Arthritis and Joint Pain Supplements: Know the Best Pain Relief for You

Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints. The term is used to describe nearly 100 conditions with different causes that affect other joints and the tissues surrounding these joints. Normally, arthritis causes swelling and tenderness in one or more joints in our body. It’s a rheumatic health condition, and most people use arthritis and joint pain supplements to help manage the disease’s symptoms. Most often, symptoms develop over a period of time. Arthritis mostly affects people over the age of 65, but in the last decade, even people over 50 have been complaining more and more about arthritis and joint pain. Arthritis is common in women and overweight people. Sadly enough, the disease symptoms may also appear in children, teens, and younger adults.

Two of the most important types of arthritis are OA (osteoarthritis) and RA (rheumatoid arthritis). Patients suffering from arthritis experience joint pain, muscle stiffness, and swelling of the affected part of the body. Sometimes, the skin around the affected joints turns red and the joint range of motion decreases significantly. Severe RA, if not treated properly, can cause joint deformity. RA patients experience a loss of appetite and a decrease in red blood cell count. Medical specialists haven’t been able to find a guaranteed treatment that gets rid of the condition completely. However, supplements for joint pain and the best arthritis pain relief cream are thought to relieve the symptoms somewhat. This article sheds light on the remedies or supplements that may help with this condition, and you may have a better idea of what the best vitamin for stiff joints might be in the end.

What is the Best Joint Pain Supplement?

The joints that are most commonly affected by osteoarthritis include the ones that are the most weight-bearing. It’s also called degenerative joint disease. The joints most commonly under stress include the hip joint, spine, knee, and big toe. Arthritis treatment focuses on improving joint functionality and relieving the disease symptoms. The treatment is done in various ways, such as medications and physical and modern drug therapy, and in the worst-case scenario, health professionals are left with no choice but surgery.

Using arthritis and joint pain supplements is the first line of action to fight against the symptoms. Changing your lifestyle, an anti-inflammatory diet, and daily exercise are also quite helpful in the struggle for better health. Studies have shown interesting results for the use of supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin against joint pain and arthritis. Some commonly used supplements for arthritis and joint pain include fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, curcumin S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM), and some vitamins such as vitamin A, C, D, and K. These vitamins have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects which may help in relieving pain and improving quality of life.

Other Pain Relief May Help

Currently used drug therapies for this potentially debilitating health disorder deliver only analgesic results and do not affect the disease process itself. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 9.6% of men and 18% of women over the age of 60 have symptomatic arthritis. Considering the scale and seriousness of the numbers, drug manufacturers and clinical experts have put their efforts into searching for compounds that could help delay or halt the natural progression of the symptoms of joint pain problems. A wide range of pharmacological compounds and bio-substances have been reported to provide disease-modifying activity. Studies suggest that chondroitin and glucosamine may help with joint pain symptoms as they have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is the most popular arthritis and joint pain supplement in the U.S. In osteoarthritis, degeneration and loss of cartilage happen, which results in damage to the opposing bones and bone overgrowth. Eventually, these changes result in joint pain accompanied by tenderness and stiffness and a limitation or loss of joint movement. Cartilage consists of a matrix of collagen fibers filled with high-molecular weight proteoglycans. In osteoarthritis, these proteoglycans and other liquids in the joint are disrupted. Research suggests interesting results for the use of glucosamine, as it may help stimulate the cartilage cells to produce proteoglycans and thus provide sufficient substance for cartilage repair. Glucosamine is mostly obtained as a dietary supplement from chitin (a polymer) found in the exoskeletons of crabs and shellfish.

Chondroitin

Chondroitin is also a dietary supplement used by arthritis patients. It is a high-molecular weight glycosaminoglycan and has been championed as a potential disease modifier. Chondroitin plays an important role in the functionality and structural integrity of the joints. Chondroitin is normally derived from shark cartilage and other animal cartilage sources for commercial use. Evidence from three different clinical studies suggests that long-term use of chondroitin may help slow joint space narrowing. Another small study reports that chondroitin may help to increase cartilage volume and reduce the disease symptoms.

Studies suggest that arthritis supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin may play a critical role in the balance of anabolic and catabolic signals in joints. Their regulatory function on the homeostasis of cartilage is considered for the management of disease symptoms. In the conventional treatment of arthritis and joint pain, medicine with pain-relieving effects is used to obtain temporary pain relief, but these drugs might not help with improving the disease symptoms. Some studies give conflicting results about the supplements used for arthritis other than glucosamine and chondroitin. These include DMSO and MSM, two chemically related dietary compounds. Some experts suggest that ASU (avocado soybean unsaponifiables) supplements that are extracted from soybean and avocado oils may also show modest beneficial effects on symptoms of arthritis and joint pain. Some people use CBD cream for immediate pain relief and herbs to ease arthritis pain, but their use for the said purpose lacks evidence backed by double-blind studies.

What Is the Best Vitamin for Stiff Joints?

Medical practitioners find it very difficult to suggest the right supplements for joint pain and arthritis pain relief. Another way to tackle the problem is to do all that is possible to head it off in the first place. Studies suggest that a deficiency of vitamin D is a precursor for arthritis and stiff joints, so vitamin D gummies supplements may help in improving the osteoarthritis symptoms and function of stiff joints. A deficiency of vitamin D can be determined through a blood test. Low vitamin D levels are also linked with worse rheumatoid symptoms, muscle weakness, stiff joints, and heart diseases. Vitamin D is famous for its ability to increase bone mass and studies suggest its effectiveness against bone loss. Therefore, older patients are advised to consume an adequate amount of vitamin D supplements that might help improve their quality of life along with alleviating muscle stiffness. Vitamin D can be administered through food, such as fatty fish, mushrooms, and vitamin D-fortified products, as well as through the cutaneous synthesis in response to ultraviolet-B exposure. You may also consider transdermal Vitamin D3 cream, which may help improve vitamin D3 deficiency symptoms.