Looking back over time, the top medical treatment for knee osteoarthritis was an injection of corticosteroids. Then a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that among patients with knee osteoarthritis, an injection of a corticosteroid every three months over two years resulted in significantly greater cartilage volume loss and no significant difference in knee pain compared to patients who received a placebo injection. Timothy E. McAlindon, D.M., M.P.H., of Tufts Medical Center, Boston, and colleagues randomly assigned 140 patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis with features of synovitis to injections in the joint with corticosteroid (70 patients) or saline (70 patients) every 12 weeks for two years. The researchers found that injections with cortisone resulted in significantly greater cartilage volume loss than did saline and no significant difference on measures of pain. The saline group had three treatment-related adverse events compared with five in the cortisone group.(1)
‘Tucker’s Top 5’ recommendations for knee pain and cartilage loss.
Item number 1 and 2 can be purchased now and you can get started at home. Item 3-4 are in office procedures and the 5th action item is awareness exercise.
Phyto-Zol serum. This is a natural topical serum that needs to be rubbed into the knee 3 times per day. This is a natural anti-inflammatory and pain reliever.
Collagen is one of your body’s most common — and essential — building blocks. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, and the nutrient that holds your whole body together. You need collagen – particularly Type II collagen – to make bones, muscle, skin and tendons, and together it forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure. Collagen is also essential for making knee cartilage.
Shockwave (Focused pulse wave method). As we age, the cartilage and blood vessels in the knee break down. Blood flow is critical for cartilage rejuvenation. My protocol uses focused shockwave and PEMF waves to stimulate existing blood vessels to stimulate growth of new blood vessels and repair. The results improve blood flow that improves cartilage growth.
Laser light therapy helps with cartilage healing and repair. As the body progresses through the stages of inflammation, proliferation, remodeling and maturation, laser therapy presents the opportunity to impact each of these phases in positive and beneficial ways. Laser can provide cartilage tissue added blood flow and pain reduction.
Create ‘spaciousness’ in the knee joint. This is an awareness technique I teach my patients. The concept is to visualize and feel like you are creating space in the joint. The cue is to be taller. This takes some practice, but rather than compressing the joint while you are exercising, lying in bed, sitting in a chair or while driving, you are self-elongating the knee joint space.
1 From the JAMA news department, May 16, 2017
This combination of therapy promotes cartilage growth, and works to act as an anti-inflammatory.
In my biohacking practice, I have developed techniques that go head to head against or compliment Stem Cell Therapy and PRP for musculoskeletal disorders. Stem cell or PRP injections are still very expensive and invasive. Phyto Zol serum, OrthoMolecular Collagen, Shockwave/PEMF therapy, Laser therapy and exercise is definitely worth trying for 3 months to see if you can repair your own collagen, bone, and cartilage. In my practice I see patients rejuvenate joints and repair poor postures that was continuing to hurt over time. Biohackers look for ways and believe that we do have the ability to “turn on” our intuitive healing processes.