Published on February 11th, 2021
Living with osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that affects millions of people worldwide and commonly targets areas of the body used for mobility: the hands, knees, hips, and spine. It’s the most prevalent form of arthritis and tends to worsen over time, often resulting in chronic pain, joint pain and stiffness that can become severe enough to make daily tasks difficult. It’s most common among older adults and tends to disproportionately affect women .
What causes osteoarthritis?
In a healthy joint, cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that allows your joints to move smoothly and with minimum friction. Osteoarthritis is a disease that makes the cartilage cushioning your joints gradually break down. While it’s commonly called the “wear and tear” disease, osteoarthritis is more than just the result of overuse – in a diseased joint, changes in the bone and the breakdown of the connective tissues causes the cartilage to wear quickly or unevenly, in serious cases to the point where bone rubs on bone.
There are a number of risk factors that can increase your risk of osteoarthritis1:
- Older age: The risk of osteoarthritis typically increases with age.
- Sex: Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, although scientists aren’t sure why.
- Genetics: does it run in your family? The risk of osteoarthritis may be inherited.
- Obesity: the more you weigh relative to a healthy body mass, the greater the risk of osteoarthritis. Increased weight can stress hips and knees, while fat tissue produces proteins that can cause harmful inflammation in and around your joints.2
- Injuries and repetitive stress: Injuries, such as those that occur when playing sports, can increase the risk or accelerate the development of osteoarthritis. Even injuries that occurred many years ago and seemingly healed can increase the risk of osteoarthritis.
Managing osteoarthritis pain with supplements.
In many European countries, a natural health supplement known as glucosamine is a prescribed treatment for osteoarthritis – often combined with another compound called chondroitin as a single supplement3. Both occur naturally in healthy cartilage, and are either derived from shellfish, animal cartilage, or synthesized in a lab. Another common ingredient in joint health products is hyaluronic acid, a clear, gooey substance that is naturally produced by the body. Its primary function in the body is to retain water and keep skin and connective tissues moist and well lubricated4.
Nature’s Way JMG – short for “Joint Movement Glucosamine” – is a joint health formula. In each serving (30 ml), JMG contains 2000mg of Glucosamine, 1200mg of Chondroitin, 500mg of MSM, 10mg of Hyaluronic Acid, and 400 IU of Vitamin D3. The easy to take liquid formula is berry flavoured and comes with a convenient dosage cap included.
If you’re considering Nature’s Way JMG to manage your osteoarthritis pain, check with your doctor or health practitioner first.
1https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925#:~:text=Osteoarthritis%20is%20the%20most%20common,%2C%20knees%2C%20hips%20and%20spine
2Zhao L-J, Jiang H, Papasian C J, Maulik D, Drees B, Hamilton J, Deng H-W PhD. Correlation of Obesity and Osteoporosis: Effect of Fat Mass on the Determination of Osteoporosis. Journal of Bone and Medical Research, January 2008: Vol.23, Issue 1:17-29, https://doi.org/10.1359/jbmr.070813
3Bruyère O, Altman R, Reginster J-Y. Efficacy and safety of glucosamine sulfate in the management of osteoarthritis: Evidence from real-life setting trials and surveys. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. Volume 45, Issue 4, Supplement, February 2016, Pages S12-S17
4Oe M, Tashiro T, Yoshida H, et al. Oral hyaluronan relieves knee pain: a review. Nutr J. 2016;15:11. Published 2016 Jan 27. doi:10.1186/s12937-016-0128-2
