Supplements

Think of joint protection as occurring from both the outside and the inside of your body. The external devices I have described can reduce pain and improve joint alignment so that you exercise with greater comfort. Companies advertise various supplements that they claim protect cartilage within the joints and reduce pain. Before discussing some of the supplements that research has recognized as having potential benefits, I will address some of the issues surrounding supplements.

In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act, which permits over-the-counter sales of herbal and other types of supplements. The law does not require documented evidence of the efficacy and safety of these supplements, and there is no guarantee of their dosage and purity. Even if a study finds potential benefits from a supplement, you cannot be sure that the brand you buy has the same properties as the one that was studied, because of the lack of regulation. Furthermore, very few controlled studies have examined the use of herbal supplements for arthritis. Many people assume that if a substance is herbal, it is automatically safe. This assumption is not true; some herbal remedies have adverse side effects or can interfere with prescription medications. It is vital that you check with a pharmacist or other trained health care provider who has researched herbal supplement use.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

Fish Oil

Calcium