Quick Summary: Does Cartilage Heal Quickly?
Cartilage does not health quickly; in fact, cartilage heals very slowly. Cartilage is surrounded by a fibrous membrane which is not efficient at regenerating cartilage. Its recovery is therefore slow after injury. The lack of active blood flow is another major reason any injury to cartilage takes a long time to heal.
Many people have asked us on our best joint supplements page, “does cartilage heal quickly?”
This is a question that can have several answers depending upon the type of joint pain a person has and what caused the joint pain in the first place.
Sometimes the cartilage can be rebuilt without surgery, but other times it will not be able to repair itself as it was before the injury occurred. Knowing what has caused the joint pain will go a long way in determining whether or not it can be repaired and whether or not the pain relief you are looking for will be effective.
The nature of the cartilage injury will also determine whether or not it can fully heal, and how quickly the cartilage can heal.
Whethr or not you use high quality joint supplements to encourage faster cartilage healing will also determine how long your injuries last.
How Do Cartilage Injuries Happen?
Joints begin to deteriorate when there are not enough cartilage cells present in the cartilage tissues of the body. Cartilage is a hard, fibrous protein that are found in many areas of the body and the actual fact that cartilage exists in small quantities in some areas of the body does not mean that it actually makes the joint to function properly.
It is actually possible for the body to create new cartilage cells under specific conditions. For example, the body can create new cartilage for healing sprained tendons and ligaments without the presence of any significant damage.
When cartilage cells do not develop correctly in a joint, however, cartilage can no longer provide the strength necessary for it to remain functional.
When this occurs, the joint will begin to degenerate, which can lead to pain, swelling, and even stiffness. In addition, the body will start to lose the cartilage properties that allow it to provide stability when it does begin to deteriorate. This is why it is important to know what has caused the joint deterioration before considering the different ways in which to try to repair it.
Cartilage Cells, Blood Supply & Joint Pain
One of the most common causes of cartilage deterioration is arthritis.
Most people associate arthritis with chronic joint pain and have become reliant on arthritis pain relief medication such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to try to alleviate their symptoms. Unfortunately, NSAIDs are known to cause further damage when used over a long period of time, since they decrease the body’s ability to form new cartilage.
This is why it is extremely important to find natural ways to help cartilage heal quickly. By eliminating the root of the problem and not just covering up the symptoms, you can look forward to complete pain relief.
If your cartilage is damaged by an injury, the first thing you should do is consult a doctor.
The doctor will take a tissue sample from the joint and look at the microscopic structure of the joint. He or she will be able to tell you whether or not you are actually experiencing a breakdown in the cartilage structure or if you are suffering from a minor tear. If there is a severe tear they may recommend that you have yourself diagnosed with a bone graft. Depending on the severity of your condition, the doctor will prescribe different amounts of painkillers to help alleviate your symptoms.
After checking to see if there is some sort of structural issue with the joint, then it is time to start working on a way to cure yourself of the pain.
Dealing With Cartilage Related Joint Pain
One of the best ways to cure yourself of discomfort is through the use of home remedies. Here are two simple ones that you can begin implementing immediately in order to find quick relief from the pain.
Start the process by taking four to six large glasses of water. When you are starting to feel the first tingle of pain in your joint, grab a glass of warm water and begin to soak your feet in it.
You will notice that the pain seems to quickly go away and the swelling will decrease. Drinking a lot of water is one of the easiest ways to help your body to mend itself and speed up the healing process of damaged cartilage.
Two more ways to help yourself cure yourself of discomfort and speed up the process of cartilage quickly is by utilizing heat and cold therapy.
Utilizing cold water to apply directly to the painful area will help reduce swelling and the heat will help to relax the joint. This is done by simply wrapping the affected joint in a towel and then applying ice to it. The warmth will relax the joint and relieve the pain.
Can Cartilage Heal Quickly?
So does cartilage ever heal qucikly?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Caryilage does not heal quickly. In fact, cartilage heals incredibly slowly, if it ever properly heals at all. For some severe cartilage injuries, your joints may never return to 100% health or strength again.
Minor caritlage injuries can heal themselves in a matter of weeks; often 6-12 weeks is enough for a minor to moderate cartilage injury to heal. But for severe injuries or substantial cartilage erosion, you may require surgery for the cartilage to heal. It may not even be possible to heal significant cartilage erosion or damage with surgery.
Thankfully, there are ways to encourage cartilage to heal, and to make cartilage health faster.
Supplements such as Performance Lab Flex can drastically improve the rate at which cartilage heals. Faster cartilage healing can make an enormous difference to your day-to-day life, as well as your athletic performance, as it means a shorter time spent out the gym recovering from injury.
Performance Lab Flex also promotes stronger, more robust cartilage, making injuries or sustained cartilage erosion less likely.