Well I'm not sure if everyone will get it, but I am another sufferer of it. I have it in my kness as well as in my right hand in the middle two fingers and it is more painful than in my knees. My mother had it terribly bad in her hip as well as hands and her feet. I'm not sure if this is hereditary or not but I have it also. As far as a solution to avoid getting it is a mystery to me.

Zumbadeb, Osteoarthritis, is what happens as a result of age and wear and tear. It is the most common form of arthritis and is not necessarily something that all of us get (but most of us have some). Being fit and avoiding overuse of joints helps to avoid it. Once you have it, you can slow its progression by taking care of your joints. Glucosamine and SAMe can also help. However, it is important to check with your doctor before taking either. People with shellfish allergy may not be able to take glucosamine and people with Parkinson's disease or bipolar disorder should not take SAMe.

Thank you for posting! I take 500 mg of Gloucosamine and 400 mg of Chondrotin at least, sometimes twice a day in the EmergenC packets (high Vitamin C). Do you think that's about right or too much?

Thanks.

Exactly right from Robin.

Part of taking care of your joints is strengthening, but avoid the pounding.

As part of my physical therapy duties, I direct our aquatic therapy program, and have done so for the past 6 months. I must say, as a runner for 30 years with some pretty "old" arthritic knees, I'm a big fan of the water exercise. I've even registered my husband and myself for a community deep water running class starting in January.

I would highly recommend anyone with painful joints to find a water class in their area. Community centers, schools, and your local county website are a good place to start looking. It's a better workout than you might think, and is just downright fun.

As far as the amount of Glucosamine Chondrotin, most of the recent research recommends between 800-1200 mg a day. Since supplements are not regulated by the FDA, Consumer Reports did a study on the best product to use. Not surprising, their top choice is Cosco's Kirkland brand.

Generally speaking, take it about 8 weeks to see if it helps. Some people have great results, some people don't notice much of a difference. It affects weight bearing joints, like knees and hips. It won't do much for your shoulders or hands.

Hope that helps!

Paula

Paula...great info..I am happy to read that about Costco, that's the product I bought today. They didn't have my EmergenC joint potion..just the high C EmergenC so I bought their Glouc. product too.

And the deep running water class, going to check to see if our Y has that one.

Actually, the recommended dose of glucosamine is 1500 mgs a day for osteoarthritis.

This topic is right on time for me.

Just turned 50 on 12-11. Two months prior, bragged to my friends about turning 50 with no aches, pains or health issues. Guess I spoke too soon....

Three weeks prior to 12-11, I developed severe aching in my left knee as if it was filled with fluid, followed by aching, burning and swelling. It primarily affects me while sitting, or attempting to go down stairs.

A week later, I developed the same problem in my right knee. Again, this problem only seems to affect me while sitting too long behind my computer (sometimes for hours because I do web development).

This pain has been non-stop for weeks now.

I can walk, and I can run without a problem. It only impacts me upon sitting for long periods of time.

Could this be arthritis?