6 months is long enough to know if they are helping you Frank - I'm applying Arnica gel like a hand cream it sinks in quickly and you don't feel any stickiness with it. It helps a bit and is cooling too I feel very vulnerable with the arthritis as its limiting what I can do, we need our hands afterall, so anything that helps is welcome
My wife, who had many joint problems when we had livestock to care for, said the pills (glucosamine and chondroitin) didn't do her much good, but the liquid form of the same supplements worked wonders for her, and allowed her to continue milking goats by hand and handling feed and hay. She no longer uses it , as the stresses on her body are not so great any more, but the helped a lot when she took them.
We both use...…..Topricin Pain Relief Cream, take a Turmeric capsule daily and use Ambary Gardens 500mg Organic CBD Deep Rub. I no longer take Glucosamine, because it raised my bg too much and didn't seem to be working on my arthritis pain anyway. I also have a VA Medical prescription of 800mg ibuprofen and 50mg Tramadol that I can take...…...if/when needed. The Tramadol isn't taken on a daily basis and is the lowest strength (50mg) that is available.
That is an excellent point, @Don Alaska , and brings up something that applies to most of the supplements that we take, and that is that it HAS to be properly digested for it to be used by the body, and the liquid (or a powder) is used a lot more readily than a tablet or capsule, which has to dissolve. I remember reading that when we have food, our body knows that it is getting nourishment, and starts all of the digestive process going, so it can utilize the food. When you swallow a handful of pills, the body has no clue that it is nourishment, and often it just passes on through the body, barely dissolving, and not doing much good, if any. The best time to take medication or supplants of any kind, is to take them along with some kinds of food, so that our body can process them along with digesting the food, and then we get the benefits of the supplement. I take a liquid magnesium supplement, as well as a trace mineral one, and Lugol’s iodine. I just add the drops of those in with my iced coffee, and I never know that they are even in there. My other supplements, I take along with a meal, or at least near enough to that, threat my digestion is still busy processing food that I ate earlier.
That is all true, @Yvonne Smith. Generally speaking, the only supplements that should be taken on an empty stomach as the amino acids. I have read that betasitosterol should be taken with meals if you are trying to lower cholesterol, and should be taken on an empty stomach if you are addressing prostate issues...which doesn't apply to you, of course. Some hormones, such as thyroid supplements, are also recommended on an empty stomach.
Nearly all supplements have sort of a double edged sword caveat attached to it. Bromelain, for instance, is one of the best natural anti-inflammatory meds a person can take, but it’s best on an empty stomach. That said, it can also be used to help protein metabolization and digestion but has to be taken with a meal. But, back to the OP, my ortho doctor confirmed what I had read about Glucosamine in that if it helps, keep using it but if it doesn’t then don’t. Either way there is no real research that says with absolute certainty that it helps with cartilage replacement or repair. Matter of fact, in the control groups I have read about, the placebo groups faired as well as the people who took the actual med. It’s kind of like missing a hand and saying that if you eat a hand, your missing hand will grow back. But, as the ortho guy said, it doesn’t appear that it hurts anything so it’s just one of those things that goes from person to person and if it helps then great, keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.
@Bobby Cole I bought Bromelain in capsules, opened them one by one, and keep the powder in a shaker-jar. I sprinkle it on my meat dishes, primarily beef, as a tenderizer. Much more natural than monosodium glutamate. "Bromelain is an enzyme extract derived from the stems of pineapples, although it exists in all parts of the fresh plant and fruit. The extract has a history of folk medicine use. As a culinary ingredient, it may be used as a meat tenderizer."
An advertisement for collagen powder hit my Inbox, and it claims that a reduced amount of collagen in our bones is the problem with bone density issues, not a lack of calcium in the diet. Apparently calcium needs some collagen to adhere to. This is part of a concern I've had regarding calcium in my system and worrying about my bone density. I see some folks here supplement with gelatin, and one or two have tried collagen supplements. Have any of you had much success with collagen supplements? I note that @Don Alaska commented on a study stating you needed Vit C in order to properly metabolize the collagen. I've also read @Yvonne Smith's short Bone Broth thread to get some ideas on how to get collagen without relying on supplements.
I've worked with 2 collagen products and NOW am using https://www.iherb.com/pr/now-foods-...MIgtnx39O2hQMVKQ-tBh2wjAjSEAQYAiABEgKVRvD_BwE Is it helping, I hope so, my joints could be a lot worse if I didn't take it. The cost is easy and taking it is easy.' My great body has been so damaged from surgery and longtime OA..... The broth is very involved and I've attempted that route too....
I'm 6 weeks into my cup of Green Tea/day routine for knee pain - especially when going up & down stairs. I have to say - BIG improvement. For the first time in weeks, I'm going up & down stair without swearing & without "Old Man" comments. And I mowed the whole back yard this morning - 1/2 acre.
That's quite an accomplishment, that just doesn't feel right for me, I am not into tea drinking in my life now..but good for you Maybe I spoke too soon, I drank a lot of green teas yrs ago but not in recent years....been drinking no teas in about 10 yrs or more. It contains compounds called catechins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Some studies have suggested that green tea may be helpful for reducing inflammation and pain associated with conditions like arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
You need to go to an Asian grocery store and buy some real loose green tea. Or go online to Indigo Tea and try the Dragonwell or the Gunpowder. You have to brew them (they are not tea bags), but not being tea bags makes a big difference.
I have no experience with green tea, so could you tell more about brand etc. My joint problems are in my toes mostly and I'm afraid I'm starting to walk funny with an old man's gate (dammit!).
I drink a cup/day. I don't like the taste, so I just gulp it down. Here's a photo. I found it on Amazon for much less than in Asian markets: