Collagen is extremely important to joint health,
although most people tend to think of it as an anti-wrinkle
treatment. Certain types of arthritis can cause the
cartilage in joints to lose its elasticity and eventually
begin to wear away in the areas that see the most
movement, such as knees, ankles and wrists. Without
their natural shock-absorber present, tendons and
ligaments stretch to fill in for the missing cartilage,
which causes tremendous pain.
Without some sort of treatment, it is fully possible
for even these replacements to wear out, leaving bones
to rub against one another. Prescription pills for
arthritis usually are used here to dull the pain,
which doesn't really do much other than mask your
symptoms.
The cartilage that is in joints is made up of four
basic substances, which are proteoglycans, chondrocytes,
water and collagen. Not only is collagen a key component
of building and strengthening cartilage, it can also
be found in the surrounding tendons, and creates a
literal framework that houses the other components
of cartilage. Using collagen pills for arthritis does
more than prescription pills simply because rather
than masking or dulling the pain, they help to rebuild
the lost cartilage and effect a long term solution.
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There are two main types of collagen used in pills
for arthritis, Type I Collagen and Type II Collagen.
Type I Collagen restores cartilage, thereby reducing
the pain and stiffness caused by the breakdown of
these vital tissues and also improves mobility of
the joints as new cartilage is created. Type II Collagen
is the actual protein that is lost in the stiffening
and breakdown process, so many feel that it is important
for patients to supplement themselves with this type
of collagen in order to make sure the first type has
something to build on.
Type II Collagen itself was thoroughly tested in
a major double-blind study at Harvard Medical School.
Using cartilage from chickens, they administered it
by feeding the supplement to a group of arthritis
sufferers, many of whom reported a definite improvement
in their symptoms.
There are several sources for this type of treatment,
although in some parts of the country you cannot get
Type II Collagen over the counter.
Anyone who has suffered the debilitating pain that
comes with arthritis, or knows someone who does, the
importance of finding safe, effective pills for arthritis
is paramount. These new studies and the resulting
evidence that shows collagen pills for arthritis are
definitely a step in the right direction are important
to perhaps one day finding a cure for arthritis, but
in the meantime, there's no reason not to try them
for yourself. You have nothing to lose but your pain!
