Glucosamine Chondroitin Sulfate To Help Arthritis Pain?

What is Arthritis?

The word ‘arthritis’ actually means ‘inflammation of the joint’.
There are more than 150 forms of arthritis, with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis being by far the most common.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is caused by a breakdown of the cartilage inside the joints. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes brittle and erodes away, leading to inflammation, stiffness and pain.

Elderly people are at risk of developing osteoarthritis because of the cumulative effect of years of “wear and tear” on weight-bearing joints, such as the knees and hip. But other factors can also contribute, including joint abnormalities, fractures and gout. Osteoarthritis generally creeps up slowly, with morning stiffness often being the first sign.

Glucosamine has been demonstrated to be at least as effective as the popular NSAID painkiller ibuprofen. Research shows it may also help slow - and in many cases, reverse - the progression of Osreoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, can develop rapidly and can affect people of any age. It differs from osteoarthritis in that it is essentially an auto-immune disease. A malfunction in the body’s immune system causes it to attack it’s own joint tissues, causing inflammation, swelling, and sometimes deformity of the joints in later stages.

Not as much is known about the possible triggers of rheumatoid arthritis, which may include hereditary, nutritional or environmental factors.

Glucosamine and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Glucosamine is marketed for one particular type of arthritis: osteoarthritis. But, what if your joint problem is caused by another form of the disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common form of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints. It has several special features making it different from other kinds of arthritis. It is a disease, which attacks the body’s immune system, an autoimmune disease.

Because rheumatoid arthritis affects the body differently from osteoarthritis, people with rheumatoid arthritis should not expect glucosamine to provide relief. It could be a waste of money and, just as importantly, treatment time. If a patient with rheumatoid arthritis delays seeing a doctor in favor of experimenting with glucosamine, the underlying condition could get worse.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin may not be a good treatment option for rheumatoid arthritis patients. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, and glucosamine has been tested primarily for one type of the disease, osteoarthritis. Before considering glucosamine as an arthritis treatment, it is important to know which type of arthritis you have.

OmegOilsa 3 Fish

Omega 3 Fish oils that contain fatty acids have been found to help reduce the inflammation associated with some types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, are characterized by joint inflammation.

The omega fish oil works by reducing the number of inflammatory 'messenger' molecules made by the body's immune system.

The Arthritis Foundation recommends eating at least two fish meals a week - in particular fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines which contain the most omega-3. Alternatively, fish oil supplements are a convenient way to ensure a regular therapeutic dose. Supplements also have the added advantage of being purified of mercury, toxins and heavy metals.

Check with your doctor before making any changes to your medication or diet, or starting an exercise program. See the Omega 3 page for more info

Pain Management - Guided Imagery

It has often been considered that self healing guided imagery and relaxation techniques can play a part in managing chronic Arthritis pain, so setting out a sensible, healthy diet and using relaxation, guided imagery and stress management are recommended steps in pain management strategy.

Get a Diagnosis First

Always talk with your doctor before taking any new supplements. Be sure you understand which type of arthritis you may have, and recognize glucosamine is not intended for rheumatoid arthritis or other forms of the disease except osteoarthritis. Your doctor can help you determine the appropriate arthritis treatment program for you based on your complete medical profile.