Study Reveals Less Addictive Opioid May Preserve Joint Cartilage

(Newswire.net — December 8, 2021) Orlando, FL — Various research studies have been carried out to look into the ways of preserving and enhancing joint cartilage health.

One was published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. In this novel preclinical study carried out by Keck Medicine of USC researchers, it has been found that a potential new opioid medication may have the ability to delay the progression of osteoarthritis. 

At the same time, it is less addictive than commonly prescribed opioid drugs.

According to researchers, the pharmaceutical drug works in activating the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). It is worth noting that KOR binds to opioid-like compounds in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

It is worth noting that this significantly helps alleviate pain, and it results in targeted pain relief with a decreased risk of addiction.

In previous studies, it has actually been found that some opioids, which selectively activate only KORs, locally relieve pain at the site of the injury. This has been found possible without it crossing the blood-brain barrier and inducing substance dependency.

Further, commonly prescribed opioids that target other receptors in the brain are found more addictive.

This study was spearheaded by Alexander Weber, MD, sports medicine physician and orthopedic surgeon with Keck Medicine, with corresponding author Denis Evseenko, MD, Ph.D., vice chair for research and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

The locally administered a kappa opioid into arthritic knees of the mouse subjects. They also measured the progression of the disease in their joints.

The investigators found that the medication alleviated pain effectively. However, the study results also show that the medication was able to prevent cartilage loss. It even slowed the progression of osteoarthritis.

“Arthritis affects nearly a quarter of adults in the United States, many of whom take addictive opioids to manage their pain,” says Weber.

“The implications of this study may someday alter how we provide orthopedic care to significantly reduce the number of patients experiencing long-term pain and addiction,” he adds.

More and more studies are still being carried out to explore the ways in preserving joint cartilage. It is worth noting that certain all-natural remedies that are protective to the joints.

These include the use of glucosamine, which is an amino sugar that works in protecting the joint cartilage and repairing it during damage. There are formulas like VitaBreeze Glucosamine that are being widely reported by OA sufferers today. 

VitaBreeze Glucosamine is even used widely as a safer alternative to pain relievers. (https://www.amazon.com/Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Turmehttp://amazon.com/Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Turmeric-Dietary-Supplement/dp/B00DUMO9X4ric-Dietary-Supplement/dp/B00DUMO9X4)