***Understanding Joint Pain

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three adults suffer from some form of chronic pain in the joints. As the baby boomers age, experts believe that even more people will begin suffering from chronic joint problems. Not only is this problem widespread, but it is also serious. Joint pain can leave sufferers unable to go to work or carry out their daily activities.

Understanding the Causes of Joint Pain

People develop joint pain for several different reasons. Some people begin suffering from chronic pain after an injury, as they age or because of their weight. Joint problems also seem to be hereditary. This means that people whose parents suffered from joint problems are more likely to develop these problems as well.

In many cases, people who begin suffering from joint problems assume that they have arthritis. Arthritis is a broad condition categorized by inflammation in the joints. What many people do not know is that there are over 100 different types of arthritis. Many sufferers of chronic joint problems have a specific type of arthritis known as osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a condition in which a person’s cartilage begins to wear down. Cartilage is a flexible but firm connective tissue found in the joints. This tissue absorbs shock and allows the bones to move freely without painfully rubbing against one another. Unlike other tissues, cartilage does not contain blood vessels. When it becomes damaged, cartilage heals very slowly, which is why osteoarthritis worsens over time.

Medical experts are not sure exactly why some people develop osteoarthritis over other types of arthritis. However, experts have linked several risk factors to the disease. Risk factors include smoking, excess body weight, inactivity and certain joint defects like laxity. Older individuals are also more likely to get osteoarthritis, especially if they have suffered joint injuries or were very physically active in the past. While experts cannot pinpoint the exact cause of osteoarthritis, most doctors agree that the condition should be treated early on before it is allowed to worsen.

How Sufferers Can Treat Their Joint Pain Naturally

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, which means that it gets worse over time. Unless it is treated, the pain and stiffness will worsen. Two supplements that can be used to treat this condition, as well as all other types of joint pain, are glucosamine and chondroitin.

Cartilage needs three things in order to be healthy: water, proteoglycans and collagen. Water lubricates and nourishes cartilage; proteoglycans attract and lock in moisture; and collagen holds the proteoglycans. Glucosamine is a substance used to produce proteoglycans. This substance also stimulates collagen production, prevents the breakdown of cartilage and reduces inflammation.

Chondroitin is another substance found in the cartilage. Chondroitin transports fluid into the proteoglycans, delivers nutrients and blocks damaging enzymes. Taking chondroitin will nourish and lubricate the cartilage, while preventing additional damage.

In people suffering from osteoarthritis, taking glucosamine and chondroitin can prevent further breakdown of the cartilage and promote healing. People who suffer from joint pain but have not been diagnosed with osteoarthritis can also benefit from supplementing these substances. Since these substances strengthen the cartilage, they benefit and reduce pain in all of the cartilaginous joints.