{"id":362,"date":"2014-06-19T15:53:50","date_gmt":"2014-06-19T15:53:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.j96fp4es-liquidwebsites.com\/2014\/06\/19\/why-your-joint-supplement-may-not-be-working\/"},"modified":"2021-07-25T12:36:07","modified_gmt":"2021-07-25T17:36:07","slug":"why-your-joint-supplement-may-not-be-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/index.php\/articles\/362-why-your-joint-supplement-may-not-be-working","title":{"rendered":"Why Your Joint Supplement May Not be Working"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daily aches and pains are one of the biggest problems in the horse or equine athlete. \u00a0The aches and pains are often associated with degenerative joint disease or arthritis, on many levels with resulting cartilage degeneration. Most horse owners resort to traditional joint therapies, including glucosamine and chondroitin, in addition to various pain medications or joint injections to help control pain. \u00a0Despite these efforts, many are still seeking options to help their horse to get to the next level of comfort. \u00a0Let’s take a look at what is going on and what other options may be available.<\/p>\n

Joint Anatomy and Degeneration in the Horse<\/h3>\n

The joint is the meeting point of two bones, in which there is motion. \u00a0The bone ends are covered with articular cartilage which cushions movement and absorbs forces. \u00a0The joint is enclosed by a capsule of tissue which produces and contains the joint fluid, which both lubricates and nourishes the contained tissues including the cartilage. \u00a0Joint wear is typical with age in all species but is accelerated by increased wear and abuse.\u00a0 This is common in all athletes, including the horse, and in those individuals performing repetitive movements on a routine basis. \u00a0As the joint wears, we have a degenerative process that begins in the soft tissue structures of the joint, including the joint capsule, which then progress deeper and begins to impact the cartilage.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Degenerative
Degenerative Joint Disease in Horse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joint degeneration leads to: \u00a0(in a progressive manner)<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Joint capsule irritation<\/li>\n
  2. Joint capsule thickening or fibrosis<\/li>\n
  3. Decreased production of joint fluid<\/li>\n
  4. Decreased nourishment of the tissues<\/li>\n
  5. Cartilage wear and deterioration<\/li>\n
  6. Cartilage breakdown<\/li>\n
  7. Bone exposure (subchondral bone)<\/li>\n
  8. Bone remodeling with potential spur development<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Seeing as how this is a progressive condition, ideally you would intervene at the early stages to gain control of the situation. \u00a0Unfortunately, most people are more reactive and only intervening at the later stages for their horses.\u00a0 It is just human nature. Generally, at this later stage, bone remodeling has occurred and significant joint dysfunction is present, which can be more difficult to manage.<\/p>\n

    Joint dysfunction is not a condition that can be cured, but more so one that can be better managed with the goal of reducing the daily aches and pain, but improve mobility, function, and overall quality of life. The earlier you intervene, the better, but in order to obtain the right intervention, you have to understand the process.<\/p>\n

    Impact of Inflammation on Joint Health in the Horse<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Inflammation<\/a> is an ongoing process that is occurring within all of our bodies, irregardless of the species. It is a fact of life and one of the main reasons that we age and that our bodies begin to breakdown over time. \u00a0We all think of inflammation as being an obvious entity, which it is in some cases being reflected by pain, swelling, loss of function, heat, and redness. \u00a0However, in the case of ongoing or uncontrolled chronic inflammation, often the process goes undetected until problems are obvious.<\/p>\n

    The inflammatory reaction in the body is a result of a high level of release of various signaling proteins (cytokines), free radicals and increased activity of various transcription factors within the cells of our bodies. \u00a0This reaction is generally perceived as a constant, but the activity is heightened or triggered by a variety of factors including:<\/p>\n