Do you know that cartilage damage is one of the main reasons we go to the physical therapist? The truth is that although most of us suffer from pain in this area, not all of us know what exactly it is or why the cartilage deteriorates. For this reason, today we are going to explain it in detail.
We start by explaining what cartilage is. We must keep in mind that the union of two or more bones forms a joint. These bones are oriented in such a way that there may be a slide to be able to move them. So that it does not hurt when sliding happens, between the bones we find a tissue called cartilage. This is its main function, to cushion the friction generated by the bones when moving.
Unlike other cells in the body, cartilage tissue cells are nourished by synovial fluid, which is produced by the synovium.
How can this tissue be damaged?
To understand the deterioration of this tissue we must know the different parts that compose it. First of all, we find collagen fibers on the surface of the joint (located in parallel to favor the necessary movement). It is also formed by chondrocytes and proteoglycans, both of which are found below the fibers.
The first thing we normally injure is the fibers, which become detached from the joints. This is called fibrillation. If this wear does not stop, it reaches the next layer, the fibers. With the passage of time it is the cartilaginous tissue itself that wears out and that is when the bones rub against each other when moving.
What are the main causes of cartilage injury?
There are several causes of this ailment, among them we find:
- By genetic inheritance: We may have inherited weak or thinner cartilage, the synovial membrane produces little fluid to nourish the tissue, or its quality is not good enough.
- Because we suffer wear: This wear can be due to 4 factors. To a mechanical alteration of the joint, to a sedentary lifestyle, to which the body suffers tension in a sustained way or to being overweight.
- From chemical causes or a disease: When tissues are poisoned, suffer trauma or when we suffer from certain diseases, cartilage tissues also suffer and wear out.It is important to prevent the wear of this tissue because it does not recover. For this, the best solution is to exercise daily to strengthen it.
Among the different exercises that we can do is the knee flexion, which consists of lying on the floor, bending one knee and pushing it against the chest.
Another very effective exercise is to bend the knee while lying face down, as if we wanted to touch the buttock with the heel of the foot.
The strides. Surely you already do them in your training routine, but they also help us to strengthen cartilage, because they make the knees work directly.
Using a few simple heel lifts while standing will also allow us to prevent such wear.
As you can see, there are very simple exercises that we can do at home and even at work taking advantage of a break. También nos ayudarán a despejar la mente y estirar un poco las piernas, cosa que siempre viene bien.
If the wear has already occurred, it is better to go to a physiotherapist or a doctor to give us specific guidelines for our case that will help us reduce the discomfort in the area.