Cartilage Wear

Do you care about the condition of your joints? Then it’s worth looking into the origins of even milder symptoms. If your joints are often sore and stiff, if they need time to settle after prolonged rest, you may be affected by cartilage degeneration. If the problem is left untreated, you may develop severe pain and limited mobility over time. However, a combination of medical treatment and lifestyle changes can work wonders and even the most severe pain can be relieved. What are the causes and symptoms of cartilage degeneration? How can it be diagnosed and treated? Read our article to find out!

What is the role of cartilage in movement? Cartilage covers the ends of the bones that make up joints, and its job is to make sure that the bones don’t rub against each other when they move. The cartilage layer is the result of a continuous process of breaking down and building up. If this balance is upset (and there are many reasons for this) and the breakdown processes become predominant, the cartilage layer begins to wear away. This can affect several joints in the body. When cartilage wears away and bones rub against each other during movement, it causes very severe pain.

Causes of cartilage degeneration

In the case of primary cartilage degeneration, it is not possible to know what caused the lesion, but in the case of secondary cartilage degeneration, we know the cause or causes. From this, we present some of the more common factors that can contribute to the development of the lesion. Often a combination of factors leads to cartilage degeneration.

• Injuries: The cartilages are quite strong, but they can be damaged by minor or major accidents. And a single injury to cartilage makes joints more fragile and sensitive, and cartilage degeneration often develops as a result.
• Overweight: The extra pounds put a lot of strain on the joints and can also cause cartilage degeneration. And it’s not just extreme obesity that can cause problems! Even just 5 kg of excess weight increases the incidence of knee cartilage degeneration by almost 40%. It’s worth losing the extra pounds, and it’s good to know that slow weight loss is healthier than fast! It is advisable to seek the advice of a dietician to lose weight.
• Overload: It is not only one-off major injuries that can lead to cartilage degeneration, but also a multitude of microtraumas. This is common, for example, in competitive athletes, but it also occurs in amateur sportsmen and women who regularly overload themselves or use incorrect techniques when playing sports. Years or decades of physical work can also be a direct route to cartilage degeneration.
• Genetics: Cartilage degeneration is also a function of hereditary factors, there is not much that can be done about it, it is worth avoiding those risk factors that can be (such as being overweight, overwork).
• Age: As the years go by, the surface of the cartilage wears away without damage, so as the years go by, the chances of developing cartilage degeneration increase. The condition really starts to become more common after the age of 50, and after the age of 70, most people have to deal with it – with minor or major pains in their daily lives.
• Diabetes: People with type 2 diabetes are more likely to have cartilage degeneration. It should be noted, however, that this is not due to diabetes itself, but to obesity, which is a risk factor for both diabetes and cartilage degeneration.

Types of cartilage degeneration

The types of lesion are differentiated according to the joint affected. Learn about the characteristics of each type of cartilage degeneration:

• Knee: The knee is under a lot of strain: it bears our weight with every step we take, so it’s no wonder that it is very often affected by cartilage degeneration. When the lesion first appears, we initially notice that our knees hurt when we exert ourselves, for example when squatting or jogging, and over time we notice that they hurt when we walk. And in the morning, when you get out of bed, the knee joint is stiffer and it is harder to move.
• Hand: in the hand , cartilage degeneration most commonly occurs in the joints between the knuckle and the knuckle below, which in severe cases can lead to deformity of the fingers.
• Spine: the process of cartilage degeneration in the spine starts relatively early, around the age of 30, and can affect both the vertebrae and the intervertebral discs. Age, overweight and overloading are also risk factors for the disease, and bone abnormalities in the vertebrae and changes in the quality of cartilage tissue can also lead to cartilage degeneration in the spine. The lumbar spine is most commonly affected, but the neck is also often affected.
• Hips: Congenital hip dislocation, hip injuries and overuse of the hip can also cause hip joint cartilage degeneration. In addition, overweight and genetic factors may also be involved. A typical symptom of hip joint pain is initially hip pain on exertion. The cartilage surface of the hip joint softens and tiny pieces of cartilage begin to detach. This can trigger joint inflammation, which can cause severe pain. Over time, this pain increases and the range of motion of the joint becomes reduced.

Effective treatment of cartilage degeneration

The specialists at the Budapest Musculoskeletal Private Outpatient Clinic offer the most modern and effective treatments for patients seeking to recover. In Hungary only we offer the highly effective hypACT™ serum therapy for cartilage degeneration .

Treating cartilage degeneration with physiotherapy

The symptoms of cartilage degeneration can be effectively alleviated with physiotherapy exercises that help to relieve pain, increase muscle strength and increase range of motion. Strengthening the muscles stabilises the joint and takes the strain off it, so can help prevent or slow down further deterioration. The physiotherapist first performs a physical assessment and then recommends and teaches the patient personalised exercises to be done daily at home.

Treating cartilage degeneration at home

In the case of cartilage degeneration, medical treatment is the best option, and home methods should be considered as a supplement. For example, a warm bath can help to relieve the pain of cartilage degeneration. However, if there is acute inflammation in the joint, it is the cold effect that is beneficial, and cold water compresses should be applied to the sore area. In the case of cartilage degeneration, it is recommended to swim and cycle regularly and, if you have extra kilos, to lose them.