Millions of Americans suffer from bone and joint problems ranging from osteoporosis to arthritis, and even though they were once considered inevitable markers of old age, these disorders are now considered serious health problems. "The public has very little understanding about arthritis," says Dr. John Klippel, medical director for the Arthritis Foundation. "Many people associate arthritis with the process of aging; they assume aches and pains are an inevitable part of aging, when in fact it is not a natural part of aging."

A 2002 survey done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that arthritis and other chronic joint problems are far more widespread than estimated just five years ago, affecting one in three U.S. adults, or 69.9 million people. The numbers were 63 percent higher than a 1997 estimate that showed about one in five U.S. adults were affected. There are several possible reasons for the dramatic increase: baby boomers are aging, the survey was probably more thorough, more people are seeing their doctors for chronic joint and bone problems, and doctors are becoming more acutely aware of the vast array of joint and bone problems.

In fact, according to Ellen Kamhi, a member of the Panel of Traditional Medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, and co-author of Arthritis: An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide (Celestial Arts, 1998), doctors now recognize more than 100 types of arthritis and refer to it as an aggregate of illnesses stemming from problems that range from obesity to heredity. Added stress placed on the joints from overexertion, poor diet and lifestyle contribute to the problem, which rears its ugly head as joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

The good news is that unlike aspirin and other nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs commonly prescribed for arthritis, natural remedies do more than mask painful symptoms … and without any side effects. People using glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate have reported a dramatic reduction in pain and a huge increase in joint mobility, sometimes in a few weeks. Even more dramatic, X-rays show that arthritis damage can actually be reversed.¹ And the scientific evidence showing that these two nutrients are effective in combating osteoarthritis continues to build. Nine medical centers around the country are currently participating in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) four-year study— the biggest study ever on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate—that is targeted at the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Results of the NIH study are expected in March 2005, and based on past studies we expect the outcome will be extremely positive.

While it's great news that gluscosamine and chondroitin sulfate are finally receiving the attention they deserve, you should be aware of the other supplements that assist in rebuilding cartilage and have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Dozens of scientific studies show that methyl-donors and anti-inflammatory botanicals such as Boswellin and curcumin also alleviate arthritis. This confirms what nutritional scientists and thousands of supplement users have been saying for years:

Natural supplements enable you to prevent, improve, and even reverse the debilitating effects of arthritis without dangerous drugs or surgery.

Here are the five most powerful arthritis fighters, which, when taken together, provide your best protection against arthritis and other joint problems:

Arthritis Fighter #1
Glucosamine rebuilds your body's natural shock absorbers

First used in the United States to treat arthritis-like symptoms in horses and other animals, glucosamine continues to make headlines as scientific evidence mounts that it is a powerful anti-arthritic. New double-blind medical studies confirm that it not only reduces the symptoms of arthritis, but can also stop the disease dead in its tracks, and may even repair some of the damage that has already occurred.²³

Glucosamine sulfate is the same substance that is naturally produced by your body and enables you to build new cartilage—the gel-like material that lines your joints and acts as a natural shock absorber. Unfortunately, as you age, you lose the ability to manufacture sufficient amounts of glucosamine, leading to stiffness of the joints and eventually to full-blown arthritis.

Glucosamine combats arthritis by stimulating the manufacture of glucosamino-glycans, a natural lubricant and shock absorber which enables your joints to move smoothly and painlessly.⁴ Glucosamine also promotes incorporation of sulfur into cartilage, increasing its strength and durability.

Proven to reduce pain and inflammation

A recent study done at King's College in London, and published in March, 2002, in the British Journal of Community Nursing, compared the effectiveness of glucosamine with ibuprofen for relief of joint pain. The study found that glucosamine can be used as an alternative to anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics or as a useful adjunct to standard analgesic therapy. The study indicated that glucosamine's pain-relieving effects might be due to its cartilage-rebuilding properties, which is a significant bonus you certainly don't get with simple analgesics.⁵

It's important to note that ibuprofen and other NSAIDs appear to only treat the symptoms of arthritis, not its cause. Also, NSAIDs carry an increased risk of side effects including gastrointestinal complaints and bleeding. Furthermore, there is an indication that NSAIDs may increase the progression of arthritis. In contrast, glucosamine actually repairs damaged joints, in effect reversing degenerative arthritis.²³ The longer glucosamine is used, the more dramatic and long-lasting the improvement.

Glucosamine helps pain associated with sports injuries

One friend of mine, a black belt in karate, who broke several fingers when he was in his mid-twenties says that glucosamine has had a profound impact on his life. Although his fingers healed completely, by the time he was 35, he was showing early symptoms of arthritis of the fingers.

"When my fingers started getting stiffer and stiffer in my thirties, I first tried taking aspirin and Tylenol. For a few weeks it helped, but then I had to use higher and higher dosages. The stiffness still returned. Even with aspirin, the problem got so bad in colder months that I sometimes couldn't even make a fist, which is a major problem if you practice martial arts.

"Then I heard about glucosamine and chondroitin and tried them. The improvement was dramatic and apparently permanent. So long as I keep taking my glucosamine/chondroitin, there's no more stiffness. My hip flexibility also improved. Even though I'm now over 45, I can still do a full split. I also don't get the stomach aches I often got from aspirin."

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