Natural Healthcare and Osteoarthritis
Draft copy. Last update: 7/7/21.
Nutrition
Nutrient-dense foods providing high levels of essential nutrients -- nutrients required for the health and normal functioning of the human body, including promotion of healthy joint cartilage and joint cartilage regeneration:
Nutrients
Nutrients, promote healthy joint cartilage and joint cartilage regeneration
- Niacinamide (a form of Niacin, Vitamin B3) shown on x-rays and MRIs to regenerate cartilage. Initially documented in 1949 in studies, and also documented recently, in a repeat of the studies.
- The #1 nutrient: Vitamin C, how it helps regenerate cartilage, and its many other functions
- The #2 nutrient: Vitamin D, and it's many health benefits
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional supplements, healthy joint cartilage and joint cartilage regeneration
- Nutritional supplements and nutrition information for osteoarthritis by a top naturopathic doctor, Michael Murray, ND
- Pentosan: Nutritional supplement shown to help regenerate joint cartilage
- Silica for healthy cartilage (Natural Factors Joint Optimizer, Biosilusa.com, Biosilonyourgame.com)
- Additional nutrition for joint health and bone support, including glucosamine sulfate and condroitin sulfate
Books on Nutrition, Natural Healthcare and Osteoarthritis
Ethical Stem Cells and Osteoarthritis
Utilizing ethical stem cells and other natural regeneration factors taken from bone marrow, blood and even body fat as highly effective, cost effective alternatives to reconstructive joint surgery
- Stem cell therapies are current being used to heal major burns within a few days (leaving essentially no scarring).
- Stem Cells vs. Knee Replacement Surgery for treating Knee Arthritis: Which option is more effective, comparison of each therapy, effectiveness for pain reduction, regenerating joint cartilage vs. replacing joint cartilage. "Stem cells are the repairmen of the body. They act to stimulate the natural healing systems of our bodies, rather than adding foreign objects to replace worn-out joints." Graph of the average percentage improvements over time with stem cells. 7/10 stem cell patients reported noticeable improvements in their symptoms and pain. A second stem cell procedure later can provide significant additional relief. Very few side effects with stem cells, vs. significant side effects (including 17,500 serous complications, including 5,000 deaths, in 2008) with knee replacement surgery + much faster and much less painful recovery period.
- Stem Cell Cartilage Regeneration: What Every Patient With Joint Pain Should Know, Chris Centeno, MD (12/21/15)
- Patient Improvement Study Results for 1,825 Patients
- Pain and Joint Function Study Results for 1,482 Patients
- How Many Stem Cell Patients Later Pursue to Knee Replacement Surgery? (less than 5% vs. 2/3 of patients considering knee replacement before stem cells)
- Do Stem Cells Regenerate Cartilage in "Bone on Bone" Patients, or Do They Work A Different Way?, (over 1,700 studies document that yes, they can regenerate cartilage), Chris Centeno, MD (12/21/15)
- Patient (1): Always active, football, basketball, golf. Knee problems, several surgeries. Difficult to walk up hills and stairs. Two orthopedic surgeons recommended knee replacements. Didn't what that. Had background, grad school, in exercise physiology and biomechanics. Knew the problems that can come with knee surgery. Scar tissue, doesn't have blood vessels in it, hard to keep it flexible, lose range of motion. Looked for alternatives, had to be something. Thought: What did he have to lose? If doesn't work, can always go back and have his knee replaced. It worked, and it's awesome. Was skeptical, because of background. Had "bone on bone" in both knees. No surgery involved. All needles. The rehab was nonexistent - a 6 week thing. The results are remarkable. Pain went away. Can walk hills and stairs fine. Also cured his loose collateral ligament (which would slip every now and then). Stem cell doc said he could tighten it up, and patient really didn't believe that. Was thinking can't do that, from his physiological background. Doc used stem cells to build a bridge and thicken it. Shown on ultrasound. Filled in a gap caused by stretching of collateral ligament, and it tightened it. Made it stronger than it was before. Knee not slipping anymore. Works as an executive with an international medical company. Worked with doctors all his life. Had two friends try the procedure, both elated with the results. Other 10-11 people he told, went to their doctor, and their doctor said it won't work. Orthopedic surgeon will tell you not to do this. The doctor is making money, 20-36K per knee for knee replacement. For two knees = a lot of money. Doctor gets 50% of that money. Good docs, bad docs. Even good ones, still in it to make a living. Who would recommend taking away one's own job? It's not gonna happen. What do you have to lose? Few thousand dollars. Doesn't work, can go and have knees replaced. But, think you'll find out that stem cells are absolutely remarkable. Any problems in the future with any joints, going the stem cell route, because it works.
- Patient (2): 76 year old now exercising 1 hr per day (ice skating, skiing, biking) after stem cells, after being unable to workout due to joint pain (after arthroscopic surgery and physical therapy). Using stem cells to form new cartilage, ligament and tendon cells. Patient feels 30 years younger. Cost: 4-6K per knee, but there are also less expensive, effective therapies.
- Patient (3): From "no cartilage," bad knee, torn meniscus, surgery, and knee never been the same since, anything that really used the knee hurt, whole body ache, knee hurt all of the time ... to no sedative stem cell procedure (with stem cells from the patient's own body), no pain, running again, completed an Ironman Triathlon (2.4 mi. swim, 112 mile bike ride, then run a marathon -- 26.2 miles) in the same year. Some weeks, training 7-8 hours per day, and a lot of it was running. After stem cells, able to do everything. Can always have stem cells done a second time later for more benefits. Three orthopedic doctors all told the patient to get a knee replacement.
- Patient (4): 20 year old volleyball player, torn ACL in half, tore MCL, strained LCL (ligaments), and tore medial and lateral meniscus. Used NY Jets surgeon (even with the best surgeons, all surgeries have risks). Week later, 105 fever, in and out of consciousness, wanted to drain knee, had staff infection, concerned for her life and her leg at risk, stitches opened, bad, swollen infection, wasn't holding together. Tried to get fever down, took extraordinary measures to try to help her, almost died. Year later, two more surgeries. Tried to play volleyball again, knees swollen, another infection. Had severe bone on bone damage and cartilage damage. Seven surgeries. Couldn't walk for five minutes. Discussed a joint replacement option. Went to Gerard Malanga, MD, in New Jersey for stem cells (Regenexx) to try to regenerate the cartilage. Can I run again, squat again, play volleyball again??? Yes to all of them. It was not what she expected, because she was so used to things being so bad. Within four months, was sprinting on a tread mill (after being told by other doctors that she'd never run again), going at 11 miles per hour. 1.5 years later, can squat 225 lbs, and played volleyball again, which she never thought would be possible. Did it.
- Patient (5): Couldn't walk up stairs without pain. Ice, therapy, medication (3x/day for life -- not normal for the body, or healthy). Constantly felt lousy. Putting on weight. Cranky due to ongoing pain. Orthopedic surgeon recommended arthroscopic surgery. Two months: no pain relief, and got worse. Orthopedic surgeon: next step, insert gel. Felt like knee floating around, knees got worse. 5% active, where before, was 75-80% active. Orthopedic surgeon: next step, knee replacement surgery (pictures). Last thing wanted to do. Stem cell procedure changed his life. New Jersey Regenerative Medicine Clinic. In 1 month, off of pain medication completely. Working out within 6 weeks. Absolutely incredible. No limitations, and fully active.
- Patient (6): Bad pain climbing few stairs. Lots of pain getting up from kneeling. Don't mind having things fixed, but not replaced. Stem cell procedure: minimum pain, next day, riding his bike. Now, can get up from kneeling and doesn't feel anything. Hoping to be able to ski a long time with stem cells (5 mile hike up mountain, then ski down), thinks he'll be OK. Couldn't do before stem cells. Chris Centeno, MD, who pioneered the procedure in 2005, explains Regenexx stem cell procedures. Use your cells to try to heal your body. Allows patients to stay active as they get older, and sort of stay one step ahead of father time. The knee replacements don't last forever, and are still limited in what they can do.
- Patient (7): Active again in few weeks' time, and dancing again. Much less risk than knee replacement. How it works. The future of medicine.
- Patient (8): Avoiding knee replacement surgery, had meniscus surgery, physician observed no cartilage adhering. After surgery, knee was worse, stopped patient from doing anything, problems going down stairs, bending knee. After stem cells, feels fine. How the procedure is done. Using stem cells to heal a meniscus tear. Some relief within days and weeks. Exercising within few days to help the stem cells form new cartilage. Patient feeling great few days after the procedure. From trouble walking, and need to ice knee for hours, to walking down stairs three days after having the procedure. Procedure can be used in other joints too (such as hands, feet, shoulder rotator cuff tear). New cartilage clearly evident on before/after MRIs. Healing a 1 inch gap in a tendon in the rotator cuff, with a procedure that took 1 day to do, almost completely healed. Safe, effective procedures. (2012)
- Detailed video lecture on Stem Cells and the Knee, by Chris Centeno, MD, (2/18/17), and Speaking at the Vatican on Stem Cells for Knee Arthritis (8/16/12) (injections vs. surgery)
- Placebo effect of drugs vs. sugar pills and "placebo knee surgery" vs. actual knee surgery): the healing power of the brain.
- Stem cells as an Alternative to Knee Meniscus Surgery
- Interventional Orthopedics Isn’t Magic Pixie Dust - It’s Creative Disruption, Chris Centeno, MD, (3/9/17)
- 150 page report on Orthopedics 2.0: How Regenerative Medicine and Interventional Orthopedics Will Change Everything, by Chris Centeno, MD
- Can Stem Cells Help Knee Arthritis? (1/15/15)
- Chris Centeno, MD Twitter posts (for latest news) and regenexx.com.
- Dr. David Steenblock: http://personalized-regenerative-medicine.com, Ethical Stem Cells Now.
- Dr. Nathan Wei: Stem Cells and Plasma Rich Platelets. Tissue regeneration, renew and repair cartilage loss, repair damaged tendons and ligaments with stem cells vs. anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, rooster cone injections, physical therapy and joint replacement surgery (unsatisfactory treatments). How can we reverse the process of cartilage, tendon and ligament degeneration? Cuts heal. Mesenchymal stem cells can become any kind of tissue, and they are present in our bone marrow. So, any person at any age has these cells available. Seeds + fertile soil (platelet rich plasma [PRP], a component of blood, which contains many growth factors, and serves as sort of a soil) + a framework, or a matrix + a guided delivery system. How it works.
Drugs as a Cause of Joint Cartilage Degeneration, Lack of Regeneration
- NSAIDs Prevent Healing by Causing Stem Cells to Produce Defective Cartilage (Naprosyn Messes Up Cartilage), Chris Centeno, MD (6/29/16)
- The Acceleration of Articular Cartilage Degeneration in Osteoarthritis by Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs: Bayer Aspirin; Advil/Motrin, Ibuprofen; Aleve, Naproxen and others; and, possibly Tylenol, acetaminophen)
- Drug-induced depletion of nutrients known to be essential for human health and joint cartilage health and regeneration
- Books detailing the effects of drug-induced depletion of nutrients known to be essential for human health
Toxins as a Cause of Joint Cartilage Degeneration, Lack of Regeneration
- Toxins cause mitochondrial (cell energy center) dysfunction, and directly inhibit cartilage cells from functioning and regenerating
- Related must-read book: The Toxin Solution - How Hidden Poisons in the Air, Water, Food, and Products We Are Using are Destroying Our Health, and What We Can Do To Fix It (2)
Additional Information on Natural Healthcare and Osteoarthritis
- Getting the brain and body more actively involved in healing
- Additional info on stem cells and healing