Osteoarthritis of the knee joint should be “treated from the tendons”

  Osteoarthritis, also known as osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, and proliferative arthritis, is commonly referred to as osteophytes and bone spurs. It is a chronic osteoarthritis caused by joint degeneration and destruction of joint cartilage, and the knee joint is the most commonly involved part. Some domestic scholars have studied the six major administrative regions of China (Northwest, North China. The results showed that the prevalence of imaging knee osteoarthritis in people over 40 years of age was 28.7%. With the aging of society’s population, the incidence of knee osteoarthritis has gradually increased and has become a common cause of reduced quality of life in the middle-aged and elderly population.  There is often a misconception that the main cause of pain from osteoarthritis is osteophytes, or “bone spurs,” and that if the “spurs” are removed the joints will not hurt. Some irresponsible health product manufacturers also take advantage of this misconception to advertise that a certain drug can make the “bone spur” melt away. In fact, there are no known drugs that can resorb the bone redundancy that has been created in the body; moreover, the main cause of joint pain is not the “bone spur”, which is only a pathological manifestation of the degenerative changes in the joint. Osteoarthritis is often characterized by joint pain, which is often aggravated by activity and weight bearing and relieved after rest. The pain is currently thought to be caused by synovitis, muscle spasm and damage to the periarticular tissues such as ligaments, tendons, fascia, cartilage lesions, subchondral bone ischemia or increased pressure in the bone and joint medulla. Therefore, it is inappropriate to say that osteoarthritis treatment is only for “bone spurs”.  In the TCM community, there is a consensus that osteoarthritis of the knee joint belongs to the category of “paralysis”, such as “bone paralysis” according to the national industry standard “Diagnostic and Efficacy Criteria for Chinese Medicine”, and in 2010, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine issued a clinical pathway for Chinese medicine It is called “knee paralysis (osteoarthritis of the knee joint)”. In 2010, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) issued a clinical pathway for the treatment of knee paralysis. According to “Suwen? The tendons are part of the tissues closely connected to the bones and joints, such as the joint capsule, synovium, tendons, ligaments, myofascia, cartilage and intervertebral discs in modern anatomy; at the same time, the tendons also have the functions of connecting and restraining the bones and joints, mastering movement and protecting internal organs. Prof. Shang Tianyu proposed the principle of “tendon and bone together” in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic injuries, in which “tendon” contains the meaning of limb movement. The reason why human joints can move in flexion and extension depends mainly on the contraction and relaxation of tendons. The tendons are attached to the bones and gathered in the joints, and at the joints between the bones, the tendons are wrapped and bound to form the joints, so the “Nei Jing” cloud: “all the tendons belong to the joints” “the main tendons bind the bones and benefit the organs.” In the Nei Jing, there are many references to “strong tendons,” “strong tendons,” “strong tendons,” “strong tendons,” “soft tendons,” and “soft tendons.” “tendon contracture bone pain” and other descriptions, it can be seen that “tendons” and bones are closely related. Under normal circumstances, the tendons and bones are closely connected, each in its own place, through the tendons of the “bone” role, maintaining the normal structural relationship between the bones and joints and their surrounding tissues, and to complete a variety of functional activities within the physiological range. “The tendons are closely related to the physiopathology of the joints, especially the knee joint. Modern pathological and anatomical studies have shown that osteoarthritis of the knee is characterized by degeneration of the articular cartilage and involves all the tissues of the joint, including the articular cartilage, muscles, synovium, joint capsule, meniscus and subchondral bone, of which all the tissues except the subchondral bone belong to the “tendons” in Chinese medicine.  ”The Shih’s Injury Medicine emphasizes “tendons and bones together” in the diagnosis and treatment of bone and joint diseases, and Professor Shi Yingyu, the inheritor of Shih’s Injury Medicine and a nationally renowned orthopedic surgeon, even proposed that the diagnosis and treatment of knee osteoarthritis should be “treated from tendons”. “This academic viewpoint has won the respect of the academic community, and the related scientific research achievements have also won the Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The term “tendon” in this context also includes both the tendon tissue around the joint and the function of the joint. The specific treatment plan focuses on relieving symptoms and improving joint function, and the principle is to make “tendons soft and bones correct”, so that the tendons can be de-stimulated, and medication, manipulation, acupuncture, fumigation, small acupuncture knife, compressing and guiding can be chosen as appropriate to help patients relieve symptoms, improve joint function and improve quality of life.