Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHome RemediesOver-the-CounterPrescriptionsCAMProcedures and Surgery
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Home Remedies
Over-the-Counter
Prescriptions
CAM
Procedures and Surgery
Chondrocalcinosis, also known as calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) and pseudogout, is a condition wherecalcium pyrophosphate crystalsbuild up in the joints. It is a type ofarthritisthat causesinflammation, stiffness, tenderness, redness, and warmth of the joints. It usually affects one joint, but it may also affect several joints at once.
When CPPD crystals form, they will deposit themselves in thecartilage(the cushion between the bones) and thesynovial fluid(the lubricating fluid found in the joints). Crystal buildup can lead to sudden, painful attacks similar to what is seen and felt with gout.
There is no cure for chondrocalcinosis, but treatment can help relieve pain and symptoms and improve joint function. It is treated using various home remedies, lifestyle changes, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, prescriptions, and complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Surgery is considered when other therapies haven’t helped.
Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Images
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Home remedies and lifestyle changes can help prevent chondrocalcinosis attacks and treat symptoms. Things that might help include resting and elevating the affected joint, icing a swollen and painful joint, or paying attention to your diet to reduce inflammation.
Rest and Elevation
Cold Therapy
Cold compressesapplied to an affected joint can help relieve pain and decrease swelling during a chondrocalcinosis flare-up. Any cold pack (i.e., an ice pack or bag of frozen peas) can numb the sore joint and reduce inflammation and pain.
Diet
Your diet can help manage inflammation associated with chondrocalcinosis. Try eliminating foods that promote inflammation. This includes added sugars, trans fats, red and processed meats, and omega-6 fatty acids (i.e., canola or corn oils, mayonnaise, etc.).
Instead, try eating more foods that containomega-3 fatty acids, such as sardines, salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds to help reduce or prevent inflammation.A plant-based diet loaded with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can also help to ward off inflammation.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies
Healthcare providers usually recommend OTCnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) and analgesic pain relievers, like acetaminophen, to manage symptoms of chondrocalcinosis attacks.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are given in low doses to treat inflammation from chondrocalcinosis.These medications can help in treating acute flares associated with the condition. Left untreated, flares can last for long periods or become severe.
Two powerful NSAIDs, ibuprofen and naproxen, can usually reduce inflammation and pain pretty quickly. They help because they blockcyclooxygenase(COX), an enzyme known for producing pro-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins.Low-dose OTC NSAIDs can help manage chondrocalcinosis flares.
Even so, despite their effectiveness, NSAIDs are known for their side effects and the potential for drug interaction. Therefore, it is a good idea to stop using an NSAID pain reliever as soon as the pain from the flare lessens.Long-term use of NSAIDs has been linked to kidney damage and peptic ulcers.
Ask your healthcare provider whether it is safe for you to use NSAIDs to manage chondrocalcinosis, at what dose, and for how long.
Tylenol (Acetaminophen)
Your healthcare provider might recommend an analgesic medication, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), to manage pain related to chondrocalcinosis attacks. However, acetaminophen won’t help with inflammation and swelling.
Acetaminophen might be a better option over NSAIDs for people withhigh blood pressureor a history of stomach bleeding or ulcers. However, acetaminophen cancause liver damageand liver failure, especially if taken in high doses.
Talk to your practitioner before starting acetaminophen to determine if it is a safe option, especially if you have other conditions and take other medicines.
When OTC pain relievers don’t help manage chondrocalcinosis, your healthcare provider might suggest prescription NSAIDs,corticosteroids, or a gout drug calledColcrys(colchicine).
Prescription NSAIDs
Prescription-strength NSAIDs, such as naproxen and indomethacin, can help manage pain and inflammation during chondrocalcinosis attacks.
Colcrys (Colchicine)
Colcrys (colchicine) is a gout medicine that can help to manage symptoms of chondrocalcinosis. If you have frequent attacks, your healthcare provider might prescribe Colcrys taken daily to prevent subsequent flares.
Corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are strong anti-inflammatories that are quite helpful in treating chondrocalcinosis and are a better option for people who can’t take NSAIDs.
Corticosteroids are often given as oral tablets. They can also be given intravenously (through an IV) or intra-articularly (as an injection into a joint). Oral corticosteroids are prescribed for severe attacks that affect more than one joint, but are usually tapered off after a short time.Injections can be helpful for acute attacks.
Other Prescription Drug Options
For some people, NSAIDs, corticosteroids, and colchicine don’t offer symptom or preventative relief from chondrocalcinosis. In these instances, your healthcare provider might prescribedisease-modifying antirheumatic drugs(DMARDs), such as methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine:
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Prolotherapy, also known as regenerative injection therapy, is a complementary therapy used to treat joint and muscle pain. It involves repeated injections of an irritant solution (such as a sugar solution) into a part of an affected joint or a surrounding tendon or ligament.
The irritant is thought to trigger the growth of the connective tissue around the joint, eventually reducing pain. While the research is limited on the effectiveness of prolotherapy for treating chondrocalcinosis, some evidence suggests it might help with treating chondrocalcinosis of the knee.
Your healthcare provider is in the best position to answer your questions about prolotherapy and provide medical advice on whether this alternative therapy can help to manage your symptoms or prevent future attacks.
Additional options for treating chondrocalcinosis arejoint aspirationand surgical intervention.
Joint Aspiration
Surgery
Chondrocalcinosis isn’t treated with surgery. However, if left untreated or if joint damage occurs, your healthcare provider might recommend surgery to repair or replace affected bones or joints.
A Word From Verywell
A chondrocalcinosis flare-up can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Most people can manage their symptoms at home, and your practitioner can offer treatments to help prevent future episodes.
Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider about all the potential side effects and interactions of the medicines you use to treat chondrocalcinosis. Older adults, who are more likely to have this condition, are at an increased risk for severe side effects or interactions. Always inform your practitioner about changes to your health or the medications you take.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Barre L.Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD). American College of Rheumatology.Cleveland Clinic.5 foods that can cause inflammation.Food and Drug Administration.Understanding over-the-counter medicines.Iqbal SM, Qadir S, Aslam HM, Qadir MA.Updated treatment for calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: an insight.Cureus. 2019;11(1):e3840. doi:10.7759/cureus.3840Gunaydin C, Bilge SS.Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the molecular level.Eurasian J Med. 2018;50(2):116-121. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2018.0010National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.LiverTox: clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury. Acetaminophen.Hosseini B, Taheri M, Pourroustaei Ardekani R, et al.Periarticular hypertonic dextrose vs intraarticular hyaluronic acid injections: a comparison of two minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:269-274. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S215576Hanks JE, Levine D.Rheumatic conditions. In: A Comprehensive Guide to Geriatric Rehabilitation (pp. 134–140). 2014. Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-4588-2.00019-x
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Barre L.Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD). American College of Rheumatology.Cleveland Clinic.5 foods that can cause inflammation.Food and Drug Administration.Understanding over-the-counter medicines.Iqbal SM, Qadir S, Aslam HM, Qadir MA.Updated treatment for calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: an insight.Cureus. 2019;11(1):e3840. doi:10.7759/cureus.3840Gunaydin C, Bilge SS.Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the molecular level.Eurasian J Med. 2018;50(2):116-121. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2018.0010National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.LiverTox: clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury. Acetaminophen.Hosseini B, Taheri M, Pourroustaei Ardekani R, et al.Periarticular hypertonic dextrose vs intraarticular hyaluronic acid injections: a comparison of two minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:269-274. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S215576Hanks JE, Levine D.Rheumatic conditions. In: A Comprehensive Guide to Geriatric Rehabilitation (pp. 134–140). 2014. Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-4588-2.00019-x
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Barre L.Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD). American College of Rheumatology.Cleveland Clinic.5 foods that can cause inflammation.Food and Drug Administration.Understanding over-the-counter medicines.Iqbal SM, Qadir S, Aslam HM, Qadir MA.Updated treatment for calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: an insight.Cureus. 2019;11(1):e3840. doi:10.7759/cureus.3840Gunaydin C, Bilge SS.Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the molecular level.Eurasian J Med. 2018;50(2):116-121. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2018.0010National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.LiverTox: clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury. Acetaminophen.Hosseini B, Taheri M, Pourroustaei Ardekani R, et al.Periarticular hypertonic dextrose vs intraarticular hyaluronic acid injections: a comparison of two minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:269-274. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S215576Hanks JE, Levine D.Rheumatic conditions. In: A Comprehensive Guide to Geriatric Rehabilitation (pp. 134–140). 2014. Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-4588-2.00019-x
Barre L.Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD). American College of Rheumatology.
Cleveland Clinic.5 foods that can cause inflammation.
Food and Drug Administration.Understanding over-the-counter medicines.
Iqbal SM, Qadir S, Aslam HM, Qadir MA.Updated treatment for calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease: an insight.Cureus. 2019;11(1):e3840. doi:10.7759/cureus.3840
Gunaydin C, Bilge SS.Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at the molecular level.Eurasian J Med. 2018;50(2):116-121. doi:10.5152/eurasianjmed.2018.0010
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.LiverTox: clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury. Acetaminophen.
Hosseini B, Taheri M, Pourroustaei Ardekani R, et al.Periarticular hypertonic dextrose vs intraarticular hyaluronic acid injections: a comparison of two minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Open Access Rheumatol. 2019;11:269-274. doi:10.2147/OARRR.S215576
Hanks JE, Levine D.Rheumatic conditions. In: A Comprehensive Guide to Geriatric Rehabilitation (pp. 134–140). 2014. Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-7020-4588-2.00019-x
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