Life With Problems

Glucosamine is an amino sugar produced from the shells of shellfish (chitin) and is a key component of the extra cellular surrounding substance of cartilage.  It stimulates joint function and repair and has been clinically proven to slow down the progression of osteoarthritis and its pain, rehabilitating cartilage, renewing synovia fluid, and repairing joints that have been damaged from the disease.

Glucosamine for arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, has proven to be effective and has now become beneficial to sufferers of this osteoarthritis pain, both human and pets. The body produces a certain amount of glucosamine, and as one grows older, the body loses the capacity to make enough glucosamine so that the cartilage in the weight-bearing joints of the body, such as the hips, knees, and hands is destroyed, then hardens and forms bone spurs which causes pain, deformed joints, limited movement and limping.

Laboratory studies suggest that glucosamine for arthritis stimulates the production of cartilage-building proteins, while other research suggests that chondroitin may inhibit production of enzymes that destroy the cartilage and it also fights inflammation.  There have been many glucosamine trials and studies done.  In many trials and studies, glucosamine for arthritis has shown to be very effective:

* Glucosamine eases osteoarthritis pain
* Glucosamine eases articular joint pain
* Glucosamine helps in rehabilitating damaged cartilage
* Glucosamine slows down deterioration of cartilage from osteoarthritis
* Glucosamine improves mobility
* Glucosamine stimulates the production of proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, and    synovia fluid

With the discovery of glucosamine’s effective treatment factors, news spread very quickly and the glucosamine industry became very large. However, in the scuttle to gain market share, some nutraceutical or vitamin company who put out glucosamine product in the market, do not take time to do essential testing procedures like performing lab analysis on their products, and sometimes use medium or low grade glucosamine to save money and produced glucosamine in pill or capsule form.

Products of glucosamine for arthritis are not the same.  Six main factors are to be considered and analyzed when selecting glucosamine product.  These are:

* Amount of glucosamine in the product per daily dose
* Type of glucosamine used
* Quality of the ingredients
* Delivery system of the company
* Synergistic ingredients of the product
* Price per day of the product

The system of delivery of the product is one of the most important of these factors. Majority of companies put their glucosamine in pill or capsule form, which is not as effective as having the glucosamine for arthritis in liquid form; it is well known that with glucosamine and vitamins, liquids are absorbed faster and more effectively by the body than solids.  Absorption of glucosamine for arthritis is very important simply because if you are not absorbing the glucosamine then you will not have any relief whatsoever no matter how much you take.

The Arthritis Foundation names over a hundred different diseases, all causing the same two common symptoms – pain and swelling in the joints and surrounding connective tissue.

Collectively known as “arthritis,” such diseases are known to affect an estimated 40 million people in America. But a recent study, the latest comprehensive statistical survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raises the notch even higher with an estimate of 70 million people in the United States who report arthritis or chronic joint symptoms.

Fortunately for these people, they are not without arthritis medications to help them cope with the disease. Just as there are over a hundred different types of arthritis so are there over a hundred different kinds of arthritis medications. All of them treat arthritis and related conditions in a specific way – treat the pain, halt disease progression, reduce inflammation, etc.

The response, side effects, and adverse reactions to these arthritis medications vary from individual patient to another. That is why it is important for the patient to be knowledgeable about arthritis medications from determining what their options are to making informed decisions with the help of their doctors.

Below are profiles of arthritis medications in common usage today:

NSAIDs

NSAIDs are Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs that are commonly prescribed as arthritis medications for patients suffering joint pains and rheumatic conditions. Specifically, these arthritis medications work as analgesics (or pain killing), anti inflammatory, and antipyretic or fever reducing.

The drugs’ main target is cyclooxygenase, the enzyme that catalyzes arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and leukotrienes. When the membrane phospholipids of our cells are exposed to inflammatory stimuli, they release arachidonic acid which is then catalyzed by cyclooxygenase into prostaglandins. This creates the biological response of inflammation.

By interfering with the prostaglandin production and inhibiting the release of cycooxygenase, NSAIDs can prevent inflammatory response, a common symptom of arthritis.

BRMs

Unlike NSAIDs, BRMs or Biologic Response Modifiers are arthritis medications that stimulate, not inhibit, the ability of the immune system to fight arthritis and rheumatic diseases. These arthritis medications are based on compounds that are manufactured by the body’s living cells, such as monoclonal antibodies, interferon, interleukin-2, and various types of colony-stimulating factors.

BRMs are slower acting compared to NSAIDs but if applied properly, they could be effective in halting disease progression.

DMARDs

Otherwise known as Disease Modifying Anti Rheumatic Drugs, DMARDs are actually immunosuppressants – that is, they suppress the response of a defective immune system as is the case of patients suffering from rheumatic arthritis. They are used as second line arthritis medications specifically for rheumatic arthritis, one of the common forms of arthritis if NSAIDs and aspirin fail.

Although these arthritis medications have been used to decrease inflammation, they are not categorized under anti inflammatory drugs. They do not affect prostaglandin production, unlike NSAIDs, however, they do relieve pain and inflammation by “modifying” the immune system in some way. As such, these arthritis medications thus help in slowing the disease process though they seldom lead to a complete remission.

There are, of course, several more arthritis medications that will help arthritis patients cope with their condition. The ones featured above are the most common and easily recognizable out of the hundreds out there.