Hey there! 👋
For years, joint pain was explained in simple, mechanical terms. If something hurt, it must be worn out. Thinning cartilage. Aging joints. Bones rubbing where they shouldn’t. “Ganito na talaga, tumatanda na.”
That idea shaped how we understood pain—and how we tried to deal with it.
But research over the past few decades has been quietly changing the story. Not because cartilage doesn’t matter (it does), but because joints are more than just hard parts moving together. They’re living systems. And pain doesn’t always come from where we thought it did. 👀
What cartilage actually does
Cartilage is the smooth, rubbery layer that covers the ends of bones inside a joint. Its role is structural. It cushions impact, reduces friction, and helps joints move smoothly.
Here’s the key part most people don’t hear early on: cartilage doesn’t have nerves. It also doesn’t have its own blood supply.
That means cartilage can thin or change quietly over time without directly causing pain. Studies have even shown that some people with visible cartilage wear on imaging feel little to no discomfort, while others experience pain long before major cartilage damage appears. ⚖️
So if cartilage can’t feel pain, where is the pain coming from?
The tissue around the joint. 🤯
Surrounding every joint is soft tissue: the synovium (the lining of the joint), ligaments, tendons, fascia, and nearby muscles. Unlike cartilage, these tissues are packed with nerve endings and blood vessels. They react quickly to stress, overuse, injury, and inflammation.
Research has shown that inflammation of the synovium is strongly linked to joint pain and stiffness, even in early stages when cartilage still looks relatively intact. Tendons and ligaments, when irritated, can also send pain signals that feel deep, aching, or sharp—often interpreted as “joint pain.”
This explains why discomfort can show up early, linger longer than expected, or flare after everyday activities like walking, standing, or carrying groceries.
Why the old belief stuck
Cartilage damage is easy to spot indirectly on X-rays, which show joint space narrowing as a proxy for cartilage loss. Soft tissue inflammation, on the other hand, is harder to detect. It can come and go, and doesn’t always show clearly on standard scans. For a long time, it was treated as secondary instead of central to pain.
So the focus stayed on cartilage preservation, while the tissue environment, where pain signals often start, didn’t get the same attention. 🫣
Why a tissue-first view matters
Soft tissues stabilize joints, absorb stress, and help movement feel fluid instead of stiff. When inflammation settles there, recovery slows and discomfort tends to repeat itself.
Supporting joint health isn’t just about structure. It’s also about calming irritated tissue, protecting cells from ongoing stress, and helping the joint environment regain balance.
Oleia was built with that wider view in mind. Oleia Topical Oils supports tissue right where discomfort is felt, using oils studied for their antioxidant and inflammation-supporting properties, and formulated for optimal absorption so the support actually reaches the tissue. Oleia Softgels work from within, supporting mobility and joint comfort through CMO and a blend of other oils that have been examined in clinical studies. 🥼
Joint pain isn’t always about damaged parts. Sometimes, it’s stressed tissue asking for support—before things break down.
Show me your bottle and I’ll show you mine? ’Til next time! 💜
xo, L.
References:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13104-025-07589-2
