Chondroprotectors for joints: which one to choose

Joint problems can begin at any age. This is the case when it is better to prevent a problem than to treat it later. If:

• Are you experiencing constant pain in your joints?
• It's hard to get out of bed in the morning;
• Feel stiff in your movements;
• The doctor diagnosed: Arthrosis (ARTHRITIS, Osteoarthrosis, Osteoarthritis)

Pharmacological drugs are used in the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis. NSAIDs and glucocorticoids only help alleviate the symptoms of the pathology - pain, swelling, limited mobility, inflammatory reaction.

For severe problems, complex therapy is required.

Chondroprotectors help cope with the problem, promote the restoration of joints and cartilage, strengthen the ligamentous apparatus, improve metabolism in cartilage tissue, and slow down destruction.

This is a “building material” that helps the body renew cartilage structures.

In addition to taking medications, it is important to pay attention to a rational physical regimen. It is recommended to perform a complex of exercise therapy every day.

Pharmacology

The action of the drug is aimed at restoring cartilage tissue. The active elements take part and have a protective function in relation to damaged cartilage, preventing it from being destroyed. The components also help build cartilage and promote the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid.

The maximum concentration of active substances is observed in the liver, kidneys and joints. It stays in bone and muscle tissue for a long time. Excreted via the kidneys.

For what diseases are chondroprotectors used?

Glucosamine and chondroitin preparations help protect joints from “starvation” and chemically aggressive substances that accumulate in them as a result of inflammation. For this reason, they are recommended for adjuvant therapy of osteochondropathy - diseases that cause necrosis of spongy bone tissue (bone heads). Chondroprotective drugs are used for the treatment and prevention of:

• osteochondrosis;
• osteoarthritis (including rheumatoid and gouty arthritis);
• spondylosis (spondyloarthrosis);
• osteoporosis;
• tendonitis (dystrophic disease of the tendons);
• bursitis (inflammation of the joint capsule)

Chondroprotectors will become indispensable assistants in the fight against joint diseases

Drugs in this group are recommended for congenital and acquired pathologies of bone tissue (for example, bone deformation), hernias and protrusions. Chondroitin sulfate has proven itself as an auxiliary substance in the treatment of keratitis (inflammation of the eye cornea). Chondroprotectors for arthrosis are prescribed at stages 1-2 of the disease.

How to take Theraflex capsules

Adults and adolescents over 15 years of age can take 1 tablet 3 times a day. The duration of the therapeutic course is 20 days. After this, the capsules are taken 2 times a day. Such treatment can last from 3 months to six months. Depending on the condition, the course can be resumed from time to time.

Capsules can be taken at any time of the day, regardless of meal time. You need to drink a small amount of liquid.

If ointment is used, then you need to squeeze out 2-3 cm and rub into the affected area until completely absorbed. This procedure is carried out 3 times a day.

Natural chondroprotectors in food

The human need for effective chondroprotectors is partially satisfied by food. To do this, the diet must include tendons, cartilage (joints, ears, etc.), bones, bone marrow, skin of animals and fish, rich bone broths - the best chondroprotectors among food products. It is believed that “marine” collagen has the greatest digestibility and benefits for cartilage tissue, so mollusks and crustaceans, anchovies and other small sea fish should be included in the diet in boiled form. An additional source of collagen can be dishes with the addition of edible gelatin - jelly, jellied meat, aspic. It is advisable to eat eggs (soft-boiled, not overcooked) every day, and eat beef, red fish, and cheese more often.

People with sore joints also benefit from plant collagen-like compounds, which are found in wheat sprouts, mushrooms, nuts, broccoli, and seaweed. It is worth increasing the content of citrus fruits and leafy greens in the diet.

Even daily consumption of chondroprotective products does not guarantee cartilage health if:

• metabolic disorders;
• high professional or domestic loads on the joint;
• age-related changes, when cartilage cells stop actively growing and multiplying.

In these cases, the menu should include medications - chondroprotectors with glucosamine and chondroitin. They can be taken even by patients who cannot consume fatty broths and jellied meats for health reasons.

Contraindications

The instructions contain a list of conditions and diseases for which taking the drug is contraindicated. These include:

• kidney diseases;
• bearing a child;
• breastfeeding period;
• allergic reaction to the constituent components;
• persons under 15 years of age;
• skin damage (for the drug in the form of an ointment).

It should be taken with extreme caution if you have bronchial asthma or high blood sugar levels. You also need to be careful if you are prone to bleeding.

Indications and contraindications for taking chondroprotectors

Although chondroprotectors are useful for diseases of ligaments and even periodontal tissue, their main use in medicine is the protection and restoration of joints. Chondroprotectors for joints are made from natural products that have been part of the human diet for centuries, so side effects and contraindications are very rare.

Who needs chondroprotectors for joints?

Joint damage is common among athletes, manual workers, and people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. People with age-related changes in hormonal levels and people over 45 years of age are also at risk. The presence of autoimmune and metabolic diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, gout), excess weight is a good reason for the preventive use of chondroprotectors.

You need to start a course of glucosamine and chondroitin:

• at stages 1 and 2 of osteoarthritis and other rheumatic diseases;
• for diseases of ligaments and tendons;
• after injuries and joint surgeries;
• for diseases with a tendency to damage joints;
• in other cases as prescribed by a doctor.

Who should not take chondroprotectors?

Absolute contraindications to taking chondroprotectors for joints are phenylketonuria (a disorder of amino acid metabolism) and individual intolerance to their components. A preliminary consultation with a specialist before taking chondroprotective agents and further observation is necessary for:

• pregnant and lactating women;
• children under 12 years of age;
• asthmatics (if breathing is difficult, the drug should be discontinued);
• diabetics (glucosamine changes glucose tolerance);
• allergy sufferers (especially those with allergies to various types of protein and shellfish);
• patients with gastrointestinal diseases in the acute phase (gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers);
• people with kidney disease (including cholelithiasis, urolithiasis, renal failure) and liver failure;
• patients with vascular pathologies (including varicose veins, thrombosis and thrombophlebitis) and blood clotting disorders;
• persons with oxaluric diathesis;
• patients diagnosed with malignant tumors.

Adverse reactions and overdose

When taken orally, the patient may in rare cases experience undesirable reactions:

• pain in the abdominal area;
• stomach upset;
• constipation;
• disturbed sleep;
• dizziness;
• drowsiness, fatigue;
• headache;
• abnormal heart rhythm;
• swelling of the legs;
• allergic reactions.

If we talk about ointments, the only undesirable manifestation may be allergic reactions in the form of a skin rash.

No cases of overdose have been identified to date. If any undesirable reactions occur, you need to rinse your stomach.

Classification of chondroprotectors

In medical sources, chondroprotectors for joints are divided by generation:

• 1st generation.
  Animal and plant extracts and concentrates rich in glucosamine and chondroitin;
• 2nd generation.
  Preparations that contain purified glucosamine or chondroitin. They are absorbed faster and easier, and are less likely to cause allergies;
• 3rd generation
  . Combined products that combine glucosamine, chondroitin, sulfur preparations and other components. The composition of new generation chondroprotectors is often supplemented with anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, diclofenac), fatty acids (improves the elasticity of cartilage and protects its cells from destruction), vitamins (for better absorption of active substances and protection of cell membranes) and microelements (for building stable cartilage tissue).

New generation chondroprotectors make the patient feel better much faster and have fewer side effects.

Chondoprotectors are available in various forms. Choose what suits you.

Pills

Tablets and capsules are prescribed in courses of 3-6 months. They are especially effective for lesions of large joints or systemic diseases that affect 4 or more joints. Capsules are absorbed almost as well as liquid glucosamine, but are stored and dosed much better. The absorption of these chondroprotectors is quite high - 13-25%.

Chondroprotective ointments

Local chondroprotectors (ointments and gels) are used for arthrosis of intervertebral, small and medium-sized joints. External preparations have minimal bioavailability (less than 5%) and have virtually no effect on the structure of cartilage, especially if it lies deep under the skin. But chondroprotective ointments have a beneficial effect on periarticular tissues, relieve pain and swelling, and reduce inflammation. In the absence of an allergic reaction, they can be used continuously.

Powders for the treatment of joints

Powder chondroprotectors are the rarest form of release. Glucosamine powder is well absorbed by the body (bioavailability over 26%), but is not recommended for gastrointestinal diseases. Typically, manufacturers include additional components that improve the metabolism of cartilage tissue.

Chondroprotectors in injections

Injections of chondroprotectors are most effective in comparison with other forms of glucosamine and chondroitin. They are placed intramuscularly and intraarticularly. Injectable medications are a good alternative to oral medications if the patient has gastrointestinal diseases.

An intramuscular injection of a chondroprotector can be done independently or with the help of loved ones, but injection into the joint should only be carried out by an experienced medical professional.

Intra-articular administration of CP (usually with painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs) is considered the most effective. Chondroprotectors in injections help with synthesis disorders - when cartilage tissue stops producing substances necessary for the growth and hydration of cartilage.

Reviews of Terfalex

Of the numerous reviews, most are positive. Patients are assured that the money spent is worth it and the drug really has the desired effect. After completing the treatment course, many people note that pain and crunching in the joints have disappeared, and mobility has increased. But even with such results, for some, the price of the drug is a significant disadvantage.

In general, it can be argued that with long-term therapy, tremendous results can be achieved. In this case, the patient should not have an advanced stage of the disease, and the course of treatment should last at least half a year. For many, a significant advantage is that Theraflex can be combined with anti-inflammatory drugs and other treatments.

Chondroprotectors - salvation for joints?

The nourishment and hydration of cartilage in the joint occurs with the help of synovial fluid, which contains the already mentioned mono- and polysaccharides. With injury, excessive physical activity or systemic disease, the composition of the synovial fluid may be disrupted. Because of this, it becomes less viscous and can no longer provide slip. Once in the synovial fluid, the components of chondroprotectors help restore its consistency and normal activity of cartilage cells. The joints stop hurting and swelling, their mobility improves. In parallel with taking chondroprotectors, other measures are necessary for the active restoration and nutrition of cartilage - physiotherapy, exercise therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs.

The drug Arthra - reviews

Alexandra

I’ve never written reviews, especially negative ones! But here I really want to leave them. The joint hurt, the doctor prescribed the chondroprotector Artra. Having bought the pills for 3600!!!! (health is more important, after all!!) I started drinking, from the very first day of taking it, swelling began, after reading the instructions I attributed everything to the body’s reaction to the side effects of other pills that I also took in combination with them, but at 4 and On the 5th day, swelling of the larynx and severe compression in the chest began. I went to the hospital on the 5th day when my legs were swollen to the point of elephants! and the airways were so swollen that I thought I was already going to die! It turned out! This drug gave a strong allergic reaction, although I have never been allergic, due to which there was swelling and suffocation, I understand that with just one more day, my “40 days” would soon be celebrated. I don’t recommend it to anyone, but if you are prescribed, look for an analogue or first take a test from an allergist for the composition that is contained there! For this price, I think new joints should grow back and without any side effects, even more so

Tatyana Viktorovna

I drank it twice for two months and had zero effect. My lower back still hurts.

artik-1

https://irecommend.ru/content/zrya-potracheny-dengi-6

Flaws:

• long course of treatment
• a bit expensive
• did not help

I would like to leave a review about the drug Artra! A year ago, my joints began to ache and my bones began to crack. I went to the doctor for an appointment, they advised me to take Artra, they say take it for a couple of months and everything should return to normal. What can I tell you, I drank it for a couple of months and didn’t feel much of a result, it seemed like it was a little better, but still my bones were cracking and my joints were cracking, and it seemed like it was getting better, but it still didn’t go away. Maybe this medicine just didn’t suit me, maybe I need to take it longer. God knows, but as the doctor ordered me to drink for 2 months, that’s what I did, I drank it and did not feel any recovery. I had to change the doctor and try another medicine, and I started eating jellied meat and jelly intensively, it became much better, the crunching seemed to stop and my health stabilized. So, of course, decide for yourself whether to drink it or not. But it didn’t really help me, I only took it for 2 months in vain. I wish everyone good health and never get sick!

Guest

https://www.medcentre.com.ua/artra.html

I read a book by a famous doctor - chondoprotectors - drugs with unproven effectiveness.

Julia Alex

https://otzovik.com/review_2223326.html

Advantages:

• for me, there were none!

Flaws:

• price
• didn't help me...(

Hello! I wanted to share my experience regarding the chondroprotector drug “Arthra”. I took it for six months (as prescribed by the doctor) for the treatment of arthrosis. I was hoping at least for relief, but even that didn’t happen... For that kind of money I expected a lot more... At first it seemed like the condition was improving, but now, when more time has passed, I realized that there is no improvement at all... I bought it in reserve an even larger package... of course I will accept it, but it would be better if I didn’t buy it...

The price, of course, “bites” a lot... For a small package in the pharmacy they asked 800-900 rubles, for a large one 1800 rubles. In general, I bought a large one at a social pharmacy for 1,500 rubles.

Maybe I’m an isolated case, of course, but I still won’t advise... EVERYTHING IS INDIVIDUAL!!!

Elenska

https://otzovik.com/review_698713.html

Advantages:

• no for me

Flaws:

• strong side effect

I want to share my opinion about the medicine that stimulates the restoration of cartilage tissue “Artra”.

Some time ago my knees started to ache. Slightly at first, then very sensitive. I even felt that inflammation had begun. Since I have never had any special problems, and my age seems to be inappropriate for serious illnesses, I googled on the Internet what it could be and what they advise. On one of the sites, I read a doctor’s answer to a question from a girl who had very similar symptoms. The doctor advised her to take a course of Artra.

After reading reviews about this drug, I doubted the advisability of purchasing it. Some simply did not help, others experienced severe side effects after taking the medicine. I am not an allergy sufferer; generally, with rare exceptions, I react normally to various medications.

And yet I decided to buy the smallest jar, which contains only 30 tablets. I had to take the medicine one tablet twice a day. The tablets are very large.

The manufacturer reports that the drug reduces joint pain and inflammation - just what I need. It also removes the symptoms of osteoarthritis, prevents destruction and stimulates the restoration of cartilage tissue. I read that many people do not consider this drug to be a medicine, but say that it is a dietary supplement.

And so I took the first pill. After about 10 minutes I developed severe dry mouth. After a few more minutes, my head began to spin and felt like it was like cotton wool. Then, after some time, I felt irregularities in my heart rhythm and general weakness.

This reaction scared and upset me. Then, after some time it went away... I decided to take the second pill prescribed that day. As a result, the same reaction - very bad health, but it lasted much longer. The only thing is that the pain in my knees has become significantly less, but has not completely gone away.

As a result, I realized that I could not take this medicine. It just didn't suit me. Having paid 598 rub. , I only used two tablets. That is, in fact, it’s money down the drain.

I solved my problem very simply - I went to the pool several times, found gymnastics for joints on the Internet and everything returned to normal. I still wear high heels)))

I will not recommend this medicine. Maybe it helps someone, as I read from reviews, but it has too much of a negative effect on the body.

PS I subsequently saw a doctor and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. And these tablets have indications for this disease.