Osteoarthritis - New hope for the knee | DW Documentary

Cold therapy, knee distraction or cartilage transplantation from the nose to the knee: what really helps with knee pain? New procedures are bringing fresh hope to people with osteoarthritis and joint degeneration.

Knee pain, wear and tear, osteoarthritis: millions of people suffer from these conditions. Natural remedies and high-tech medicine can alleviate the symptoms and improve joint mobility.

Cartilage loss in the knee was long considered irreversible. The cartilage acts as a shock absorber between the bones of the joint and cushions the impact of each step. Once it starts wearing away, the bones rub against one another. This can lead to osteoarthritis; often accompanied by pain and restricted movement.

This is where an innovative approach from The Netherlands comes in: knee joint distraction. When the bones of the knee joint are pulled slightly apart, this creates a space that stimulates the body's natural cartilage-repair mechanisms. In Germany, orthopedic surgeon Kaywan Izadpanah from the University Medical Centre Freiburg is one of the first doctors to perform this procedure.

Researchers at Basel University Hospital are trying something else. They remove a small piece of tissue from the nasal septum of patients, cultivate the cells in the laboratory, and then transplant the cultured tissue into damaged areas of the knee joint. The procedure aims to repair cartilage damage and improve joint function.

For mild knee and joint pain, non-surgical remedies are an option. The "Rostock Seals” swear by the power of cold-water therapy: the swimming club’s members find renewed vitality through ice bathing in the wintery Baltic Sea. Some take it a step further, utilizing a cryotherapy chamber set at minus 110 degrees. They report immediate relief from their symptoms and an improved sense of well-being.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs #osteoarthritis
______

DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Subscribe to: ‬
⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocarabia
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDochindi
⮞ DW Dokumenter (Indonesian): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDokumenter
⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDoku

For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental

We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G