Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting anywhere from 30 to 50 million Americans. It is a disease that is due to disordered metabolism in cartilage, the gristle that caps the ends of long bones within a joint. The disordered metabolism leads to a cycle of cartilage deterioration accompanied by inflammation within the joint capsule leading to more deterioration of cartilage.
The primary symptoms associated with OA are pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is a disease for which there are no revolutionary biologic therapies that are available to put it into remission. No treatments prevent osteoarthritis or reverse or block the disease process once it begins.
Current treatments relieve only the symptoms. Researchers are looking for drugs that can prevent, slow down, or reverse joint damage. One antibiotic drug, doxycycline, may stop certain enzymes from damaging cartilage. The drug has had mixed reviews in clinical trials, but more studies are needed.
Researchers are also studying growth factors or other natural chemical messengers. These potential medicines may be able to stimulate cartilage growth or repair.
Acupuncture has received a lot of press recently. In acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into the skin at various points on the body.
Scientists think that the needles stimulate the release of natural, pain-relieving chemicals produced by the brain or the nervous system. Findings suggest that traditional Chinese acupuncture is effective in some patients as an additional therapy for osteoarthritis, reducing pain and improving function. Still? acupuncture is a symptomatic therapy and is not designed to reverse or slow down cartilage loss.
Anesthetic patches containing lidocaine are currently being studied as an adjunctive treatment for the pain of OA. Preliminary studies look promising.
Nutritional supplements are often reported as helpful in treating osteoarthritis.
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are components of normal cartilage. Scientific studies on these two nutritional supplements have come up with conflicting conclusions. Most European studies have demonstrated that this combination of nutritional supplements is effective not only for pain relief but also apparently slows down the rate of cartilage deterioration. However, a recent clinical trial conducted by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at NIH failed to demonstrate any benefit in patients with mild OA but did appear to show that there was some possible benefit for patients with moderate OA.
There is interest in the role of vitamins for OA. Apparently, progression of the disease appears to be less in patients with high levels of vitamin D or C intake. More studies are needed to confirm these reports.
Injecting hyaluronic acid into the knee joint provides long-term pain relief for some people with osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of cartilage and joint fluid. It lubricates and absorbs shock in the joint. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a number of these types of preparations (also called viscosupplements) for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee if they do not get relief from exercise, physical therapy, or simple analgesics. Researchers are studying whether hyaluronic acid can slow down the progression of osteoarthritis.
Tissue Engineering is a technology that involves removing cells from the body and replacing them to improve certain body functions. There are three major types of tissue engineering for use in treating osteoarthritis.
? Enzyme engineering. Certain body chemicals called enzymes may help cartilage to break down. Scientists are working to genetically engineer cells that would inhibit these enzymes and prevent the damage they cause. Cells are removed from the body, genetically changed, and then injected back into the affected joint. They protect the joint from damaging enzymes.
? Cartilage cell replacement. Researchers remove cartilage cells from the patient's own joint, clone or grow new cells using tissue culture and other laboratory techniques, and inject the newly grown cells into the patient's joint. The cells are kept in place with a biodegradable mesh. Patients with cartilage cell replacement have decreased osteoarthritis symptoms. Actual cartilage repair is limited, however. The procedure is also arduous in that the patient must go at limited weight-bearing for six months.
? Stem cell transplantation. Stem cells are primitive cells that can transform into other kinds of cells, such as muscle or bone cells. They are usually taken from bone marrow. Researchers are able to insert stem cells into cartilage where they make new cartilage. If successful, this process could be used to repair damaged cartilage and avoid the need for surgical joint replacements with metal or plastics.
? Platelet rich plasma grafting techniques are attracting interest. The patient has 20 cc's of blood drawn and the blood is spun down in a centrifuge. The layer containing platelets (a type of blood cell) is selectively removed. The cartilage in the joint is then ?teased? to bleed using a special needle. Stem cells may be inserted and then the platelet rich plasma, which contains an abundant amount of growth factors is added. Cartilage cells are stimulated to grow. The attraction of this approach is that the procedure is not nearly as invasive as cartilage cell transplantation and the patient does not have to go at extreme limited weight-bearing.
The first reason is the "Brick Wall". Often if we make an attempt or several attempts at achieving a goal, we can hit what they call, a Brick Wall. That is often the main reason for failed goals. Too many failed attempts at reaching for a specific goal will stop us from reaching again. To overcome this, write down all the times you attempted a goal and why it failed. By identifying the causes, and by bringing them into your consciousness, as opposed to having them lie dormant and a hidden hindrance, you can then analyse the past reasons of failed attempts and start to think laterally about how to retry and this time achieve them.
The second reason is the "Unrecognised Goal". Yes, sounds simple enough. But when we have too many unacknowledged goals in our past, we lose sight of our innate ability of great achievement. Our subconscious finally gives up. What we have to do is list all of our past goals THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED and make a big deal about it. Yes, pat yourself on the back, go out and celebrate each achievement, acknowledge yourself for work well done. When I finally did this, my whole world turned around. And now, every time I achieve a goal - no matter how small - I make sure I congratulate myself in some way. Reward yourself, make it a real celebration. It works! Our subconscious fine-tuning needs this subtle but extremely important ongoing support.
ESTABLISHING A GOAL
To set a goal, it must have all of the following attributes to be successfully achieved:
1. It must be inspirational. This is probably the most important of all. The goal had to be inspirational to us, not someone else - but to us alone. It must make us leap for joy at the thought of achieving it. Make our hearts race at the mere thought of it. The more inspirational the goal is to us, the more easily we will achieve it.
2. It must be achievable and realistic. Although it is great to stretch our imagination a little, if the goal is subconsciously too unachievable or outside our mental boundaries of reality, we are less likely to attain what we want.
3. It must be specific. If the goal is vague or has no timelines, it lacks the motivational force for our subconscious to follow it through. A goal should always be quantified in terms of what, why, how, and especially when.
4. It must be measurable. If our goal is measurable, it enhances our ability to create feedback mechanisms to monitor, control and correct the process of achieving it.
5. It should be long-term. Yes, long-term rather than short term goals are better to achieve. Sorry to disappoint you, but the long-term goal, as unenthusiastic as that may sound, has the most meaning and most benefit to us. Short term goals, whilst easier to achieve, have a short term fulfilment effect. It's like a quick shot, a bubble that bursts too soon and in the long term, when we tire of the quick fixes, we give up on our real long-term aspirations.
CREATING YOUR GOALS
First of all, write down all your goals for the coming year. If they are long term or may take a few steps to achieve, break them down into Action Steps - smaller, more easily attainable actions with specific dates, and list how they can be measured so you know when you have achieved them.
Secondly, give them a purpose. A wise man once said, "For every goal there must be a purpose, the higher the purpose the more likely you will achieve it". When we give our goals a higher purpose, we automatically feel more motivated in striving towards it. For example, if you want to achieve a certain weight goal, your higher purpose could be better health and improved fitness that will make you more able and confident to achieve better work opportunities.
And finally, but most importantly, write down your 'ideal scene'. Your Ideal Scene should describe the final outcome of your goal and demonstrate when you are on target. This ideal scene is one of the most critical steps in achieving goals because it provides your subconscious with a picture to attain.
Both Nathan Wei & Ann Marosy are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Nathan Wei has sinced written about articles on various topics from Arthritis Pain, Health and Arthritis Signs. Nathan Wei, MD FACP FACR is a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. For more info:. Nathan Wei's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.
Ann Marosy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Personal Finance, Medicine and Personal Finance. Ann Marosy is an accountant, consultant, and former university lecturer. She was formally a Financial Controller of a Fortune 500 Company, and Finalist of SA Executive Woman of the Year. Ann is the author of 'The Money Program' book series, which includes. Ann Marosy's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.