By Dr. Christopher Lepisto
a 2-min read
When was the last time you were out riding with your buddy, and either you or he had to turn back too soon because of joint pain? Like a great plan gone amiss, just as you got in the rhythm you had to cut an adventure short, resulting in a frustrating experience.
I know what you used to think, that cortisone shots were the solution to your knee pain. You have tried them, multiple times. They got you back on the field or the trail and you felt great for months. And inevitably, they failed to provide any long-term relief and eventually accelerated the degenerative process.
I bet that you have fallen back on the daily ibuprofen. “Vitamin I” seems like an innocuous-enough therapy, right? It’s available over the counter, how bad can it be? Unfortunately, it’s the NSAID cumulative effect over time that reveals its hand. Advil, Celebrex, Aleve, and even aspirin cut down the small intestine absorption of nutrients by 50%, can lead to bleeding problems such as ulcers in the stomach, and are now implicated in the disruption of the intestinal microbe, the same detrimental effect as antibiotics.
Thankfully, there are natural options that not only relieve pain, stiffness and swelling, but also result in a stronger functioning knee by treating the underlying cause of the inflammation. One of the most exciting classes of compounds are called SPMs (Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators).
A SPM is a powerful type of supplement derived from the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA found in fish. They are concentrated for greater potency and are superior to standard fish oils, which are surprisingly ineffective if you are on NSAIDs due to pharmaceutical disruption of the inflammatory pathway.
Fish oils make sense for many. In a recent “Huberman Lab” podcast, Dr. Andrew Huberman touched on the hard research we have that most Americans do not get enough omega-3s in their diet, especially the best ones obtained by eating fish. A solid fish oil supplement may be enough, but I consider SPMs when someone has a particularly difficult case of osteoarthritis (or other chronic inflammatory process) where the body gets stuck in that natural healing process we know as inflammation. There are often corroborative elevated inflammatory markers identified in the blood work done in my office. In other words, when inflammation is stalled from resolution and becomes chronic and stubborn, it’s time for stronger medicine than corticosteroid injections. The latter do nothing to treat the cause of the inflammation, and are akin to turning off the fire alarm, while the fire rages on.
Successfully identifying and treating the underlying cause of the inflammation in your body is core to my practice of natural medicine. When you are ready for a comprehensive plan that not only starts the process of relieving your joint pain, but also re-establishes the foundation of your health, give me a call. I’ll help you get back on the trails that you love.
(970) 250-4104
