Hyaluronic acid for arthritis has been used extensively in osteoarthritis for decades in human and companion animals. Though osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis there are over 100 kinds of arthritis that can affect our musculoskeletal system. Hyaluronan or HA is found in abundance in our joints and protects and lubricates the cartilage surfaces. Protecting joints is important no matter what kind of joint stress or inflammation is occurring. I think of calcium and our bones-if we don’t supply enough calcium and vitamin D we lose the calcium in our bones and develop osteoporosis. If we don’t get enough iron we will develop anemia. In the same way if we don’t keep up the HA in our system our joints, skin and every other system that depends on HA will begin to deteriorate. Our body turns over one third of the HA it makes every day so it is a very active process that needs to kept in full supply by using hyaluronic acid for arthritis.
I had one of my patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis that has been on the major anti-RA medicines: methotrexate, steroids, plaquenil, etc. These are normal medicines used in RA that are not used in the usual type of osteoarthritis. She decided to try Topshelf and found it was very helpful for her morning stiffness and was helpful in many of her joints decreasing pain and aches. It makes sense that it could be helpful even in inflammatory type arthritis and is certainly safer with fewer side effects in comparison to her other medications, though they are necessary as well for her treatment by the Rheumatologist.
Her story has given me confidence to recommend Topshelf to all of my patients with joint problems and not just the ones with osteoarthritis. Douglas Kiburz, M.D.