Supplements for joint pain?

[Anonymous 1]

I have been to 3 different doctors for second and third opinions on this topic. I started having hip pain and pain in an old knee injury a couple of years ago. I figured it was due to having a sedentary lifestyle and being overweight. I since started working on my health and losing weight. The pain didn't go away and has spread to my lower back and legs. They have run all sorts of tests on me but everything always comes back fine. They diagnosed me with arthritis. I was 40.

When I told my favorite doctor that I couldn't take it anymore and I needed another referral or something, he agreed to give me a referral but encouraged me to begin prescription pain medicine. Addiction and substance abuse run deep in my family and I had a pill problem as a teenager so I absolutely do not want to go that route if I don't have to.

This doctor is open to supplements and said that if i give him a list of supplements that could help with joint pain, he would research each one and would start testing my blood regularly to make sure my body is tolerating them well.

I'm familiar with a few of them- glucosamine chondroitin, movewell, osteo biflex. Has anyone actually taken these for joint pain and did they actually help?

[carterscutie85]

My husband takes Tumeric and Magnesium. It helps him. I take Tumeric and I think it helps. No experience with the ones you listed though.

[Anonymous 2]

I dealt exactly the same situation. The supplements didn't help me.

[MonarchMom]

If the problem is arthritis I don't think a supplement is going to help. You can get some relief from over the counter medications, but the best course seems to be increasing muscle strength to keep the joint aligned properly and support the joints.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con ... t-20046440

[cgd5112]

Try doing mobility exercises. Internal and external rotation of the hip joint and knee joint. This will move and distribute the synovial fluid in the space and provide a bit of a lubrication to alleviate some of the inflammation. Like Monarch suggested , focus on strength training your hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. These large muscles support the hip and knee joints and can alleviate some of the pain and inflammation , especially as you lose weight.
If you have access to a gym with a pool, swimming is a great option to exercise without weight bearing. Yoga will also aid in mobility and synovial fluid distribution, and help build strength.
Supplements will not target joint inflammation/pain. Save your money.

[LiveWhatULove]

Have you worked with physical therapy? If so, how long have you been doing the recommended exercises?

If it is lower back pain, I would actually recommend a chiropractor, as there is some evidence that it can be helpful (please note I am extremely skeptical of any chiropractor care for other pains or areas).

I would be quite hesitant of any provider that was suggesting you started chronic opioids for lower back pain in the year 2024, in your 40’s. This is just…not what I would consider good care.

Which specialists did you see? Pain management? Orthopedic? And who else?

[Slimshandy]

There’s something called “joint juice” that used to be sold at Costco that was amazing. I’ll go look for where it’s sold

[Slimshandy]

It was a liquid- but maybe Costco switched to pills…
https://www.costco.com/glucosamine-join ... %25AE%2522

[PoplarGrove]

If it's arthritis I don't know if herbal remedies are going to do it.

You might want to ask your doctor about duloxetine, though. There's increasing research proving that it helps with osteoarthritis. It's traditionally an antidepressant but it's anti inflammatory properties and its ability to lower chronic pain overall might help you as much as prescription pain killers.

Injections of corticosteroids might also benefit you more than prescription pain meds.

[SallyMae]

Here is what I recommend. Are there any Pho Shops in your area? Order pho with tendon. You can also get tendon at international markets.

This is what the connective tissues that pad the joints are made of. We add tendon to our diet whenever our joints start to ache and it really helps.