Taokinesis / Pixabay – Counter knee pain with herbal extracts.

Our cartilage helps our joints absorb the impact of movement. We don’t see many cases of osteoarthritis in the young. However, normal aging, obesity, trauma and other factors can create conditions resulting in osteoarthritis. We start to feel pain, see swelling, lose joint motion as the bone on bone friction continues.

We want something that relieves our pain and doesn’t create any side effects. Some herbal extracts work better than the leading arthritis prescription drugs. We might even wonder if there is a way to correct the loss of lost bone.

The urinary type II collagen C-telopeptide (uCTX-II) test determines the amount of cartilage breakdown in your body. Several human studies were done with different herbal extracts and the uCTX-II measured the results over periods of time.

The herbal extracts used in these studies were Chinese skullcap, cutch tree, and white mulberry. The combination of these three herbal extracts compared superior to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Aleve (naproxen sodium). Additionally, testing was done with glucosamine and chondroitin.

The three herbal extracts combined showed significant reductions in the uCTX-II levels. There were no statistical differences in the uCTX-II levels before and after twelve weeks of testing with Aleve, glucosamine and chondroitin. The scientists stated that the herbal extracts halted the progression of osteoarthritis. They also stated that early treatment may prevent future joint degradation.

Cartilage tissue does not have blood vessels. Therefore, it is difficult for them to repair themselves. As cartilage is attacked, inflammation increases. The herbal extracts inhibited the inflammation and slowed cartilage loss. They can do this because the combined flavonoid properties of these herbs are able to counter the COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes responsible for the inflammation.

If you are suffering from osteoarthritis, consult your doctor to see if supplementing with herbal extracts might be worth considering. There were no side effects reported during all the herbal extract tests that I studied.

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