Grant Cooper, M.D., co-director of the Princeton Spine & Joint Center in Princeton, NJ, has written several journal articles and books about arthritis and pain. In his years of treating patients with osteoarthritis (OA), he's made an interesting observation: patients with terrible-looking x-rays (bone-on-bone) may have no pain at all, while others reporting excruciating pain may have x-rays showing relatively little joint deterioration. What makes for the difference? According to Cooper, even with joint deterioration you don't need to be in pain. His keys for preventing and reversing arthritic pain are gentle exercise, including strengthening and stretching your muscles appropriately, learning how to perform daily tasks so that you're not over-stressing your joints, and an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, including good diet and anti-inflammatory supplements. A few sessions with a good physical therapist can be worth their weight in gold to learn specific exercises and new, less…

Addressing Frequent MSM QuestionsThere are some compelling reasons to add MSM to your supplement protocol, especially if you're dealing with pain and/or inflammation. MSM is also an excellent source of sulfur, known as the "beauty mineral." Sulfur provides support for strong, thick, lustrous hair; a complexion free from blemishes and wrinkles; and nails that are strong without being brittle. In addition, MSM promotes detoxification.But how much should you take? And what about the possibility of adverse reactions?One 500 mg capsule a day is good insurance for most people to prevent sulfur deficiency and support construction of healthy connective tissues, detoxification, and beautiful, strong hair, skin and nails.Treating specific health problems can require anywhere from 1,000-6,000 mg a day (and higher doses under professional supervision) depending on body size, age and severity of symptoms. MSM is particularly good for symptom-relief related to allergies, asthma, athletic injuries, a…