No illness on earth is more likely to cause disability than osteoarthritis (OA). This well-known degenerative disease affects 140 million people in the United States alone, and 80 percent of people over the age of 50. In fact, if you are even 30 years old, there's a 50-50 chance that osteoarthritis affects you.

Most people take care of their own arthritis treatment. The drug of choice is usually over-the-counter non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

The problem with NSAIDs is that they cause acid stomach, peptic ulcer, and, in rare instances, kidney or liver failure. Worse, there is even evidence from clinical observation of real arthritis sufferers that ibuprofen, indomethacin, and naproxen sodium actually accelerate the destruction of joint tissue.

If you take these pain relievers for your achy joints, you'll just need more. That's why your objective should be to treat your joints, not your pain. And one of the best ways to build back your joints is to take glucosamine.

Glucosamine stimulates the joint to produce glycosaminoglycans, the building blocks of collagen that buffers and lines the joints.

There is wide agreement in the medical literature that a lack of Glucosamine may be one of the most important contributing factors to the progress of OA. At least three published clinical studies confirm that Glucosamine gives better results than aspirin or other NSAIDS in the long-term relief of pain.

Glucosamine is not anti-inflammatory. It does not affect the central nervous system. Instead, it corrects the underlying problem in the joint.

One of the three studies found that Glucosamine is more effective than piroxicam (Feldene). In fact, if you are taking Feldene, you might just want to switch to glucosamine. The study found that glucosamine by itself was better for relieving pain than glucosamine and Feldene together.

Probably the only reason not to use glucosamine is that people who are severely overweight may not respond as well to it. They need a larger dose.

Glucosamine can also raise blood sugars, but not if you take a sugar-free formula.

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