I wish everyone would stop using NSAID drugs. They have killed and maimed enough people. But I know many people still take them because of the terrible pain of osteoarthritis.
You don't have to take these dangerous drugs to get relief. There are supplements that help. One of my favorites is Advanced Joint Support. And now there's something else you can add to your joint formula that will make it even more effective.
A small study on 133 patients in Denmark evaluated simple vitamin C. It was a double-blind, cross-over study. That means that neither doctor nor patient knew whether the patients were taking vitamin C or the placebo. The researchers also switched the subjects from C to the placebo or vice versa during the trial. And they didn't know that either.
The researchers gave the participants one gram of vitamin C (as calcium ascorbate) each day.
The patients who took the vitamin C reported significant improvement - unlike those on the placebo. The study kept a statistical score of pain. The researchers reported that vitamin C reduced pain about half as much as is commonly reported for NSAIDs. While that isn't as good as the drug, remember, the researchers found no side effects. And coupled with a strong joint formula could significantly boost effectiveness to levels well above NSAIDs.
Vitamin C is essential for collagen and cartilage formation. It's very inexpensive, and one gram daily is easy for almost everyone to tolerate without loose bowels. If you have osteoarthritis, please consider adding vitamin C to your daily regimen at a dose of one gram (1,000 mg) per day.
Jensen, Niels Hertz, Ugeskr Laeger, vol. 165, no. 25, 2003 June 16.