Traumavet - 30ml

MUSCLE AND JOINT INJURY

By: Articles by a Naturopathic Doctor and a Holistic Nutritionist

Recovery from joint and muscle injury can be a long process. But with the correct supplements & massage or chiropractic treatment, you can be back on track in no time flat...

Your cartilage acts as a living shock absorber that cushions and protects your bones from damage during the daily stresses of living, working, and playing. But, unfortunately due to age or even injury, the human body is sometimes unable to regenerate damaged soft tissue fast enough to keep your cartilage, ligaments, and tendons supple and flexible.

The result can be pain and swelling. The pain and swelling we know as arthritis occurs when these supporting tissues degenerate, allowing bone to rub against bone, which as anyone who has osteoarthritis will tell you, causes pain.

Muscles and joints can become injured whenever the body is in motion. It often occurs when doing strenuous or repetitive activities, like sports or working on an assembly line. Sprains refer to damage to a tendon or ligament. Tendons hold bone and muscle together. Ligaments hold bones together. Sprains cause sharp pain and rapid swelling of the area. Strains refer to overworking a muscle. It causes muscle cramps, localized pain during movement, swelling and loss of mobility. Another joint injury is bursitis, a swelling of the fluid-filled sac inside the joint. It usually causes localized pain on movement of the joint and swelling.

MAINTAINING JOINT HEALTH WITH GLUCOSAMINE

When scientists first began studying glucosamine and chondroitin in the 1970s, they were amazed that no only did the subjects experience less pain, but also - and more importantly- their formerly degenerating cartilage had begun to repair itself. When they took a closer look at the way glucosamine and chondroitin were actually working to reduce pain and repair cartilage, they found that both of them were extremely important for normal joint health.

They found that glucosamine and chondroitin are both building blocks for the molecules that make up tendons, ligaments, bones, and synovial fluid. They also supply a very important molecule called "proteo-glycans", a substance in joint cartilage. The problem they found was that with age, the ability to regenerate and restore joint structure begins to fail, often due to a decrease in the natural production of glucosamine sulfate in the body. This deficiency causes the production of new joint and connective tissue to slow, causing it to both weaken. The result is pain and stiffness.

A deficiency in either glucosamine or chondroitin may lead to osteoarthritis, which is a break down of joint structure that manifests itself as stiffness (especially after periods of rest), creaking and cracking joints, as well as pain.
In osteoarthritis, the cartilage that covers the surfaces of bones in the joints becomes damaged, which allows bone to rub directly against bone. The synovial fluid eventually becomes thinner, which reduces its ability to cushion impact. Glucosamine makes healthy synovial fluid thick and gelatinous. Without it, your ligaments and tendons would fray, and your cartilage would degenerate.

Though glucosamine may take several months to bring relief from pain, some may have results in as little as a month. In any case, the results are worth the wait. When studies show that prescription arthritis drugs and antinflammatories can actually contribute to the further degeneration of connective tissue, glucosamine and chondroitin offer a safe and effective natural alternative.