Knee osteoarthritis is a relatively common joint disease. The occurrence of knee osteoarthritis has some relation to the aging of our bodies. After 40 years old, with age, it gradually worsens and lasts for life. Among people over 60 years old, about 3/4 show signs of knee osteoarthritis in X-ray examinations. Moreover, knee osteoarthritis also begins to appear in younger groups. So what factors cause this? Experts point out that the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis is mainly due to the degeneration and wear of knee cartilage, and female patients are more common.
**Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis**
**(1) Initial Stage:**
As a chronic joint disease, in the early stage of knee osteoarthritis, there may be no obvious symptoms or only mild symptoms. Generally, patients will feel stiffness or discomfort in the knee joint, which improves after slight movement. During intense activities, acute inflammation may occur, but with proper rest and timely treatment, the symptoms can be relieved. Therefore, many friends easily ignore the warning signals sent by the knee joint at this time.
**(2) Middle Stage:**
When knee osteoarthritis develops to the middle stage, patients may feel pain when getting up from a seated position, difficulty going up and down stairs, squatting, or standing up. They may need tools like handrails to help shift the force and reduce the burden on the knee joint. In addition to frequent knee clicking sounds, some knees may also become red and swollen. Some patients may have fluid accumulation in the knee joint, leading to synovitis or loose bodies in the joint cavity, seriously affecting knee joint mobility.
**(3) Late Stage:**
In the late stage of knee osteoarthritis, the patient's knee joint may deform, such as developing bowlegs (O-shaped legs), knock-knees (X-shaped legs), or knee flexion contractures. Some may need to use crutches to walk, and even some patients find it extremely difficult to take a single step.
**Treatment Methods for Knee Osteoarthritis**
As the saying goes, "Cartilage recovery, three parts treatment seven parts care." For knee osteoarthritis patients who want to recover soon, in addition to routine treatments, daily self-care and targeted exercises are also indispensable. Only through multi-faceted cooperation can the condition be alleviated, and even ultimately recovered.
In daily life, knee osteoarthritis patients should pay attention to:
(1) Control weight. Studies show that obesity is a significant risk factor for knee osteoarthritis.
(2) Pay attention to keeping warm. Coldness can easily induce or aggravate the condition of knee osteoarthritis, so keeping the knees warm is very important.
(3) Exercise moderately without engaging in strenuous activities. It is preferable that the knee joint does not feel pain. Activities like cycling, practicing Tai Chi, and swimming are good choices.
(4) Focus on nutrition and maintain a balanced diet. You can appropriately consume more foods rich in calcium, protein, and collagen, such as milk, soy products, kelp, and black fungus.
Of course, for mid-to-late-stage knee osteoarthritis patients, complementary treatment is also necessary. Currently, according to the severity of each individual's condition, conservative pain-relieving therapies, minimally invasive surgeries, and joint replacements are commonly used. For those with relatively mild symptoms, conservative pain-relieving therapies can alleviate their pain and allow them to return to normal life and work. However, for those with more severe conditions, minimally invasive surgery or even artificial joint replacement may be necessary. When considering these treatment methods, side effects and economic investment must be taken into account. More importantly, since knee osteoarthritis primarily affects the cartilage, these therapies cannot restore the cartilage and thus cannot fundamentally restore the patient’s health, which is undesirable for patients.
With the limitations and side effects of chemical drugs and surgical treatments becoming increasingly questioned, alternative medicine (Alternative Medicine) has emerged. This medical concept, which emphasizes the body's natural self-healing ability without harming health, has gained favor in many developed countries due to its unique advantages. Advanced countries like the United States and Japan have successively established similar institutions, making the trend of alternative medicine popular worldwide.
In the field of knee joint health, alternative medicine has made numerous breakthroughs, among which pure natural shark cartilage powder stands out. International renowned medical institutions such as Nippon Medical University, Showa University, and Doshisha Medical University, in collaboration with industry leader Baoshark Company, have studied shark cartilage powder. Their research shows that consuming 7.5g/day of pure natural shark cartilage powder could potentially lead to the re-splitting and growth of cartilage cells within half a year to one year. In other words, shark cartilage powder can achieve human cartilage regeneration! Nearly 20 years of clinical use have also confirmed this! Currently, using shark cartilage powder to treat knee osteoarthritis has become a new choice for knee osteoarthritis patients in developed countries such as Europe, America, and Japan! We also hope that this new medical concept can be popularized to benefit more knee osteoarthritis patients!
Original article link: 39 Health Network http://news.39.net/qydx/2012223/1979971.html