Do joint relief medicines work?

September 21, 2009 7:57 AM

I've had a pained knee for many years. A combination of flat feet and running in bad sneakers destroyed a lot of the cartilage, and now it hurts to run, kneel, etc. Cold weather brings the pain, especially. I've been through various types of physical therapy and tried various running books (ChiRunning) and shoes (from Grid Stabils to FiveFingers), but it never makes the pain go away completely. Recently, a well intentioned relative brought me Joint Relief Formula which purports to help your joints with Omega 3 and "Iceland Collagen GHA". I can't find any unbiased reviews on the web, nor any explanations why Omega 3 or the Collagen would help in my case. Has anyone used this stuff? Or can you link to medical studies showing their efficacy (or lack thereof)? I have access to most medical journals.
posted by zonem to health & fitness (7 comments total)

Omega 3's are anti-inflammatory so that is why they reduce the pain of arthritis, as has been verified in a number of studies(the wikipedia article on omega 3's explains).

However, I've heard that collagen just breaks down inside of the body so perhaps a simple omega 3 supplement would be a better purchase.
posted by satori_movement at 8:05 AM on September 21

You might also check out a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. I have osteoarthritis in one ankle and it does a pretty good job of keeping it under control. YMMV.
posted by jquinby at 8:40 AM on September 21

Also recommend glucosamine/chondroitin, but try to avoid the ones with shellfish ingredients if you can.
posted by idb at 9:30 AM on September 21

Omega-3's, particularly EPA, are 'anti-inflammatory' because they are competitive inhibitors for prostaglandin synthesis with omega-6's.

Eg. the COX enzymes produce prostaglandins from whatever EFA's exist in your tissues, with EPA producing series-3 prostaglandins that are considered significantly less inflammatory than the series-1 prostaglandins produced from arachidonic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid).

There is plenty of good research on pubmed and google scholar regarding fish oil/w-3 fatty acids and rheumatic arthritis, for example. As you seem to describe chondromalacia patella, the relevance may be questionable.

Anyways, I've got two not great knees (one ACL/meniscus repair, torn meniscus in the other) and any dose of above 10 grams/day of fish oil makes my knees feel like a dream after a week or two.

Oh, and I would ignore products with 'collagen' in them, little/no evidence to suggest ingesting collagen increases it's synthesis rates in the body.
posted by zentrification at 10:27 AM on September 21

Is there any data on what the effective dose should be?
posted by canine epigram at 1:59 PM on September 21

Yes, Omega-3's are somewhat anti-inflammatory. But NSAIDs are a lot more anti-inflammatory.
posted by hydropsyche at 2:27 PM on September 21

I've been taking Omega-3 fish oil and glucosamine sulfate supplements for years, but the biggest improvement in my chronic knee pain (torn cartiliage, surgery, arthritis) comes from riding a bicycle. I ride from a few to several hours a week. My knees haven't felt this good in years.
posted by conrad53 at 7:32 PM on September 21