HealthGlobal issues
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HealthGlobal issueshttps://p.dw.com/p/5M6sR
Knee pain, wear and tear, osteoarthritis: millions of people suffer from these conditions. Natural remedies and high-tech medicine can alleviate the symptoms and improve joint mobility. Cartilage loss in the knee was long considered irreversible. The cartilage acts as a shock absorber between the bones of the joint and cushions the impact of each step. Once it starts wearing away, the bones rub against one another. This can lead to osteoarthritis; often accompanied by pain and restricted movement. This is where an innovative approach from The Netherlands comes in: knee joint distraction. When the bones of the knee joint are pulled slightly apart, this creates a space that stimulates the body’s natural cartilage-repair mechanisms. In Germany, orthopedic surgeon Kaywan Izadpanah from the University Medical Centre Freiburg is one of the first doctors to perform this procedure. Researchers at Basel University Hospital are trying something else. They remove a small piece of tissue from the nasal septum of patients, cultivate the cells in the laboratory, and then transplant the cultured tissue into damaged areas of the knee joint. The procedure aims to repair cartilage damage and improve joint function. For mild knee and joint pain, non-surgical remedies are an option. The “Rostock Seals” swear by the power of cold-water therapy: the swimming club’s members find renewed vitality through ice bathing in the wintery Baltic Sea. Some take it a step further, utilizing a cryotherapy chamber set at minus 110 degrees. They report immediate relief from their symptoms and an improved sense of well-being.
