Knee Problems and Joint Repair Supplements

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toddgaines
toddgaines Posts: 130
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone. I am about 3/4 of the way through Insanity, and although I am loving the results, it is just killing my knees. My knees have never been great thanks to Football, Rugby, Wrestling etc. Pretty much everything you can do to wreck your knees I've done.

Anyway I really want to get through Insanity, but my knees are making it increasingly difficult to finish the routines. Has anyone ever taken any of the joint repair supplements (Glucosamine, Chondrotin, or MSM)? If so, do they work, and are there any brands that are better than others?

I tried to get in to my doctor so that I could get a presciption for them (making them free on my health plan), but can't get in to see him for 2 more weeks, which is pretty much too late. Before I shell out the 30 to 50 bucks for something at the Health Store, I would like to know that they might actually help and aren't just hype. Thanks!

Replies

  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
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    Yes they do work. I have used Move Free Advanced. But compare brands I think they are all pretty close in ingredients and I do believe the MSM is for the pain part. Check adds in most grocery and stores like Rite aide and walgreens, wal-mart etc you can find at least one brand as buy one get one free or 1 at 1/2 price
  • Becka77
    Becka77 Posts: 284 Member
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    I've take NutriJoint for my joint pain and it has taken away almost all of my joint pain. It's a powder and I put it in orange juice. It may take a couple of weeks to kick in. You can get it at Walgreens or Wal-Mart.
  • nicolina823
    nicolina823 Posts: 450 Member
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    I use CVS brand Glucosamine Chondroitin Double Strength and I love it. After a week or two of using it I could feel the little bubbles floating away from the knee. Strange feeling but it works.

    I dont count them in my log but I am going to start. There is 10cal, 2 carbs and 100mg of sodium in 3 caplets.
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    I take a pill with all 3 in it Glucosamine, Chondrotin, & MSM It helps greatly but you have to be ccareful with insanity and the jumping modify if yo uhave to. I know I have done it and still add it in :-)
  • mmjones2006
    mmjones2006 Posts: 3 Member
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    The studies of glucosamine-chondroitin are mixed on the effectivenessresults. The nice thing is they are safer in use than most over the counter arthritis medications with so far no proven adverse effects in humans. I have tried them personally and although there may have been some improvement I would not say I gained a whole lot. I used Osteo-Bioflex per the bottle instructions, ran around $20, look around because often the big named store chains will have it on sale for buy one get one free which is how I bough mine. Tried it for about 3 months. My recommendation is you might give it a try, I know several people who feel like this really helped them.
  • toddgaines
    toddgaines Posts: 130
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    Thanks everyone. I live in Canada, so it's harder to find deals on supplements. The do have Dymatize Joint Repair on sale at my local nutrition store for like 25 bucks and it has all 3 ingredients in it. I was thinking of picking some of that up, but again, wasn't interested in just throwing away money.

    As far as modifying my routine, I have already done that to some degree, there are some of the moves I just can't do some days. It's weird, the jumping doesn't bother me all that much, it's the deep squats and lunges that seem to put a tonne of pressure on my knees and so my knees get very angry with me during those.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    Check out www.bodybuilding.com for your supps. Their shipment is crazy fast. I've been taking Schiff 2,000 mg of glucosamine and prescription Motrin at night. I also recommend Universal's joint support paks. You can find Universal's products on bodybuilding.com as well.

    When did the pull of gravity increase? lol
  • Vipecap
    Vipecap Posts: 166 Member
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    Yes they do work but they are not magic pills and won't make you feel brand new the next day. I personally use NOW's Glucosamine and Chondroitin with MSM. I have also heard good things about Animal's Flex supplement for joints.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    You don't mention whether or not you have a specific diagnosis for your knee issues (by that I mean a real diagnosis from a sports medicine orthopod). If you don't, I believe your time and money would be much better spent coming up with an actual game plan, rather than relying on an ad hoc approach with supplements of dubious quality and effectiveness. Even if you do decide to play supplement roulette, I would still recommend taking a more systematic therapeutic approach. It will still be helpful, even if you have degenerative conditions that may not respond to intervention.

    At age 56 and after 3 knee surgeries, I have never taken a supplement. And during the last 18 months, when I have followed the most consistent and highest-volume workout routine in my life, I have not had even a tweak of knee pain. That's due primarily to the structure of my program and my strength routine. Not that I have the absolute answer, but just wanted to offer a non-supplement alternative.
  • toddgaines
    toddgaines Posts: 130
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    I don't officially have a "diagnosis". My knee issues have never been bad enough to warrant getting surgery or going on any sort of medication. That's also likely due to the fact that since high school I have led a pretty sedentary life. It's not that my knees were good, it's just that I wasn't using them for anything. I know I chipped or cracked my left patella at one point (you can actually feel the crease down the middle), but my left and right knees are equally bad, so that is not the cause of my pain. Also my other joints have similar issues (wrists and shoulders). I just think all the high contact sports and family history of arthritus are adding up. I do need to get to see my doctor, and I have an appointment booked two weeks from now to get everything checked out. I had read that the joint repair supplements really had no known side effects, and figured they would be worth a shot as long as they weren't just a placebo. I don't expect miracles from them, but if people are getting some relief then I I certainly don't see any harm in giving them a try until I get in to see the doc.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    Even if you do decide to play supplement roulette, I would still recommend taking a more systematic therapeutic approach. It will still be helpful, even if you have degenerative conditions that may not respond to intervention.

    At age 56 and after 3 knee surgeries, I have never taken a supplement. And during the last 18 months, when I have followed the most consistent and highest-volume workout routine in my life, I have not had even a tweak of knee pain. That's due primarily to the structure of my program and my strength routine. Not that I have the absolute answer, but just wanted to offer a non-supplement alternative.

    Sooo, knee surgery as an option to taking joint support supplements? I'll pass. Most of us know that Insanity is going to be hard on the knees. I've read that from many people of all ages here on this forum and the beachbody forum. It's the nature of the beast.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Even if you do decide to play supplement roulette, I would still recommend taking a more systematic therapeutic approach. It will still be helpful, even if you have degenerative conditions that may not respond to intervention.

    At age 56 and after 3 knee surgeries, I have never taken a supplement. And during the last 18 months, when I have followed the most consistent and highest-volume workout routine in my life, I have not had even a tweak of knee pain. That's due primarily to the structure of my program and my strength routine. Not that I have the absolute answer, but just wanted to offer a non-supplement alternative.

    Sooo, knee surgery as an option to taking joint support supplements? I'll pass. Most of us know that Insanity is going to be hard on the knees. I've read that from many people of all ages here on this forum and the beachbody forum. It's the nature of the beast.

    I didn't think I had to explain it any further, but obviously I must.

    The surgeries came from acute injuries that could not have been prevented by any supplement (unless GNC makes one that keeps golden retrievers from running into you at full speed). Supplements will have little effect on healthy knees. The only positive effect that I know of that is supported by quality research is the slowing of the effects of degenerative arthritis. That is still a relatively small subset of individuals who report knee pain.

    The problem is that there are many sources of knee pain and each might require a different treatment. However, terms like "arthritis" and "chrondomalacia" are used at catch-alls, with no differentiation of the underlying cause. This leads people to waste huge $$$ on "supplements" of untested quality, and with little or no relevance to their actual problem.

    I know that the first step in addressing any musculoskeletal condition or injury is to get an accurate diagnosis. The next step is an effective therapy program. Only after that does not work is it time to consider things like supplements, braces, etc. Otherwise, you are never actually dealing with the problem.

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