There are also other, herbal products that might help, instead of or in conjunction with the glucosamine/chondroitin, which may allow you to use less of the expensive stuff. I don't remember all the names off hand, but if you look for products with Boswellia, Devil's Claw, Turmeric, these will also give anti-inflammatory effects. There's a product for horsess called Bute-less (or, it USED to be called that, may have changed) for those horse owners who were worried about the long-term effects of bute on the gastric system - I can attest to that one working for my brother's horse - and I think it can also be used for dogs, adjusting the dosage. There's another called DGP, which originated in Australia, but can be found here - the anecdotal evidence says it works. They all will probably take at least 3 weeks to work, maybe 4-6 weeks for the full effect to be seen. They might be less money than the glucosamine/chondroitin. Try googling Hilton Herbs products - I think they also make products for dogs as well as horses.

I can only recount my own experience. A few years ago I started to get significant pain in one foot whilst walking, which I treated with visits to the physio and gel packs, but which would come back very frequently. The ankle joint had become very susceptible to getting hurt and swelling. On a couple of occasions, I hurt it very badly and could barely walk for a few days or weeks. According to the specialist, my bones are slightly misaligned and cause stress on my ankle joints, which apparently is wearing away the cartilage and causing pain. In mid- to late October last year I started taking glucosamine and MSM on a daily basis (3 glucosamine, 1 MSM). After a short time I noticed a very significant improvement. I should say that, at around the same time, I also bought some trainers with an air pocket along the whole sole, since that kind of "suspension" helps me avoid sharp impacts on the ankle joints. The trainers are marvellous. They have undoubtedly helped. I also lost a little weight (dropping from 76kg to 70kg), but since I wasn't overweight to begin with I don't think it's very significant. The frequent pains have now practically disappeared. I no longer have to use gel packs and antiinflammatory cream on a daily basis (I hardly use them at all). The ankle joints have become much less susceptible to injury. I have only been to the physio once since October. The reason I think that the glucosamine & MSM have helped is that, even when indoors, when I'm not wearing the trainers, I notice a big difference. I can tolerate my feet and ankles being in positions (for example when seated) that previously would have caused pain. I also tried wearing more normal shoes for a while and found I could tolerate them without too much problem. I even tried some boot-like shoes that had previously caused my a lot of pain, and could walk with them for a week or more without any serious effects. It would be nice if the science were clearer on this, and if we knew why it seems to help some people, and not others, but in my case I'm prepared to say that it's helped, a lot. I think it's good to retain a healthy scepticism about all these things, but in my case I had very little to lose by trying it. For now, the results have been very convincing.

One thing about diatary supplements, is there is no government regulation of these products. Consumer's Report did a study of several over the counter products a couple of years ago, and found vast differences between brands as to the amount of active ingredients. Amazingly, Walmart had some of the best brands, if memory serves. Maybe I need to take Ginkgo biloba! ...Anyway, look at the expiration date and I'd spend the extra bucks and get them from a health food store. My doctor, who has studied alternative medicines in addition to the normal kind told me to only buy tinctures of herbal products. He said since these are alcohol distillations, they won't degrade on the shelf like a powdered herb in a capsule would. I'm glad to hear that these products are working for you. To those who have had no luck, it may be due to the particular brand not having enough active ingredients in it. In this case, they may want to try another brand.

I found this web site today and wanted to share my experience with you. Being a nurse, I can't work if I have used narcotic pain medications. I have FM, arthritis, herniated discs and migraines. I have used Dr. Emu's Rx For Pain - Stops Pain Now, for several years. It has worked so well for my pain issues, that I have shared it with my family, the other nurses on my unit and my patients. I buy Dr. Emu's at my local health food store in West Palm Beach, FL. The toll free phone number for Dr. Emu's is on the bottle. After seeing this web site, I called and asked if they would mind me posting their phone number 1-888-537-3687. I spoke to Darrell, the owner, he said he would be happy to answer calls from anyone with questions about Dr. Emu's RX For Pain and assist with locating a retailer for his products. Retailers have Tester Bottles to try.