The best chondroprotectors for joints for adults

Contents

What are chondroprotectors and how do they work
Top 5 rating according to KP
How to choose chondroprotectors for joints for adults
Popular questions and answers

There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet about chondroprotectors and not everyone trusts them. We will deal with a specialist why this happens, and tell about the best chondroprotectors for joints for adults

What are chondroprotectors and how do they work

Chondroprotectors are a group of slow-acting drugs used to prevent and treat osteoarthritis and tendinopathies (inflammation of the tendons and periarticular tissues), as well as other joint diseases, – says rheumatologist Sergey Kozlov. – They are responsible for improving the nutrition of cartilage tissue and are an important component in the complex therapy of these diseases. When a patient asks me a question: are they dietary supplements or not, I answer unequivocally – of course, because this is, first of all, a “building” material for the cartilage and connective tissue of the joints.

Top 5 rating according to KP

1. Diaflex

Diaflex is a drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The active substance is Diacerein. It slows down the process of inflammation and degradation of cartilage in osteoarthritis, has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. The action develops in 2-4 weeks.

The drug is available in capsules. Diaflex is available by prescription, so be sure to take it with you to the pharmacy.

2. Arthr

Artra – is positioned as a drug that stimulates the process of regeneration of cartilage tissue. Active ingredients: chondroitin sulfate sodium, glucosamine hydrochloride. The official website reports that the components of the drug help reduce inflammation and pain in the joints, increase their mobility and accelerate the regeneration of cartilage tissue.

3. HONDA

HONDA contains four components important for the joints: glucosamine, chondroitin, methylsulfonylmethane and hyaluronic acid. The description states that due to its composition, the drug has an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and chondroprotective effect, and also improves the mobility and flexibility of the joints, the elasticity of ligaments and tendons, and the natural restoration of cartilage.

4. Teraflex

The composition contains two active ingredients: glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sodium sulfate, which are involved in the synthesis of connective tissue, helping to prevent cartilage destruction and stimulating tissue regeneration. In the treatment of osteoarthritis, it alleviates the symptoms of the disease and reduces the need for NSAIDs. Available in capsules.

5. DONA

The active substance is glucosamine sulfate crystalline. Assign for primary and secondary osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis), osteochondrosis, spondylarthrosis. It is positioned as a chondroprotector that affects the metabolism in cartilage tissue. It is reported to inhibit cartilage breakdown, reduce pain, and improve joint function. Available in tablets, powder.

How to choose chondroprotectors for joints for adults

When choosing drugs for the treatment of any disease, we must first pay attention to the composition. The same applies to chondroprotectors.

– The clinical guidelines clearly state that the composition of the cartilage tissue protectors includes the main active ingredients: collagen hydrolyzate, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. Each of these components has an important effect, – notes rheumatologist Sergey Kozlov. – The stimulating effect of collagen hydrolyzate on the synthesis of collagen in chondrocytes has been proven: it can be characterized as a structure-modifying substance, since, although weakly, it slows down degenerative changes in cartilage and promotes the regeneration of cartilage and bone tissues of the musculoskeletal system. Glucosamine enhances the production of cartilage matrix and provides non-specific protection against chemical damage to cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate serves as an additional substrate for the formation of a healthy cartilage matrix, maintains the viscosity of the synovial fluid, stimulates the mechanisms of cartilage tissue repair and inhibits the activity of those enzymes (elastase, hyaluronidase) that break down cartilage.

The composition is clear. But the range of pharmacies is so large – what to focus on when choosing chondroprotectors for joints for adults?

According to our expert, the Russian pharmacological classification divides chondroprotectors into three generations:

First generation: preparations of natural origin based on animal cartilage extracts or vegetable raw materials;
Second generation: monopreparations, which are purified hyaluronic acid, collagen, chondroitin sulfate or glucosamine;
Third generation: combination preparations that include both collagen and glucosamine with chondroitin sulfate, sometimes in combination with other compounds (for example, additional vitamins, minerals or polyunsaturated fatty acids).

“I recommend third-generation combined chondroprotectors that have proven clinical efficacy compared to the drugs of the first two generations,” says Dr. Kozlov.

What else do adults need to know about chondroprotectors for joints?

Our expert notes that the form in which the drug is presented, as well as the substrate from which it is made, is of great importance.

– Preparations that are extracts from animal or plant tissue (alflutop, rumalon, piascledin) do not have a pronounced protective effect on chondrocytes, while the effect of semi-synthetic or synthetic chondroprotectors (such as ARTRA, HONDA, Diaflex, Teraflex, Inyektran), when taken correctly, has a clear pronounced positive effect,” explains Sergey Kozlov. – And you also need to understand that chondroprotectors in the form of ointments and gels are a myth. Any ointment penetrates the skin by 1-2 mm, and the joints, as we know, are much deeper. Therefore, chondroprotectors are effective only in tablet and injectable forms.

Well, of course, it is necessary to focus on specific facts: if the patient who was prescribed this or that drug feels better, the pain and crunch in the joints decrease, the doctor notes the positive dynamics of the treatment, then there is an effect.

Popular questions and answers

Why do many people not trust chondroprotectors?

– Opinion about them has always been divided into two camps, and this applies to doctors, patients, and pharmaceutical industry workers. Some consider chondroprotectors to be an effective symptomatic treatment for arthrosis, based on application experience, clinical studies, and positive patient reviews, while others say that this is pure fiction. And in a number of countries, chondroprotectors are not included at all in the protocols for managing patients with osteoarthritis, says Sergey Kozlov. – Why is this happening? Because, as usual, we hope for a “magic pill”, not wanting to make efforts to reduce weight and work muscles, and in fact, in order to achieve an effect in the treatment of joint diseases, one must not only take drugs, but also change lifestyle, reduce excess weight, and athletes correctly dose the duration and magnitude of physical activity. Very often, patients want fast results, and not getting them, they stop treatment.

There is also no positive dynamics when chondroprotectors are mistakenly prescribed for the 3rd stage of arthrosis, when conservative treatment is no longer effective and surgical intervention is necessary. Whether or not to take chondroprotectors is up to you, my opinion about them is positive.

How long do you need to take hodroprotectors to achieve the effect?

– To obtain a positive result, continuous use is required for at least 3 months, and every six months the course must be repeated. Moreover, treatment should not be carried out occasionally, but regularly, our expert emphasizes.

Can chondroprotectors be considered anti-inflammatory drugs?

– Currently, the theory is accepted, according to which glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate (active ingredients in the composition) act on processes that indirectly reduce synovial inflammation. But, of course, it is impossible to call chondroprotectors direct anti-inflammatory drugs, says Sergey Kozlov. – Their main action is to maintain the processes necessary for the proper functioning of cartilage tissue in any joint. The fact is that there are no blood and lymphatic vessels in it, and nutrition is carried out at the expense of the blood vessels of the perichondrium. This happens as follows: cartilage tissue, like a sponge, contracts (when the joint is flexed) and throws out the old spent joint fluid, and when relaxed (extension of the joint) absorbs a fresh and nutritious portion. If there are dystrophic changes in the cartilage, then all the nutritional processes of the joint are disturbed, as well as its proper operation without a “crunch” and pain. To prevent these changes and called drugs – chondroprotectors. In the treatment of osteoarthritis, they alleviate the symptoms of the disease, which significantly reduces the need for NSAIDs.

Are chondroprotectors effective at any stage of the disease?

– Chondroprotectors are effective at stages 1-2 of arthrosis, when there is no cartilage destruction yet, and chondrocytes are alive, – says Dr. Kozlov. – The choice of drug for each patient should be carried out only by the attending physician.