Jumpstart Your Joints

Joint pain is one of the most common medical ailments, and it’s also one of the most bewildering. Millions of Americans of all ages suffer from this debilitating condition, but conventional medicine offers few options for a true cure. While steroids and other pharmaceutical drugs may provide limited pain relief, they often come with side effects that can make the cure much worse than the original problem. Perhaps of even greater significance is these drugs only help cover up the symptoms, and the underlying problem goes untreated.

So it’s not surprising that patients who can’t find relief from traditional Western approaches are turning to alternative treatments for joint pain. Natural joint pain treatments are typically free of serious side effects and provide safe relief of symptoms. And, there are numerous well-regarded studies that have shown that natural supplements are effective in relieving joint pain without causing negative side effects. Perhaps even more promising are studies that show some natural supplements not only relieve pain but actually rebuild cartilage as well.

If you’re suffering from joint pain, there are many effective, natural treatment options available that will not only get you feeling better, but can also heal the problem at its source. What’s more, some of these treatment options can be used to help prevent joint problems before they ever begin.

What Causes Joint Pain
Joint pain is an all too common complaint. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 20.7 million adults in the United States have osteoarthritis—the most common form of arthritis. Another 2.1 million Americans suffer from the crippling autoimmune condition rheumatoid arthritis. Millions more suffer from other conditions that cause joint pain, including bursitis, gout, and infectious diseases.

Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between bones, muscles, tendons, and skin. Gout is caused by an excessive level of uric acid in the blood, resulting in sudden, severe attacks of pain in joints. Infectious diseases that can cause arthritis result from bacteria or viruses, such as staph, strep, or lyme disease. And then there are sports injuries and the plain old wear and tear of life, which affect many millions more. Although joint pain may be thought of as a disease that only affects the elderly, in fact it’s an equal-opportunity condition that affects both the young and the old.

According to Jason Theodosakis, MD, author of The Arthritis Cure (Griffin Trade, 1997), a wide array of problems can lead to joint pain. “Some common causes of joint pain include infections of all kinds in the joint; cancer; inflammation of the joint, capsule, or bone covering; infarct or death of the bone or tendon; ligament strains, sprains, or tears; and crystal deposits such as gout, pseudogout, or iron overload.”

Naturopathic physician Michael Murray, author of Arthritis: Your Natural Guide to Healing with Diet, Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, Exercise, and Other Natural Methods (Prima Lifestyles, 1994), says most of the patients he sees for joint pain have done damage to the affected area. “Injury to the joint would have to be the number one factor in most cases,” Murray says.

Whatever the cause, the symptom that stands out for most people is the searing pain, dull ache, or the many vexing variations in between. Other symptoms that may accompany the pain include swollen, red, or tender joints; numbness; difficulty bending and straightening the joint; stiffness; and pain when moving the joint.

No matter what the cause of your unique manifestation of joint pain, the main options for treatment offered by conventional medicine are pharmaceutical drugs. These in-clude drugs such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and the newest generation of NSAIDs known as COX-2 inhibitors.

According to Theodosakis, the problem with acetaminophen is that it is frequently ineffective for actually relieving joint pain. And he maintains that the COX-2 inhibitors present possibly serious side effects, including increased risk of clots, strokes, and heart attack, as well as the risk of potential loss of cartilage. The risks with traditional NSAIDs are well documented and include the possibility of bleeding ulcers, kidney damage, and high blood pressure.

“New evidence actually funded by Merck indeed shows that Vioxx [a COX-2 inhibitor] users have a higher heart attack rate than those who use other NSAIDs or no NSAIDs,” Theodosakis explains. “Also, COX-2 drugs have an equal incidence of kidney damage as traditional NSAID drugs. And all NSAID users risk higher rates of heart failure and a 5 percent to 10 percent higher chance of hypertension,” he says.

Murray concurs that the pharmaceutical options available for relief of joint pain are problematic. He says that, although current research shows these drugs may produce some short-term benefits, they may actually accelerate the progression of the joint destruction in the long run. “Glycosaminoglycans are the compounds responsible for maintaining proper water content in cartilage, helping cartilage keep its gel-like nature and shock absorbing qualities,” says Murray. “Some of these drugs actually constrain cartilage repair by inhibiting the formation of glycosaminoglycans. Simply stated, aspirin and other NSAIDs appear to suppress the symptoms but accelerate the progression of osteoarthritis. Their use should be avoided.”

Natural Joint Relief
Those suffering from joint pain have a wide variety of natural treatment options to choose from for finding relief. Murray says the main advantage to natural treatments for joint pain is that they address the underlying causes of the problem and can produce true healing instead of simply blocking the symptoms.

Perhaps two of the most well-known and well-studied natural treatments for joint pain are glucosamine and chondroitin. Glucosamine is an amino sugar extracted from the shells of chitin (shellfish) or produced from corn. Chondroitin is a naturally occurring substance found in cartilage, and supplements are derived from the cartilage of animals, such as cows and sharks.

Numerous studies have borne out the effectiveness of both glucosamine and chondroitin for relieving joint pain, as well as growing new cartilage. According to Theodosakis, both glucosamine and chondroitin have been proven to be far more effective and safer than the common arthritis drugs used in the United States. “There have been 40 controlled clinical trials proving their efficacy,” says Theodosakis. “Glucosamine and chondroitin studies show better X rays in the supplement group compared to the placebo group. The X rays for the placebo group showed a loss of joint space width, which means a loss of cartilage. The X rays for those taking the supplements showed a slight gain in the width of the joint space, and fewer bone spurs.” Theodosakis says that no traditional treatment has such extensive evidence backing it. He also points to the fact that the longest studies on Vioxx and Celebrex (both COX-2 inhibitors) are only 12 months, and each showed major losses of cartilage, even with pain relief.

Murray says the effects of gluco-samine on joint pain are especially well documented. “All told, glucosamine has now been the subject of more than 300 scientific investigations and more than 20 double-blind studies,” he says. “Head-to-head, double-blind studies have shown glucosamine to produce better long-term results than NSAIDs in relieving the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis, and it’s virtually without side effects. The latest long-term studies also indicate that if there is still cartilage between the joints, it can be thickened and improved with glucosamine supplementation.”

Theodosakis notes that one of the most interesting aspects of both glucosamine and chondroitin use is that joint cartilage improves even if there is no pain relief. “It’s not very surprising that you might find improvement in the absence of pain relief, since cartilage has no nerve endings itself, and the pain comes from other sources, usually structures around the joint,” he says. Theodosakis also recommends patients take 1,500 mg of glucosamine HCL supplement, or 1,800 mg of glucosamine sulfate supplement daily. He recommends 800-1,200 mg of chondroitin supplementation daily.

Another natural treatment showing great promise is avocado-soybean unsaponifiable, or ASU. ASU is derived from small portions of avocado and soybean oils and is an entirely vegetarian alternative for joint pain relief. According to Theodosakis, ASU has undergone substantial research in France, where it has been used for more than 15 years. “Anyone taking Tylenol, NSAIDs, or COX-2 inhibitors should use ASU, since it can reduce the need for these drugs and offset their negative effect on cartilage,” Theodosakis says. He recommends supplementing with 300 mg of ASU daily.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as fish oil and GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) offer another promising treatment for joint pain. Oil from fish contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are omega-3 fatty acids. According to an overview study of alternative treatments for arthritis published in the journal Drug Discovery Today, cod liver oil has been documented as a treatment for arthritis as far back as 1783. The overview study found that fish oil supplementation results in significant improvements in a variety of clinical outcome measures, including grip strength, morning stiffness, tender joints, and lessened NSAID intake.

Murray also feels fish oil can be an important supplement for helping joint pain. “For rheumatoid arthritis, studies with high dosages of pharmaceutical grade fish oils have produced very good results,” he says. Murray recommends that patients take 1,800 mg of EPA fish oils and 1,200 mg of DHA fish oils daily.And while you’re at it, Murray also recommends MSM, a source of physiological sulfur, for joint pain relief. Although MSM doesn’t have the bulk of research behind it that some of the other supplements have,
initial studies suggest it is a promising new additional treatment. MSM is becoming increasingly popular and often comes bundled with glucosamine supplements. Murray recommends patients take 1,500-3,000 mg of MSM daily.

Other supplements that have been shown to help joint pain include antioxidants like vitamins C and E, capsaicin, green tea extracts, vitamin D, homeopathic supplements, enzymes, and traditional Chinese herbal treatments.

Stop Joint Pain Before it Starts
The very best way to cure joint pain is to stop it before it ever begins. According to Theodosakis, there are a variety of things people can do to help their joints stay healthy for life. He advises that glucosamine, chondroitin, and ASU all be used as preventative supplements while you still feel good in order to help you continue to feel that way. “I can’t stress how important it is to not wait until joint problems arise to start taking joint supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, and ASU,” he says. “Those who waited to use the supplements have lost cartilage. I know some well-known rheumatologists [arthritis doctors] who were waiting, and they’re sorry they did so.”

He offers several other suggestions for preventing future joint pain, including early diagnosis of conditions that lead to joint pain, maintaining your ideal weight, exercising regularly in moderation, and optimizing the way you move to counteract stress to your joints. He also advises that you avoid using anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers, which can make you injure your joints without feeling the pain.

It is important that patients continue using supplements even if they don’t feel immediate pain relief. “Just like calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis, some people don’t feel any change in their symptoms when they’re taking the joint supplements,” says Theodosakis. “This doesn’t mean you just stop taking the supplements. We now know that lack of pain relief does not translate into lack of help for the cartilage.

“Studies have shown repeatedly that, for those taking joint supplements, X rays were better after three years and five years—even in those who took the supplements but didn’t have any pain relief. This is an important message for all of us to hear!”

The good news is that if you already have joint pain, natural options can provide a better, safer, and more effective treatment than pharmaceuticals. And if you haven’t developed joint pain yet, now is the time to get going on a prevention program to help your joints stay healthy and happy for life.