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Conventional treatment for osteoarthritis relies almost entirely upon painkillers. I've been reading that NAIDs being used in osteoarthritis may actually accelerate the progression of the joint destruction.
Some time ago, Glucosamine has become a popular alternative treatment of osteoarthritis. Does it really help the body repair damaged joints and prevent joint destruction? Has anybody succeeded with glucosamine for treatment of osteoarthritis?
I used Glucosamine/Chondroitin for 5 years with no discernable effect whatsoever. But I have found something that works for me. Green Lipped Mussel extract. I have been taking it for 10 months and my knees are fantastic! Prior to that, every 3 to 4 weeks my knees would swell up and I would be limping for two weeks and taking Vioxx to kill the pain. It had become so bad that I finally made an appointment with the surgeon for orthoscopy on my left knee. I had already had it done on my right knee. The surgeon had a two month backlog. So, in the meantime, I decided to try the mussel which had worked wonders for my torn rotator cuff and my sons broken clavicle. It works for arthritis also. Why? Maybe it simply reduces inflammation. I don't know. All I know is I cancelled my surgeon appointment and have been leading a normal active life ever since. No, I cannot go jogging, but I have no problem walking 4 miles on the treadmill with no after-effects. But, I have found no studies of the mussel. So I don't know if it may also be doing bad things to me. Time will tell because I intend to keep taking it.
Nice to hear that you have found the remedy that works!
I've done a little research on Green lipped mussel extract and found that in fact it has been shown to be useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. It is also used for inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. There are some clinical studies for Green lipped mussel extract here
And some studies on glucosamine here and here say that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate did not provide significant relief from osteoarthritis pain among all participants. However, a smaller subgroup of study participants with moderate-to-severe pain showed significant relief with the combined supplements.
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