Joint pain is one of the most common ailments affecting Americans, with contributing causes such as osteoarthritis affecting more than 50 million people, according to the authors of “Prescription for Natural Cures.” Other causes of joint pain include accidents, sports injuries and weak joints due to loss of muscle mass. Natural supplements such as shark cartilage may help soothe joint pain. However, more research is needed. Consult your doctor about any long-term joint pain.
What is Cartilage?
Joints, such as your fingers, hips and knees contain cartilage, a type of connective tissue made up of cells known as chondrocytes. Cartilage is usually tough, smooth and well-lubricated, allowing for easy joint function. It helps to absorb impact or shock, protecting the ends of the bones in the joints. Over time or as a result of injury, cartilage can become damaged or abnormal, leading to joint pain. Some people take a supplement, shark cartilage, to relieve aching joints, the theory being that adding cartilage to the diet can help rebuild cartilage in joints. However, scientific evidence about shark cartilage's benefits for this purpose are lacking.
Amount
You cannot get shark cartilage from food, so if you decide to take it, you would have to take it as a supplement in capsule or powder form. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, adults 18 years and older can take 200 to 2,000 mg of shark cartilage per kilogram of body weight, two or three times daily. Children younger than 18 years old should not take shark cartilage.
Precautions
Do not take shark cartilage without consulting your doctor. Shark cartilage is generally safe to take. However, one person who took this supplement suffered from liver inflammation, which went away after he stopped taking it, according to NYU Langone Medical Center. Do not take shark cartilage if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or recovering from surgery or a heart attack, advises the University of Maryland Medical Center. Also, buy the supplement only from reputable sources, such as a health practitioner. A pharmacy brand is also likely trustworthy.
Considerations
If you’ve been suffering with joint pain for longer than two weeks, consult a physician. It can be a sign of cartilage damage due to an injury or a degenerative disease such as arthritis, which also causes symptoms such as swelling or inflammation, stiffness and loss of function. Your doctor can recommend a multifaceted approach to treating joint pain — which may include taking shark cartilage — and any underlying cause. The sooner you receive proper treatment, the more successful your recovery will be.
References
- “Prescription for Natural Cures”; Mark Stengler, N.D., et al.; 2011
- NYU Langone Medical Center: Cartilage
- UW Medicine Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine: Joints
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cartilage
- HelpGuide.org: Dietary Supplements
- Arthritis Foundation: How to Care for Yourself
