A close-up view of a person's wrist and hand that is experiencing pain.

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in San Diego, CA, reveal that proteins called “FoxO” are key for joint health. By boosting the levels of these FoxO proteins, they believe that it might be possible to treat osteoarthritis (OA), or even stop the disease from developing, reports Medical News Today. Do you currently suffer from osteoarthritis? Learn treatment protocols you can benefit from today.

 

What Is Osteoarthritis?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It affects more than 30 million Americans. The Arthritis Foundation explains that osteoarthritis is a condition of the body’s joints where the cartilage between the joints breaks down over time. Cartilage is a cushioning substance surrounding the joints that allows bones to move around without grinding on one another. This makes movements pain-free. However, if someone has osteoarthritis, they will have chronic pain, stiffness, inflammation, joint pain and more because the cartilage is wearing away and the bones are grinding.

 

Causes and Risk Factors

There are risk factors for osteoarthritis that you should be aware of. This type of arthritis is also known as “degenerative disc disease”. Essentially, it means that it is a degenerative condition that happens as a person ages. However, women tend to develop osteoarthritis more often than men do, and their risk for developing the disease is much higher after age 50. This is one reason why it’s so important for women to make sure they supplement their diet with adequate calcium. A prime time to do this is in between ages 20 and 30, when the body is taking up a lot of calcium for the bones.

 

You are also at risk if you have or have had joint injuries in the past. Runners can develop osteoarthritis because they can overuse their legs and knees over time. Repetitive activities—especially competitive or strenuous ones—can cause extra stress on a joint. Excess weight and obesity also add extra stress to the joints, which is why so many people are left with knee pain. Something you can’t really avoid is the genetic aspect of osteoarthritis. If you have family members that have this disease, you are much more likely to develop it, as it tends to run in families.

 

A screen showing a close-up of a person's bones on an x-ray and a person with knee pain in the background.

Have Scientists Uncovered a Way to Prevent It?

We mentioned FoxO proteins earlier on. The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) found that certain proteins—called FoxO—proteins are the ones that maintain healthy cells, specifically in your joint cartilage. Those proteins control how your genes are expressed, and if they will express themselves to maintain joint health or not. They believe that if they boost the expression of FoxO proteins, that they can make the body express commands that seek to keep the joints healthy. If done successfully, a medicine that is effective at controlling FoxO proteins could eventually prevent osteoarthritis.

 

However, as of yet, there is not a way to completely prevent the condition. What you can do if you are at risk is work with a chiropractic rehabilitation center to make sure your weight is healthy and that your blood sugars are controlled. High blood sugar and certain chronic conditions like diabetes increase your risk for OA. Frequent injuries to your joints also increase your risk for OA by 7 times, so avoid injuries as much as possible and do chiropractic physical therapy to heal your injured joints.

 

If you carry extra weight, get on a customized plan to lose weight through healthy eating and exercising. This will not only reduce your OA symptoms, but your risk for many chronic conditions. Some over-the-counter pain relievers are effective at combating arthritis pain. Getting proper nutrition (especially calcium) can help your joint health and strength at home.

 

Treatments for Osteoarthritis

Tips for osteoarthritis prevention only goes so far if you have already developed the condition. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to live with your symptoms, especially chronic pain. There are treatments that can slow down the progression of various types of arthritis so your joints don’t deteriorate at a fast rate. There are also treatments to help keep your joints strong and your range-of-motion intact.

 

A great way to control pain is anti-inflammatory injections. These are generally injections of cortisone or similar solutions. These injections are great because they provide gentle lubrication for the joints. With lubrication, the joints won’t grind as much or break down as quickly. Keeping up on injections can provide soothing relief for people that are in chronic pain and can help them live years longer without terrible symptoms.

 

A man experiencing knee pain.

Stem Cell Therapy

Regenerative therapy is similar to anti-inflammatory injections, except this treatment involves the use of stem cells to boost your body’s ability to heal the degenerating part of your body. Stem cells are neutral cells that everyone is born with, and they are responsible for most of your body’s healing after injuries happen. These neutral cells can be injected from other parts of your own body or can be received from donor sources. The injection of many stem cells into a knee or other joint saddled with osteoarthritis can help boost the joint’s ability to heal and regenerate. Many patients have found soothing relief and even tissue regeneration by using stem cell therapy.

 

We don’t only treat arthritis cases at our clinic. There are many reasons for knee pain and joint problems. Arthritis is the most common cause, but injuries, compressed nerves and even posture can cause knee and leg pain. If you have arthritis, or your knees ache, are stiff, pop or it hurts to walk, stand, or use stairs, there is a treatment that can help you. To have your evaluation and to get started on a custom plan, call Spine Correction Center of the Rockies today at (970) 658-5115!