Nov 24, 2020
Can Activity Bolster Cartilage?
It may even delay arthritis and influence cartilage healing. Could running actually be good for your knees, hips, and back? Cartilage, which doesn’t have a blood supply of its own, is generally thought to not have the ability to repair itself once damaged. Yet, in real life, while some some runners will develop knee arthritis, as a cohort, runners are statistically less likely to experience arthritis of the knee, hip or back than non-runners. In recent studies, animals that ran had thicker, healthier cartilage than those that were sedentary, suggesting that the active animals’ cartilage had changed in response to running. Perhaps in humans, cartilage in runners likewise might adapt to repetitive loading cycles. Taking it a step further, you might presume that the cartilage will grow thicker and remodel just as muscle does when we exercise.
Looking at the possible pathways that cartilage uses to remodel and heal in adults with activity, might the explanation be biologics found in your bone marrow, adipose tissue, and plasma? Assume that you have addressed your joint and back pain with the usual and customary measures of Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Medications; weight reduction; Physical Therapy; as well as braces, orthotics and supports; and you still are experiencing symptoms and functional impairment. Next you have tried injections with hyaluronic acid or cortisone with diminishing return; in the latter case with potential damage to your cartilage. The underlying source for joint and back pain are molecules resulting from inflammation in those joints. These molecules are enzymatic proteins that generate pain and destroy the cartilage cells and tissues in the joint or disc space.
Activities That Can Help
Our bodies do produce defense mechanisms against destructive enzymes; but in order to be effective, these proteins and molecules must get into the joint or disc space in high concentrations. Cyclic loading by activities such as running or cycling is a mechanical mechanism by which your body’s growth factors, stem cells and the like are able to effect cartilage in a joint or intervertebral disc; think of it as a sponge like action of absorption. Another means of delivering the Growth Factor Protein and Stem Cell is via injection following my harvesting your platelets, plasma, circulating blood, adipose tissue or bone marrow; concentrating and filtering; and then injection into the arthritic joint or failing intervertebral disc. The injection of biologics may provide the necessary concentration of molecules to bind and remove destructive enzymes from you joints as well as initiate a healing process.
To learn more about Orthobiologics, visit my website at www.sheinkopmd.com. You may schedule an appointment by calling (312) 475-1893
Tags: Cartilage, cartilage regeneration, cell based therapies, cellular therapy, growth and repair
Jan 16, 2019
I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, so help me G_d. Injured cartilage in a skeletally mature adult typically doesn’t heal on its own; surgical techniques are needed in an attempt to repair and replace cartilage. These latter procedures are appropriate for specific cartilage injury, rather than the widespread cartilage changes found in the osteoarthritic joint. That is not to say that someday soon, we may have the ability to regenerate cartilage. Research is ongoing in regenerative medicine with continual progress as evidenced by preliminary success in spinal cord injured patients:
StemCyte gets FDA green light to continue studying spinal cord injury treatment stem cells.
Now for the bad news. In spite of false news generated by the charlatans, parasites, camp followers and hucksters in their Regenerative Medicine seminars, print media and television adds; there is no scientific evidence to support their claims of cartilage regeneration, hair restoration, cure of erectile dysfunction, so on and so forth.
Stem cell fraud? Couple says therapy gave them ‘false hope’
“Unfortunately, what I had hoped to be a hard-hitting expose turned into limp-noodle babbling. Another missed opportunity.” Continuing the commentary about regenerative medicine clinic charlatans and fraud started by NBC, when a patient showed me a brochure from yet another group that holds itself out to treat every abnormal medical condition from A to Z with “Stem Cells”, I suggested that he request data regarding their successes. Please bear in mind the self- contradicting adage that Always and Never statements are always false and never true. They are frequently used by people who suffer from personality disorders. On Friday he sent me the response to his inquiry regarding outcomes at a one of the national stem cell clinics.
“success rates per our clinical research network are VERY encouraging: Orthopedic: knee 83%, hip 80%, back (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral 80% ave., ED 77%, Cataracts 100%” Remember what I just wrote about Always and Never?
The good news though is that there is emerging scientific evidence to justify Joint Restoration with a cellular orthopedic procedure. While an image of an arthritic joint allows for identification of cartilage and meniscal changes, that same image will frequently be consistent with bone marrow edema, and thickening of the bone adjacent to a joint (subchondral sclerosis) as well as loose bodies within the joint. As cartilage does not have a nerve supply, the pain generation in Osteoarthritis more probable than not is the result of inflammation of the synovial joint lining and the subchondral bone. While there is no scientific means of re-growing cartilage after age 40 at this time-defects may be filled by surgery-orthopedic surgeons focusing on Cellular Orthopedics have developed methods to restore the joint function by blocking the pain generators, restoring healthy subchondral bone, and reversing bone marrow edema.
To schedule an Evidence Based Consultation, call (312) 475-1893
You may read my Blog and explore my published research articles on the website www.sheinkopmd.com
Tags: arthritis, bone marrow edema, cartilage regeneration, cellular orthopedic, Hip pain, inflammation, joint health, joint pain, knee pain, medicine, meniscus tear, Osteoarthritis, restoration, soft tissue repair, stem cell, stem cell injection, subchondral bone
