OSTEOARTHRITIS – A FIVE-STAR SUPPLEMENT PLAN

Osteoarthritis is a big problem, and judging by the number of TV ads with pain-relieving promises, it’s very common.

Most Americans over 50 suffer from some kind of joint discomfort. This can range from minor and annoying to full-out crippling. Fortunately, the majority of sufferers are in the minor and annoying stages.

Those in the crippling stages need medical attention and serious disease management – this post is not about them. I personally am in the minor pain and annoyance stage of osteoarthritis, the most common type of joint pain.

Let’s be clear here:

There are many causes of joint pain and discomfort. Here’s a short list that covers most of them. All of these causes might require medical treatment depending on their severity. To be clear, my issue is with osteoarthritis – the most common type of joint discomfort.

Osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis is a breakdown or erosion of the cartilage in the joint. Cartilage is a tough cover over places in your joints where bones join together – your knees, for example. Cartilage is a shock absorber and a slick lubricated material, allowing easy joint movement.

Age and wear weaken cartilage.

Some damaged cartilage comes from excessive wear. Damaged cartilage can be repaired, but it heals slowly. This slowness increases with age. Eventually, the cartilage is worn away, and surfaces normally covered by cartilage begin to rub against each other.

When this happens, other things can happen to damage the joint, but the most worrisome thing is inflammation, which causes swelling and additional damage.

This state of affairs is called osteoarthritis, and it is ubiquitous. This condition is a combination of wear, the inability to repair it, and the damaging effects of inflammation coming in and making things worse (attacks initiated by your immune system).

Building blocks of cartilage:

Now, cartilage is fairly complex, and if you want more detail, see this. There are different types of cartilage in your body, but here we are talking about the cartilage that cushions bone on bone junctions where easy movement (articulation) is required.

This type of cartilage is 70 to 80 percent type II collagen (60%) and water (15 to 20 percent). Yes, there are other things in the articular cartilage, but for the most part, these building blocks are complex proteins, and there are many.

Let’s just stick with collagen and water.

So, what does cartilage need to rebuild and repair?

For the most part, it needs type II collagen and water. These two things make up as much as 80% of your joint cartilage.

Next, your joints need to keep inflammation at bay while your body builds and, if needed, repairs cartilage.

Using type II collagen and holding water in place:

Type II collagen is easy to get. I get mine from Amazon, but you can get it from many suppliers. Just use a source that’s reliable. About collagen types: collagen types are not critical, but cartilage seems to prefer type II, and tendons, connective tissue, and skin prefer types I and III. A good brand will have all of these.

Collagen is a commodity; there is a lot of marketing hype out on the street from collagen sellers. Don’t listen. Just get the best price you can from a trusted source. When you see it on sale, stock up. Collagen prices are rising due to increased demand.

Do the best you can and make sure it’s hydrolyzed because this form is the most easily absorbed. In case you don’t have a collagen source, here’s what I use. This product has collagen types I, II, III, IV, and V. It is also the most reasonably priced collagen supplement in its category.

I take 20 grams a day and weigh 150 pounds. Do the math and adjust accordingly.

NOTE:

Some collagen brands have extra additives in them. The one I use does not; it is 100% collagen.

Among other things, some brands include hyaluronic acid. This is a selling point: the amount of hyaluronic acid they contain is insufficient. Now, in fairness, I haven’t researched every single brand of collagen on the market, but I prefer to use hyaluronic acid separately so I can adjust the dose.

To hold water in your cartilage, your body makes hyaluronic acid. As you age, this ability declines, and this is why older folks have dry and wrinkly skin as well as “stiff” cartilage. Many cosmetics contain this ingredient, and this is especially true of moisturizers.

Hyaluronic acid is pricey, but you can buy it in bulk packaging and save a ton of money. It is a white powder, and 200 milligrams daily should do the trick. There is no correct amount here, and this is a relatively safe supplement. Again, you can make adjustments as needed.

Inflammation Control:

Boswellia Serrata extract is a potent inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme responsible for inflammation. This enzyme slows down cartilage repair and does damage to cartilage on its own. Boswella keeps it out of the mix. I buy this in bulk and use 1000 milligrams daily.

Curcumin is the yellow pigment that gives Turmeric its color. This supplement does so many things it rates its own article. I will just say that it is a supreme antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Once again, keeping inflammation out of the cartilage picture.

Here’s a caveat: Curcumin is difficult to absorb, but Lifextension has created a highly absorbable form that I use myself. I recommend buying this product directly from Lifextension. If you don’t have a relationship with them, here’s a link to get this special supplement from Amazon (it won’t cost you any more on Amazon, and on occasion, I’ve seen it on sale there).

For dosing Curcuman, follow the manufacturer’s recommendation on the product’s label.

Okay, that’s four of the five stars from the Five Star Supplement Plan. Now, let’s look at the fifth star.

MSM

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a substantial source of sulfur, an element most of us don’t get enough of. Remember all those complex cartilage proteins I talked about earlier? Well, most of them require sulpher, and here’s where MSM comes in.

MSM does a lot more, though, than just supply sulfur. It has many health-serving properties, including arthritis relief. Here’s a link to learn more.

MSM is relatively cheap, and you can get it in many places. I Buy this in bulk, and one bag lasts me about a year. I take three to five grams daily, but there’s no specific dosage rule. On my gym days, I take the five-gram dose to get MSM’s muscle recovery benefits.

Notice about bulk packaging:

I take a lot of supplements, and when I can buy them in bulk packaging, I do. This saves me a lot of money and cuts the price of capsules by 60 to 70 percent. I use air-tight storage containers for my powders (you can get these just about anywhere cookware is sold.)

The other thing you will need is an inexpensive scale and some small measuring spoons. Here’s the scale I use: Milligram weighing scale. I like this one because it comes with a convenient weighing cup that makes it easy to pour out the powdered content onto another container.

For measuring spoons, here’s what I use: Measuring spoons. These are cheap, durable, and easy to use.

So, for about thirty US dollars, you are set up to use bulk powders. You will get your money back in savings with the first bag of powder you buy. Also, the bulk powders I recommended are a year’s supply each, so you won’t need to worry about re-ordering or running out because you forgot.

My Story can be your story:

Now that I’ve given you the ingredients for the Five Star Osteoarthritis Plan let me give you a brief rundown of my own experience.

I’m a pretty dedicated gym rat, and I do a lot of balance routines (which I highly recommend). The king of the balance routines is simply standing on one foot without assistance. I usually do this routine twice a week.

Now, standing on one foot for, say, five minutes puts a double load on your standing foot’s ankle. I started to notice some discomfort doing this in my left ankle, and over time, the discomfort turned to pain.

Soon, I was having pain in both feet with accompanying pain in my knees and my left hip. These would also ache at night. Officially, this pain was diagnosed as osteoarthritis and attributed to overuse.

This was about three years ago.

What I did:

At first, I started using ibuprofen before going to the gym. I don’t like this because this is a band-aid, not a solution. So, to make a long story short, I started taking MSM along with the ibuprofen, which gave me some extra relief.

My next step was curcumin, which made quite a difference, especially with the aching at night. At this point, I quit the bupropion.

With a lot of reading and study, the other three supplements fell into place.

This was about three years ago, and today, I have no pain in my feet, knees, or hips.

Now, how about you?

First, make sure your condition is related to osteoarthritis – there are other things that can cause these symptoms. Second, if you feel the need, discuss the Five Star plan with your healthcare professional and get a thumbs up.

Now you’re ready. You do not need a prescription for any of the Five Star supplements.

Get them and start taking them as recommended. Take them every day. If you have any reactions, stop taking them for about a week, and then start taking them again one at a time. Start with MSM, and add the next one after a week.

Keep doing this to see which one is causing the reaction.

The most likely reaction is an upset stomach or nausea. This will probably pass on its own; if it doesn’t, try spacing the supplements out over the course of your day.

Don’t expect much at first:

This is a slow process that might take a few months to help. Also, it will depend on the extent of your condition to begin with. There are no guarantees this will work. Before you start, get a notepad and write down how you feel and what your pain levels are. Do the same thing each month thereafter.

In my case, it was a 90-day period before I was really comfortable and about another 90 days before I could say I was pain-free. That’s six months, so be patient.

Finally, just because I do something doesn’t mean you should. I have given you valuable information that helped me, and I’ve shown you how to get and use the tools you need for yourself. Now, you should research it for yourself and do your homework. Based on your own research, make the decision that is best for you.

Best Wishes,

OMY1

By the way, the Five Star Supplement Plan is great for skin, hair, and nails.

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