68-year-old Ginger Williams wakes up each morning and jogs five miles near her Memphis, Tenn., residence. To her, jogging each morning is a way to start the day clearing her mind, body and soul.

Growing up she was never fond of running but over the last several years she’s realized the comforting serenity it brings. Her endurance levels have risen which helps her focus more on the benefits of exercise while enjoying the adrenaline she experiences upon completion of her morning ritual.

The toughest barrier she’s had to overcome hasn’t been the motivation needed to wake up early each morning for her daily trek. Instead, it was pain.

But this wasn’t just any ordinary pain. For years Ginger suffered from the same pain that’s actually the leading cause of disability among Americans. Every day Ginger dealt with painful arthritis in her legs, back and hips, which severely discouraged her from everyday activities like walking and bending. Years ago, running was never an option because of the arthritis.

To combat that pain, the one option she deliberately chose to ignore was prescription pain medications and remedies. She didn’t want to deal with the way prescription pain medicines made her feel, in addition to the dangerous side effects, like liver damage. Plus, it’s no secret that prescription pain medications can get very expensive under the current health care system.

Fortunately for Ginger, she had alternatives in dealing with arthritis and joint pain. And according to leading research, she’s not alone.

In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Americans recently spent about $34 billion annually on alternative remedies, especially for pain relief. This number represents nearly one-third of money spent on prescriptions for pain relief. Clearly, more people are finding success with alternatives that are safer, less expensive and with better results.

Arthritis and joint pain is more than just a headache for roughly 46 million Americans. Arthritis can leave people writhing in pain leading to severe disability and chronic suffering for years. And although many people over the age of 50 often have an increased form of arthritis or joint pain, the disease affects many of today’s younger generation as well. As an example, 17-year-old Grace Claire Cordes, third-runner up in the Miss Mississippi Outstanding Teen Pageant, suffers from juvenile arthritis � a disease affecting young adults and even children.

Among the many alternative therapies being used today include energy healing, relaxation techniques and acupuncture. Growing in even more popularity by the day are vitamin supplements with natural ingredients that work to relieve the joint pain.

Aside from the expensive costs involved and the dangerous and uncomfortable side effects, prescription pain medications don’t actually treat the root cause of arthritis and joint pain. Instead they serve merely to mask the pain so you don’t feel the symptoms. This can be very dangerous, though, because in this situation you can actually do more harm to your body without realizing the damage being done.

Vitamin supplements are becoming more popular as a replacement remedy because they’re less expensive, there’s no need to maneuver around confusing health insurance (which itself can also be very expensive for millions), and there’s no dangerous side effects since they’re manufactured with all-natural ingredients.

What’s more, an important ingredient known as cetyl myristoleate (CM8) can do wonders for arthritis and joints because it has been found to reverse the damage caused by arthritis. Acting like a WD-40-like lubricant for joints, CM8 can promote optimal joint health by helping to stimulate the lubricating fluid in the joints, support stronger cartilage and increase total mobility.

This healing process is the main reason why these natural vitamins have been such an important part of Ginger Williams’ life. And they’re also a major reason why she can get out of bed each morning and enjoy the five-mile jog around her beautiful Tennessee home.