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Joint Efforts Pay Large Dividends

by Dr. David Williams

Published 03/05/09

As we get older, one of the most common complaints seems to be joint pain. I was recently reminded of that fact when I used rather poor form while lifting weights a few weeks ago. The resulting inflammation in my elbow has put a damper on my exercise program for the last several weeks. With additional nutritional support, DMSO, and a more careful routine, my elbow has improved considerably, and I'm almost back to normal. The whole event, however, brought home just how difficult everyday activities can become when you have to deal with joint pain and/or inflammation.

If there were an owner's manual for your body, I'm sure that "The Care and Maintenance of Joints" would be one of the major sections. Unfortunately, most people don't know that you can take specific steps to protect your joints from damage and the arthritis that develops as a consequence. We've been led to believe that an old injury or just advancing aging will ultimately lead to arthritic joints, and that the only two options available are taking pain medication for life or replacing the joint with an artificial one through surgery. I'm sure it would surprise a lot of people to learn that they have other options that not only help prevent arthritis but, in many cases, actually restore damaged joint surfaces and reduce the pain, inflammation, and decreased range of motion.

Joints are unique structures that receive a considerable amount of "wear and tear" throughout a lifetime. And, in all honesty, if you live long enough, work hard enough, and play hard enough, you will probably have to deal with some degree of joint damage sometime in your life. 

Many of the problems with joints stem from the fact that the cartilage surfaces that make up joints have little, if any, direct blood supply. It helps if you visualize this cartilage as being similar to a sponge. It gets most of its nutrients for repair from the fluid within the joint capsule itself (synovial fluid). As the joint is moved throughout its range of motion, the "sponge" is compressed and released. This compressing action helps "squeeze" out waste material from the living cartilage cells. And, just as a sponge sucks in water, when pressure on the cartilage is released nutrients are then "pulled" into the cartilage cells. 

Since the survival of every cell of the cartilage surface depends on this regular exchange of waste material and nutrients, moving each joint through its full range of motion daily is one of the first steps for keeping it healthy.

The synovial fluid also provides the lubrication and shock absorption for your joints. It contains a couple of compounds called hyaluronic acid and lubricin.

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