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Question:
My Great Grandmother, Grandfather and Mother have all had knee problems. Although, I've never been athletic I'm beginning to feel aches in my knees. I always attributed it to height ( I'm 6'). My question is this: These suppliments that I've seen on the market for "joint health", do they work? Would it be proactive to start using one before all the cartilage in my knees is gone?
Question submitted by:
jenna lawhorn - jennalawhorn@hotmail.com
| Dr. Golden |
Dr. Golden is an orthopedic surgeon and the author of the "Knee Pain" chapter in the upcoming "Manual of Pain Management". He has presented numerous scientific studies at orthopedic conferences. In addition, Dr. Golden is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS),the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).
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Answer:
Other patients routinely ask this important question and I have responded on Knee1.com to the same question. Please refer to it for additional information. In short, the "joint health" products are often marketed as food additives. In that case, absolutely NO scientific evidence is required for their sales. That basically means that a company can state ANYTHING about what the product does. Only those products marketed as medications are submitted to the FDA's rigorous tests and requirements. I always caution patients about the use of health products. Safety profiles are very important and interactions with other medications need to be known. That is not always the case with the commonly available products sold in most health food stores. Appropriate therapy and properly performed activities, a healthy diet and weight control are proven ways to minimize joint wear. Any specific product should be scrutinized closely.
