Knee Pain: Drugs and surgery can be part of the problem!
Noel Peterson, N.D.
Ads on TV, radio, and in magazines and newspapers all feature the sweet smiles of arthritic actors freed from the jaws of their pain by the wonders of modern drugs. Even doctors have been seduced by these multibillion-dollar advertising blitzes, and often prescribe NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin) or injected cortisone to control pain. When these are not enough, they perform arthroscopic surgery.
But according to recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the British Medical Journal, none of these treatments really work! In fact, they often do more harm than good.
What about NSAIDs for pain?
Multiple studies have concluded that NSAIDs and COX2 drugs (like Celebrex) offer no significant pain control but do cause serious side effects. In fact, NSAIDS cause as many deaths as leukemia every year. The British Medical Journal (11/30/04) reported on an analysis of 23 randomized trials of NSAIDs, including drug company sponsored studies, in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. They found only a temporary, short term 15% reduction in pain, and no improvement in function in 7,807 patients, even at the highest (and most dangerous) doses. Due to the risks and the lack of demonstrated benefit, these investigators recommend against long-term use of NSAIDs for OA.
If drugs don’t help, then what about surgery?
What if I told you that arthroscopic knee surgery has no measurable benefit in OA of the knee? Well, it’s true. The definitive double-blind study on surgery for OA of the knee was performed by Dr. J. Bruce Moseley and his team at Baylor College of Medicine and published July 11, 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Moseley studied a total of 180 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee that were randomly assigned to receive arthroscopic débridement, arthroscopic lavage, or placebo surgery. Outcomes were assessed at multiple points over a 24-month period with the use of five self-reported scores — three on scales for pain and two on scales for function — and one objective test of walking and stair climbing. At no time in the 2-year follow-up did either of the intervention groups report less pain or better function than the placebo group. Moseley concluded that “the outcomes after arthroscopic lavage or arthroscopic débridement were no better than those after a placebo procedure”.
What causes Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee?
OA is caused by the gradual wear and tear of joint cartilage. OA happens whenever the joint’s ability to repair itself is outpaced by the rate of joint injury. When the conditions are right, OA of the knee can happen at any age and any level of activity. I treat teenage patients with OA, and patients in their 80’s who are free of OA.
The “SAD” Diet.
The excess intake of sugar, saturated fats, and nutrient depleted fast foods is known as the Standard American Diet- “SAD” for short. This diet actually turns on our internal inflammatory cycle, and causes the release of pro-inflammatory compounds within our joints. Think about it: Your child just played a hard game of soccer, and now the team celebrates at McDonalds or Dairy Queen, consuming the very foods that turn on the inflammatory cycle! The “SAD” diet is deficient in nutrients and can cause the loss of the bone underlying our cartilage. When the joint’s foundation crumbles, the cartilage is weakened and wears more quickly.
Weak muscles = weak joints.
To be stable, a joint requires strong muscles for support. When muscles are weak the joint is lax and moves in a sloppy manner, enhancing friction and wear. When the muscles support the joint, it glides smoothly and cleanly. Even so, strong muscles are no match for the “SAD” diet.
What can you do about knee pain?
With prolotherapy injections, a proliferative solution of dextrose, procaine and Glucosamine sulfate can be injected directly into the knee joint. This has been shown to tighten lax ligaments, stabilize the hypermobile joint, promote the growth of new cartilage, and relieve pain. Even partial tears of the ACL and the meniscus have been shown to improve with prolotherapy injections and proper nutrition.
Don’t ignore pain.
If not treated properly, trauma and osteoarthritis can set in motion ever advancing degenerative changes in the knee.The sooner you get definitive help, the better. Don’t let mild degeneration get worse beyond the point of no return. No mater what your age, we can help you recover function and vanquish pain with our cost-effective osteoarthritis protocol that provides specific nutrition, focused exercises, physical therapy and joint-building Prolotherapy injections.
For more articles on prolotherapy, and for more scientific references on this and other subjects, visit our web site: www.MyCTM.org, or visit www.GetProlo.com, www.aaomed.org (the American Academy of Orthopedic Medicine), www.injectiontx.org, www.prolotherapy.org