Arthritis: Tissue damage and Inflammation

By Dr. Gordon Chang, Ph.D.

 

Injuries to the joints and connective tissue can occur at any stage of life.  In younger years, sporting injuries are the cause of many joint and connective tissue injuries; and if serious may lead to arthritis later on in life.  As we grow older, the wear and tear of everyday life on our joints and environmental stresses (chemicals, diseases, contaminants) can also lead to arthritis. 

Arthritis is a disease of the joints and connective tissue.  It comes in many different forms, such as Rheumathoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia.  These different forms share several common features: inflammation of the joint, destruction of the joint tissue, and inflammation of the connective tissue.  Much of the breakdown of the joint tissue is caused by the inflammatory response and its byproducts.  During an inflammatory response white blood cells are attracted to the injured area where they then release their contents into the injured area.  The contents of these white blood cells include enzymes, free radicals, histamine and other compounds.  When the white blood cells release their contents into the site of injury it attracts more white blood cells and pretty soon you have a large influx of white blood cells releasing their contents into the injury site.  The contents of the white blood cells attack the injured tissue in an attempt to remove the injured tissue so that repair can occur.  However, the contents of the white blood cells also destroy healthy tissue.  If the inflammatory response is not controlled and stopped it can cause more damage than the original injury itself.  The products of the inflammatory response are also responsible for the pain.  Thus it is very important to control chronic inflammation to lessen the damage and also the pain experienced.

            There are many different herbs that have anti-inflammatory effects, of which I will only mention a few that have been studied.  Curcumin which is an extract of tumeric has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects as well as being a powerful anti-oxidant.  Curcumin is very safe and has no serious side effects except for the occasional intestinal upset seen in some individuals.  Yucca, Ginger and Cats Claw are herbs with anti-inflammatory properties; the latter two herbs are also recommended for intestinal upsets.

            In the treatment of arthritis many individuals use Glucosamine sulphate.  Glucosamine sulphate is a major component of crustacean shells (shrimp, crab, lobsters).  However, it does not have any inflammatory properties.  Glucosamine sulphate is used by the body as a raw ingredient in the manufacture of synovial fluid, cartilage, and connective tissue. 

Most glucosamine sold on the market contains a mixture of both D-Glucosamine and L-Glucosamine.  In the body all of the glucosamine exists as D-Glucosamine and thus the body will only incorporate D-Glucosamine into its tissue.  This means that your body only utilizes a fraction of the ingested glucosamine, the D-Glucosamine fraction.   Fortunately, there are several brands of glucosamine sulphate that use only D-Glucosamine sulphate.  Products containing D-Glucosamine sulphate will be much better utilized by the body.

            Chondroitin Sulphate is also used in the treatment of Arthritis.  There is much dispute as to the effectiveness of chondroitin sulphate because many studies have shown that only a small percentage is absorbed (less than 10%).  Chondroitin Sulphate must first be digested by the body and broken down into its components, galactosamine sulphate and glucaronic acid, before it can be absorbed.  Galactosamine is another form of glucosamine, in fact the body can convert glucosamine into galactosamine. 

            In conclusion, in any treatment of arthritis it is important to help control the inflammatory response in order to prevent further damage to the arthritic joint.