[Harp-L] Subject: Playing without Pain - Follow up/correction

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Thanks Rudene and Steve Shaw for good input and insights in re my post  about 
the liquid glucosamine/chondroitin.   Rudene explains that the  MSM and 
collagen are the extra ingredients that make the difference.  He's  absolutely 
correct.
 
 I'm so glad to find out from him that there is another product  helping a 
fellow sufferer available with the same ingredients as mine.   When he says he 
"stopped taking the pills" he is referring to the pill version  of 
Glucosamine/chondroitin.   I ran into the same problem:  the  pill version while 
inexpensive, does work - eventually.  BUT they take  several months to kick in, are 
extremely difficult to digest for some  folks and having stomach problems 
already, it wasn't a happy solution  for me.   The liquid version of this supplement 
avoids all  that and seems to begin to work almost instantaneously.  
 
Steve's experience is typical of arthritis sufferers and he should  
absolutely continue on his current regimen.  Whatever works to reduce your  pain, under 
your physician's care.  I didn't make it clear that this  supplement can be 
taken as well as your anti-inflammatories and any other  medicine.  In no way 
should you substitute one for the other.  I'm not  at all an advocate of 
stopping prescription meds which help (especially since my  husband works for a 
major Pharmaceutical company <g>).
 
Like Steve I have severe neck pain and other medical problems as well which  
are not tremendously helped by my "miracle" product.  I saw my Neurologist  
just yesterday and he remarked on the studies proving glucosamine/chondroitin's  
efficacy in helping extremity pain (knees down, wrists/hands) and yet no one  
understands why it seems to focus "only" on those areas.  I have gotten  
quite a bit of lessening of lower back pain, but as Steve points out  - keeping 
active plays a big part.
 
When one is frozen with pain, however, even the thought of traversing a  
single flight of stairs can appear insurmountable.  Pushing in the  button of a 
chromatic seemed well-nigh impossible.  That's the beauty  of this stuff:  it 
gave me back my ability to move and play harmonica and  now there's no stopping 
me. Should I add that it also helped me lose weight  I'd gained from certain 
medications and being unable to move much before?
 
I had no idea just how many arthritis sufferers or joint-injured people  
there were out there.  Off-list today I heard from so many of you, it  actually 
hurt and some of the stories even brought me to tears.  You're all  in my 
thoughts, and I'm wishing Happy (and pain-free) Harpin' from now  on! 
 
Elizabeth