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by Dr. Joyce Luteyn
Moving into Maturity:
How Joint Supplements May Help
“What do you think doc, am I just getting old?" “I hurt all over.” “I feel like I’m falling
apart.” These are just remarks from patients in my office yesterday,
and they all refer to joint pain. One of the most common
complaints I deal with everyday is that of degenerative joint
disease, otherwise known as DJD. This term encompasses the
normal loss of cartilage that progresses with aging, and the extra
wear and tear of that cartilage due to external factors such as
obesity, abnormal gait, high impact sports, previous injury, or
employment that requires heavy or repetitive tasks. There is also
a significant genetic component to the quality of cartilage and/or
repair mechanisms that make it clear that the degree of wear and
tear is not the only issue related to DJD. Arthritis, which literally
means inflammation of the joints, is a spectrum of diseases,
from DJD, which is actually often not very inflammatory in its
nature, to rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune causes
of joint problems that most definitely involve damage to the
cartilage because of inflammation. The term osteoarthritis refers
to DJD, but because it is frequently a mechanical rather than an
in. ammatory problem, the former term is now preferred.
What these conditions have in common is pain, stiffness,
and sometimes swelling and deformity of the joint. Common
joints affected are knees, hips, fingers and thumbs, neck,
back, and feet. All of the others wear as well, but due to weight
bearing and use, these are the joints that hurt enough to bring
people to the doctor. Keep in mind that joints are also made
up of ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissue that can also
be the source of pain, and here inflammation is very often
present. Regular physical activity is recommended not only to
keep these tissues strong and healthy but to promote overall
health. Unfortunately, these same activities can cause both
mechanical and inflammatory joint pain, making it difficult for
people to stay active as they age.
The baby boomers represent the largest group of people in
history to live long enough to hurt and to have the expectation
that something could or should be done about it. As they say, fifty
is the new thirty, but no one let my knees in on that news. Still, I
participate, as do most of my peers, in much more regular and
vigorous exercise than did my parent’s generation at a similar
age. My expectation too is of many more years of this kind of
active life. Joint replacement surgery is becoming common, and
it has improved to the point that even very elderly patients can
tolerate the procedures. This, however, as a solution, is for people
at the end of their options, and since most artificial joints have a
lifespan of only 8-10 years, it is a poor option for younger active
adults. “So what is a person to do?” you, and my patients, ask.
The answer used to be aspirin and anti-inflammatories such
as ibuprofen and naproxen, as well as the original, aspirin. These
drugs are effective at reducing pain and in. ammation but,
unfortunately, only at doses that regularly cause gastrointestinal
bleeding, fluid retention, increased blood pressure, and, in rare
cases, kidney failure. My experience with patients is that they frequently
take much more than the recommended doses of these
products (as well as the alternative acetaminophen, which is also
toxic in high doses) to deal with their joint discomfort. Attractive
alternatives such as the cox II inhibitor Vioxx have proven to be
unsafe. Some other alternatives still exist, and this class of drugs
can be useful when not abused. But the very population most
at risk for complications from these medications are also those
most likely to use them, namely the middle aged and elderly
with joint pain . These medications should especially be used
with caution by anyone with a history of congestive heart failure,
uncontrolled high blood pressure, kidney disease, or diabetes.
When patients ask me about this issue, we usually have a long
conversation about all of the factors that are contributing to their
joint pain. After we have covered the areas of exercise, normal
weight maintenance and evaluation for acute injury, as well as
contraindications to the drugs discussed above, we discuss alternatives.
Many patients have tried glucosamine and chondroitinbased
joint support supplements, with variable reported success.
But the data regarding these products are contradictory and confusing
for the average consumer. Unfortunately, the studies have
not all been done on similar products with similar patients, nor
were they even measuring the same outcome. Some measured
pain levels only; others looked at objective evidence of reduction
in joint space loss on x-rays over time. My experience with
these products leads me to believe that the jury is still out, and
that for the vast majority of patients, the right whole food joint
supplement is likely to be the safest and most effective treatment
for preservation of normal joint function. Just as I regularly recommend
ommend supplements that are based on
whole foods rather than overly extracted
chemicals, so do I advise when it comes
to choosing which joint support formula
is right for you.
Although I have, for reasons of professional
ethics, been very hesitant to
recommend specific brands of supplements
to my patients and readers, my
opinion about which represent the best
choices for their health and budget have
developed over time. Based on my personal
and professional experiences with
a number of different brands and formulations
of natural health products, I
almost always recommend a whole food
source supplement when possible. For
joint support I always recommend a type
two chicken collagen formulation from a
free range poultry source—a whole food
that contains all the components found
in joint cartilage, including glucosamine
and chondroitin, the components that
form the ground substance of cartilage
and other joint structures. Other joint
formulations are made with shark and
shell. sh, which can be highly allergenic,
or from the tracheas of slaughtered cattle.
In addition, chicken collagen type two
has, in at least one study, been shown to
reduce joint inflammation in patients with
rheumatoid arthritis when given orally by
a mechanism thought to induce immune
tolerance, as do allergy shots.
I also strongly recommend a product
that contains goat’s milk whey for its
osteoporosis preventing properties, superior
digestibility and tolerability, and for the
fact that it presents an excellent medium
for presentation of all supplements to
the human digestive system. Because of
its high mineral content (mainly alkaline
electrolytes), I have found this to be very
helpful for improving bone density and
general positive joint support. When
accompanied by plant-based digestive
enzymes, which I also recommend as part
of the supplement formulation, it is the
perfect delivery form for these important
joint support compounds. Natural anti-inflammatory ingredients such as ginger,
tumeric, feverfew, cherry juice, and willow
bark are, in gentle quantities, safe and
helpful components. Presented as a whole
food, joint supplements can be used by
the body as was naturally intended, and
they may retard the effects of aging on
joint tissues.
My advice as you age and hurt more is
to defy the odds and keep moving. Make
wise dietary choices and select a whole
food joint formulation supplement that
can be used daily. Be a wise consumer
when it comes to supplement choices;
realize that there are very few whole food
blends that are available, but they are out
there, and they have very positive ef. cacy
and tolerability. My experience is that
whole food choices are usually the best
ones. Here’s to health joints.
For more information about bone
and joint health or the product used and
recommended by Dr. Joyce Luteyn, contact
(800) 574-1961, ext 1, or visit www.mtcapra.com.
Joyce Luteyn, M.D., is a boardcertified
family practitioner.
She received her medical
degree from the University of
Washington, and completed
a UW affiliated family medicine
residency in Vancouver,
Washington, in 1997. She
has been in full-time practice
for eight years in Olympia, where she lives with her
husband and two children. Her practice encompasses
the full range of primary care for patients of
all ages.
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