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A Depressing Approach to Joint Health

by Dr. David Williams

Published 04/30/09

No discussion on the "Care and Maintenance of Joints" would be complete without mentioning cortisone. For someone with joint pain and limited mobility, cortisone injections are often presented as the solution. They are not the solution.

Cortisone works by suppressing and blocking the normal response of your immune system. A cortisone injection will often instantly relieve the pain and enable the return of almost normal joint mobility. Unfortunately, the relief will be only short-lived-and when the body's warning system (pain, discomfort, limited motion, et cetera) is shut down, it's easy to cause additional damage to the area without knowing it. After a few series of injections, the subsequent buildup of adhesions, scar tissue, and damage often leaves surgery and/or joint replacement as the only options. Most people aren't told this when they start cortisone treatment. They also aren't told it could very well be the trigger that ends your life.

Cortisone depresses the immune system. That's how it works. It doesn't matter if you use it topically, orally, or by injection. It stops pain, inflammation, swelling, itching, and a long list of other symptoms simply by blocking the normal response of your immune system.

It's well known that cancer cells are formed in everyone throughout our lives. Luckily, our immune system is able to recognize most of these abnormalities and destroy them before they become major problems. We also know that before a cancer is discovered, it has often been present in the body for years, if not decades, in a suppressed or somewhat dormant state. In large part, we also have our immune system to thank for keeping it dormant.

What do you think happens when you suppress an immune system that has been keeping a form of cancer, viral infection, or other pathogen in check for years? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. It's like opening Pandora's Box. If you want to see what's been lurking inside your body all these years, just knock your immune system out or weaken it with drugs like cortisone. Then sit back and see what happens.

It might not spring up overnight. In fact, you might not see the effects for a year or two (or even longer). But suppressing your immune system is serious business, and not an action you should take lightly. It is particularly dangerous if you've ever had cancer and are currently in remission. It's proven that dormant tumors can quickly re-awaken during times of increased physical or emotional stress, both of which weaken the response of your immune system. Cortisone is not the answer for joint problems.

There will be a day when repairing and renewing joint surfaces will be a safe and very easy procedure. In the not-too-distant future, I truly believe that we'll be able to inject stem cells into a joint and miraculously watch the formation of a new layer of cartilage (if not in the U.S., then in other countries). I don't have any idea how far away that day will be, nor the cost. For now, we have joint replacement surgery, which has undoubtedly come a long way and improved the lives of thousands. Personally, however, I'd prefer to avoid both of these procedures if possible.