A gel injected into lame horses to relieve joint pain may help relieve osteoarthritis pain in humans.
A water-based gel called arthrosamide has been used for over a decade to treat wear and tear on the horse’s leg joints. The treatment is now distributed to patients awaiting knee replacement surgery.
Tests on people with arthritis showed that most pain relief came within days or weeks of the injection, and the benefits lasted for at least a year.
About nine million people in the UK have osteoarthritis, in which the protective cartilage of a joint breaks down, meaning bone rubs against bone, causing inflammation, pain and eventually problems moving the joint.
The main cause is aging because joints are subject to wear and tear. Other risk factors include being overweight, a family history of osteoarthritis, and sports injuries.
Patients often need anti-inflammatory pain relievers, but these can cause stomach upset with prolonged use.
Steroid injections can also reduce inflammation, but there is a risk of a cortisone flare-up where the injected steroid (cortisone) crystallizes in the joint and causes further inflammation.
Around 100,000 people in the UK need knee replacement surgery, but one in five patients report poor recovery.
Horse gel was developed to cushion joints where cartilage has worn away. It has been shown that 80 percent of lame horses are once again able to move freely.
Because the knee joints of horses and humans are quite similar, scientists from the Danish company Contura, which developed the gel, decided to try the injection in people with arthritis as well.
It is composed of 97.5 percent water and 2.5 percent polyacrylamide, a strong and durable plastic that can withstand a lot of force.
After a local anesthetic is given to the patient’s knee, the gel is injected into the joint, where it cushions the bones and prevents them from rubbing against each other, reducing inflammation and pain.
Patients often need anti-inflammatory pain relievers, but these can damage the stomach with long-term use.
The manufacturer claims to provide long-lasting pain relief as the gel is not absorbed or broken down by the body and will stay in place for months or maybe years.
The Journal of Orthopedic Research and Therapy reported last year that results from a study of 49 patients with knee osteoarthritis at Copenhagen University Hospital found that the majority of cases experienced significant pain relief over 70% from a single injection of gel lasting at least a year. showed. .
The most common side effects are mild to moderate pain at the injection site and mild swelling around the knee joint over the next few weeks.
The treatment, which is currently in a larger clinical trial phase, is not yet available on the NHS but is being implemented in some private clinics in the UK.
The gel therapy looks promising, but larger studies are needed to confirm its benefits, said Philip Conaghan, professor of musculoskeletal medicine at the University of Leeds.
“The data on arthrosamide is very interesting, but we need to see the results of better designed clinical trials to understand whether it will be an option for people with osteoarthritis pain,” he said.
Meanwhile, a study suggested that taking regular mud baths can relieve knee osteoarthritis pain. Researchers at La Sapienza University in Rome pooled data from 21 previous studies and found that mud baths improved mobility and reduced pain, according to a report in the journal La Clinica Terapeutica.
The heat produced by immersion in thick mud is believed to help dilate blood vessels in the knee, improve blood flow in the joint, and relieve inflammation.
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Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
