapy can stop this process. Prolotherapy will stop a joint from clicking and stop the arthritic process from continuing.
Another reason why a patient may have a lax TMJ ligament is a person's sleeping position. For example, if a patient sleeps with his or her head turned to the right, the TMJ on the left side wilt be continually stretched throughout the night. Over many decades, continually sleeping in this manner, puts the left TMJ at risk for TMJ ligament laxity. The person with a TMJ problem is advised to sleep with the head turned to the side of the problematic TMJ.
Treatment of TMJ Syndrome
Louis Schultz, M.D., an oral surgeon, reported in 1956 that, after 20 years of experience in treating hypermobile temporomandibular joints with Prolotherapy, the clicking, grating, or popping was controlled in all of the several thousand patients that had been under his care, without any reported complications or deleterious effects. Dr. Schultz wrote, "various types of treatment used in the past (for TMJ Syndrome) and still employed by some operators appear to he unsatisfactory. Surgery is one." One problem with surgery is the resultant scars. Anywhere surgery is done, scar tissue will form. Again, as in all chronic painful conditions, there are a myriad of treatment options. A treatment that includes a surgeon's knife should be reserved until all conservative treatment options have been exhausted.
Prolotherapy solution in TMJ is very simple. One to two cc's of a mixture of 25 percent Dextrose, 20 percent Sarapin, and 0.4 percent Lidocaine is injected into and around the temporomandibular joint(s). The patient is placed on a soft diet until the mouth is able to fully open. The TMJ Prolotherapy injections cause an awkward bite and a tight jaw for a couple of days. The patient should not force the mouth open during this time period.
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