Dr. Cromwell Answers: What are the best natural supplements for arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is painful. Many people have difficulty sleeping due to arthritis pain. It can be difficult to get up and get out of bed. Everyday tasks such as opening a jar, using a screwdriver, getting in and out of the car or going up and down stairs can be quite a struggle. Basically, any time you’re using the joints affected by arthritis, you feel it.

You’re most likely visiting this page because you’re looking for natural support for arthritis pain and inflammation. If you would like to go directly to our Arthritis Protocol, please click here . If you’re interested in the supplements Dr. C chose for the protocol, visit our Three Prong Approach below. If you would like to learn more about osteoarthritis and how it is managed, continue reading.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is the inflammation and tenderness in joints. The most common type is osteoarthritis, which is most common to develop slowly as people age. It is caused by a degeneration of the cartilage that covers the ends of your joints. The cartilage offers a smooth covering on the joints that cushions and help them glide with movement. As you age, the cartilage can lose water, which reduces cushioning. Then the cartilage wears down, causing pain and inflammation. Eventually, the cartilage can wear away, resulting in bone rubbing on bone.

How does arthritis feel?

Usually osteoarthritis presents with stiffness and tenderness in the joints it’s affecting. Often this will occur first thing in the morning or after you have been resting. You will also feel the pain when using the joint, such as your knees hurting when you walk up stairs, or your hands hurting when you open a jar. If you do more activity than normal, arthritis can feel worse. You will feel tenderness if you press down on the joint and it might be swollen.

Where arthritis occurs

Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, but it most commonly effects the hands, hips, knees and spine. Arthritis can also occur at the site of an injury or from repetitive use. It occurs slightly more often in women than men.

How arthritis can be prevented

Some people are more prone to arthritis than others, however, according to the Centers for Disease control, about 50% of people will experience some type of doctor diagnosed osteoarthritis by age 65 or older. Genetics play a role in an increased risk of developing arthritis, but lifestyle factors will help to control when and if osteoarthritis occurs.

A healthy diet low in sugar and rich in nutrients is a great place to begin reducing pain and inflammation. The standard American diet a high amount of sugar, which causes inflammation as shown in a 2018 Clinical Nutrition study . Another study concludes that there is a significant positive association between dietary sugar intake and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in women.

According to a National Health publication , two hundred years ago we consumed 2 pounds of sugar per person per year. Now we each consume an average of 152 pounds per year!

Unfortunately, sugar has replaced foods that reduce inflammation such as vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. Most people who are consuming a ‘standard’ diet can reduce their pain just by cleaning up their diet. This study states, “In conclusion, severe knee pain was independently associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Our findings suggest that intake of whole fruits and vegetables may help improve knee pain in older adults.”

A regular exercise program is also very helpful. Talk with your doctor about what type of exercise is right for you based on your symptoms and joints that are arthritic.

Common Arthritis Treatments

While many people turn to NSAIDS such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, others prefer to try support that doesn’t carry the risk of harming the gut microbiota , gastric bleeding or gastrointestinal ulceration .

Another option available has been to have a steroid injection. Recent studies are suggesting that steroid injections may not really offer the relief they were supposed to and can even reduce the amount of cartilage in the joint, which worsens the arthritis. In this two-year study , in people with osteoarthritis of the knee, researchers compared those receiving a steroid injection to those receiving a saline injection every three months. This was a double-blind trial, where researchers did not know which treatment the participants received.

“The results revealed no differences between the two groups in terms of knee pain, function or stiffness at any of the 3-month visits… MRI measurements revealed thinning of knee cartilage in both groups by the end of the study. But loss of cartilage in the steroid group was significantly greater than in controls, with the average change in cartilage thickness being -0.21 mm and -0.10 mm respectively. This more rapid thinning may be due to the known effects of corticosteroids on tissue breakdown. While the faster loss of cartilage in the steroid-treated group did not correlate with more pain over the 2-year period, it may have a long-term negative impact on the health of the joint.”

“Use of corticosteroid injections to treat knee OA is based on the medicine’s capacity to reduce inflammation, but corticosteroids have also been reported to have destructive effects on cartilage,” said Dr. McAlindon. “We now know that these injections bring no long-term benefit, and may, in fact, do more harm than good by accelerating damage to the cartilage.”

If you’re looking for natural support for arthritis without the worry of losing cartilage thickness, our Arthritis Protocol includes supplements that support the body to reduce pain and inflammation while working to maintain cartilage and physical function.

Dr. C’s Natural Three Prong Approach for Joint Support and Pain

1. MSM , methylsulfonylmethane, is a naturally occurring organic compound found in some green vegetables, other foods, and can be made from phytoplankton in the oceans. MSM is considered a sulphur donor. Sulphur is very plentiful in the body and needed for many different critical body functions. There are many studies that show MSM’s ability to help with arthritis.

This review explains how it is readily absorbed for use and helps to reduce inflammation and act as an antioxidant.

“To date, most arthritic human studies have been non-invasive and assess joint condition through the use of subject questionnaires such as the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF36), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain, and the Lequesne Index. In his overview of MSM, Dr. Stanley Jacob references eleven case studies of patients suffering from osteoarthritis who experienced improved symptoms following supplementation with MSM [ 7 ]. Clinical trials suggest MSM is effective in reducing pain, as indicated by the VAS pain scale [ 18 , 134 ], WOMAC pain subscale [ 18 , 19 , 135 , 136 ], SF36 pain subscale [ 18 , 136 ], and Lequesne Index [ 134 ]. Concurrent improvements were also noted in stiffness [ 18 , 135 , 136 ] and swelling [ 134 ].”

This study found MSM to be helpful and concluded, “MSM (3g twice a day) improved symptoms of pain and physical function during the short intervention without major adverse events”.

This is the MSM Dr. C recommends in our protocol for its purity and formulation.

Hyaluronic Acid is another supplement Dr. C recommends for joint support and pain. It is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies that is critical to our wellbeing. Hyaluronic acid is often recommended by physicians to reduce joint pain and offer support for other aging processes.

Hyaluronic acid is a clear, gooey substance made by the body and found in joints, skin and other body tissues. Hyaluronic acid helps to maintain collagen, flexibility, moisture and elasticity. In your joints, it helps to lubricate the space between the bones, keeping the bones from grinding against each other.

There are many studies available showing the efficacy of using oral hyaluronic acid (HA). Research also shows, that when injected into the joint, hyaluronic acid only helps for about 14-18 hours.

Another compilation of studies shows that oral HA is a safe and cost effective supplement for osteoarthritis. In addition to increasing the synovial fluid and helping cartilage, it also reduces inflammatory cytokines that cause pain.

The Hyaluronic Acid Dr. C recommends in our protocol is high quality and absorbable.

ArthoMed , by EuroMedica, is a proprietary formula of curcumin, Boswellia and devil’s claw that supports joint health and cartilage formation. It safely modulates major signaling and biological pathways of the body that influence joint mobility and health.

Quality supplement producers often combine studied supplements and produce a product with synergistic properties. The anti-inflammatory properties and support for arthritis is mentioned in research studies . ArthoMed also has a patient sheet that you can view here .

SAMe has been shown to control arthritis pain. In this study, SAMe was equal to Celebrex after one month of use. The conclusion states, “SAMe has a slower onset of action but is as effective as celecoxib (Celebrex) in the management of symptoms of knee osteoarthritis”.

This study states the following, “Clinical trials have shown reduced pain and stiffness while in vitro and animal studies have shown SAMe can stimulate the production of cartilage which is critical in reversing the disease process. The author examines many potential mechanisms of action including: reduction of inflammatory mediators; increasing levels of glutathione; direct or indirect signaling of cartilage synthesis or survival; maintenance of DNA methylation”.

2. Inflammation Control

Omega 3 supplements are pretty well known for supporting good overall health. Our standard American diet is really lacking in good omega 3s. Most people consume way too many omega 6 foods, such as junk food, fried foods, potato chips, oils such as sunflower, safflower, corn, soybean, peanut and canola. The omega 6 foods are inflammatory and unhealthy when consumed in large amounts. It’s so important to consume a diet rich in omega 3s, grass fed meats (higher in omega 3s, lower in omega 6s than non-grass fed), vegetables and fruit while limiting the omega 6s and sugar to keep inflammation under control. This study discusses how omega 3s help with controlling inflammation.

Vitamin D3 matters. Using thresholds recommended by the Endrocrine Society, 41.4% of our US population is classified as “insufficient” in vitamin D and 28.9% are considered deficient.

You can view the study here.

Vitamin D is important for a host of important bodily functions. When it comes to osteoarthritis, this study actually states, “In clinical trials, vitamin D deficiency poses a risk factor for OA, and those with decreased cartilage thickness are more likely to be vitamin D–insufficient”.

It’s important to have your vitamin D measured and know your values. Many doctors will say you are fine if it’s above 30, but functional medicine doctors are now calling 60 the ‘sweet spot’. Functional Medicine University is even saying upwards of 75 . The American College for Advancement in Medicine recommends levels to be between 50 and 80. They recommend supplementation of 5,000 IUs per day for adults and adolescents who do not receive regular sun exposure. You can view their information here .

3. Antioxidants to Reduce Pain and Inflammation

Vitamin C is a vitamin that most people think about taking for allergy or common cold support. However it is also helpful in reducing pain and inflammation as supported by this study . Vitamin C is also used by the body to make collagen, which is in the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones in your joints. This study showed that dosing with vitamin C helped protect against cell damage, oxidative stress and painful cytokines when arthritis was induced in mice.

There are different forms of vitamin C, some of them can cause loose stool. The one we recommend for arthritis pain and inflammation can be found here .

Milk Thistle is shown in research to suppress inflammation, which helps reduce the pain of arthritis. This study shows that in addition to reducing inflammation, it also protects cartilage. Milk thistle can also help control triglyceride levels which is important for cardiovascular and fatty liver disease.

Green Tea Extract (link to purchase) is a well-known antioxidant with many health benefits. Studies like this one show green tea extract can help to control pain and improve physical knee joint function.

Arthritis Summary

Arthritis can be very painful and negatively affect quality of life. Diet and lifestyle have a large impact on arthritis. There are many standard treatments out there that can have negative, unwanted side effects. Natural support through our Arthritis Protocol is another way to manage arthritis pain and inflammation.