Have you ever ridden in a car with worn out shock absorbers? If so, then you understand their importance. Our bodies too, understand the need for shock absorbers. Nearly every one of our joints has a cushion or shock absorber for all the daily bouncing and bounding about that we do. If we didn’t, the bones of every joint would grind each other to pieces.

Our shock absorber is called cartilage. (Animals have it too, and we know it as gristle.) It covers the ends of the bones and is full of water and elastic tissue. Every time you jump up and down, the pressure exerted on your hips or knees is four to eight times your weight, and the only way for the body to tolerate this load is for the cartilage to absorb the enormous pressure by squeezing together like a sponge and then rebounding to its original shape. It does this over and over again for your entire life.

Problems begin as we age; our cartilage thins, we lose fluid that helps our bones move freely within our joints and sometimes our bones themselves change (spurs and cysts). This condition is better known as osteoarthritis (OA) and it afflicts as many as 40 million Americans. It affects more women than men and is responsible for 7 million physician visits per year. Women have OA of the fingers more often, while men have OA of the knees and hips more often. Some doctors believe that the lifestyles of both men and women account for the differences.

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In the early stages of the disease, the pain may feel like a dull toothache or a throbbing. As OA progresses, the pain may become sharp or you may notice a grating sensation that occurs during activity. Some people will not experience any pain with the onset of OA, but over time, they will notice a gradual loss of motion as joints stiffen.

Jason Theodosakis, M.D. is the author of the New York Times #1 best seller, The Arthritis Cure and is one of the leading osteoarthritis specialists. He says, "OA is so widespread among those over 60 that many people believe it is a normal part of the aging process – like gray hair or wrinkles – but it’s not."

Q. Can the damaged cartilage in my joints regenerate?

A. Yes. If there is still cartilage between joints, it can be thickened and improved based on results of a recently completed clinical trial where glucosamine sulfate supplementation was shown to actually increase the cartilage thickness by 37% as determined by ultrasound. (Lancet, vol. 357:251-256, 2001)

Q. How long before I see results?

A. With glucasamine supplementation, most people will see results within 4 weeks. However, the longer it is used, the more obvious the results. The effects are cumulative.