China is entering the ranks of the world's aging countries, the incidence of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis continues to rise. At present, the preliminary investigation in China reveals that the incidence of osteoarthritis is 3%, i.e. 36 million patients, which is similar to the incidence in the United States. There are 90 million patients with osteoporosis, accounting for 7.1% of the total population. It is expected that by 2050, the number of patients will be increased to 220 million; more than half of the cases of osteoporotic fractures in the word will occur in Asia by then, wherein the absolute majority of the cases is in China. In order to protect bone and joint, delay osteoporosis and joint aging process, reduce the risk of bone fracture and osteoarthritis, prevention in early stage should be conducted.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there is no disease name like “osteoporosis”, “osteoarthritis”. However, according to its pathogenesis and clinical manifestation, it is very similar to “withered bone”, “atrophic debility of bones”, “heumatism” and “bone erosion”, etc. that described in literatures of traditional Chinese medicine. Theory of traditional Chinese medicine holds that the booms and busts of bone are closely linked to kidney, liver and spleen. Kidney stores the essence of life, which produces marrow; marrow produces bone, so bone reflects the condition of kidney. Marrow is produced by the essence of life; when the essence of life is abundant, marrow is likewise abundant; since marrow is within the bone, a person having abundant marrow has strong bones. Liver stores blood, when the blood in liver is abundant, the tendon and vessel are also robust, the bone and joint are well controlled. The spleen is the acquired foundation and the origin of qi and blood for human bodies. The spleen and stomach constitute the key position for the qi-movement, communicate the upper part and the lower part, and irrigate systemically, so as to maintain the reciprocal transformation between qi, blood, the essence of life and body fluid.
If kidney deficiency occurs, the defensive yang will become insufficient, and the barrier function will be disrupted. If liver and kidney deficiency occurs, the bone and tendon will lose support, then they will become weak and atrophic; the joint will lose flexibility, and the tendon and vessel will be obstructed; and as a result, heumatism will occur. When the healthy qi prevails within the body, the pathogenic factors can not intervene. When the pathogenic factors intervenes, the healthy qi must be insufficient. As a consequence, when liver and kidney deficiency occurs, cold-dampness may slip inside; when the cold-evil congeals the passages through which vital energy circulates, qi-stagnancy and blood stasis will occur, which further exacerbates the liver and kidney deficiency. When spleen is under siege by inner cold-dampness or the transportation function of spleen is diminished, the phlegm and dampness may generate endogenously, the acquired essence of life may be depleted of origin, the various passageways will be blocked, and the blood can not be transformed into the essence of life; as a result, the bones will be in the condition of bone atrophy due to the following reasons: the nutrient substances can not be irrigated, malnutrition due to blood-insufficiency, lack of filing due to qi-insufficiency, and the resultant failure in the production of marrow and nourishment of bone. Therefore, according to Chinese medicine theory, the proposed prescriptions which nourish liver and kidney, activate qi and blood circulation as well as invigorate spleen can be used to prevent and improve osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Western medicine theory believes that, as the age increases, the cell function, chemical composition, and the responses to cytokines and growth factors of articular cartilage changes accordingly, and the joints are getting older. The nerval and mechanical protection mechanisms for preventing the damage of joints are also gradually weakened. For example, the functions of muscle and peripheral nerves are declined; as a consequence, the movements of nerves and muscles are uncoordinated, the muscle strength are decreased, resulting in the fact that the joints are more prone to damage, thereby aggravating the degenerative joints, and even developing osteoarthritis. The main pathological changes of osteoporosis are the decline in content and density of bone mineral, and micro-structural disorder and destruction of bone. Although there are differences between the main pathological changes of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are all degenerative diseases, and the incidence rates thereof are all in positive correlation with increasing age, the coexistence of the two diseases often appears clinically.
Thus, it is of practical significance to provide a bone and joint protection composition.