13 Best Supplements For Joint Pain & Arthritis (2020 Guide)

 

Do you want to relieve your joint pain for real – not just for a short while?

Here are the 13 best supplements for joint pain & arthritis I personally tried:

• I used hundreds of different products throughout my life
• but these ones were the most effective
• they improved my pain more than the rest

So if you’re looking for a joint supplement that really works, I tried to put my top recommendations in this list.

Note: These recommendation are based on my personal experience, not on general info about these products.

 

 

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Best 6 Supplements For Inflammatory Pain

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The supplements from this list are mostly based on turmeric:

• it’s the best herb for inflammation
• decreases the pain and swelling faster than any other plant
• doesn’t have many side effects
• there are hundreds of different brands on the market

Some of the products I chose may contain additional substances, but they all have turmeric as the main ingredient.

 

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#1 Recommendation – Turmeric Plus ($23.45)

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This is by far the best turmeric supplement I tried overall:

• has the best features for the lowest price
• started working in less than 1 week 
• decreased my pain from 7 to about a 2 (on the long term)

So there’s one major reason why I recommend Turmeric Plus as a top choice:

It’s THE CHEAPEST SUPPLEMENT that worked so well for my joint pain.

It’s not the only turmeric supplement that helped me – but the others are a lot pricier. So I prefer to pay $16 on this one than $40 on others.

Other than joint pain – it also helps with:

• weight loss
• high blood pressure
• cognitive problems
• immunity booster

Price Tip: You can get Turmeric Plus for $16 per bottle instead of $24. Use my code from below from 5% off and get a 4 bottles pack. In this way, you get ONE FREE BOTTLE + about $11 off.

This means around $16 per bottle – the cheapest turmeric supplement I know.

1. Ingredients: Turmeric Powder, Curcuminoides, Bioperine

2. How It Works: 9.70 out of 10 (one of the few supplements I rated so high):

• works really fast – in my case
• my joint pain got considerably better in 2 weeks
• one of the most intense supplements (in terms of relieving pain)

Overall – I consider it as being the best product for inflammatory pain at this point.

3. Best For: Any kind of inflammatory pain, Swollen Joints, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid/Psoriatic Arthritis, Chronic Pain, etc.

I mostly recommend it to people who want pain relief without spending lots of money.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• High doses for all ingredients
• Also contains bioperine (essential for a proper absorption)
• Started working really fast (in about 3 days)
• Decreased my pain considerably in about 2 weeks
• Its ingredients have a very pure source (judging after how it worked)
• Really cheap – compared to others
• Only 2 pills per day

CONs

• Only available on the official website
• Very few authentic reviews (on other websites)
• Only ships in about 25 countries

 

 

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#2 – Smarter Nutrition Curcumin ($40.00)

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This product is the #2 on this list for one reason – its formula. 

Here’s why it’s so special:

• contains a special form of curcumin
• it has an improved absorption (no need for bioperine)
• it’s an oily extract

So overall – it’s pretty different than most turmeric supplements, which are liquid and have gelatin pills.

Smarter Curcumin’s pills come as softgels, which makes them easier to swallow.

(But gelatin pills are pretty easy to swallow either way, so this isn’t really an advantage.)

Other than that, this product is indeed effective:

• relieves the pain pretty well
• it works a bit slower than the previous one (in my case)

So it’s definitely a worth buying supplements, in terms of how it works. The less pleasant part is its price ($40 per month).

1. Ingredients: Curcumin C3 Reduct, AstraGin, Black Cumin Seed Oil, Ginger Root Extract

2. How It Works: 9 out of 10 – Here’s how it worked in my case:

• relieved my pain from a 7 to about a 3
• it needed about 2-3 months to get there
• started working after a week or so

3. Best For: Any kind of pain that involves inflammation.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Great formula in terms of absorption
• Many original ingredients
• No need for bioperine
• Only 1 pill per day
• Decreases joint pain for real (you only need to be patient)

CONs

• Not the fastest supplement ever (in my case at least)
• Quite expensive overall
• Needs a few months to reach its full potential – in terms of pain relief

 

 

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#3 – Joint Advantage Gold ($49.49)

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This supplement has one major reason to be on this list. It works for both inflammation and cartilage damage.

How exactly? Here’s the thing:

• contains anti-inflammatory substances
• but it also has some cartilage rebuilders

So basically – it looks a 2-in-1 supplement on paper.

However, in reality – it works much better for inflammation than for cartilage issues:

• relieves pain and swelling really well
• works pretty fast

On the other hand, it’s weaker for cartilage problems (in my case at least). That’s the main reason why it’s just on this list.

Another problem is its price – for someone with a regular budget, paying $50 for a joint supplement is way too much. I speak from experience here.

1. Ingredients: Glucosamine Sulfate, Meriva Phytosome, NEM Eggshell Membrane, HerbaZyme Soothing Blend, Boswellia Extract, Bovine cartilage 

2. How It Works: 9 out of 10 – For inflammatory pain, it was really good:

• relieved my pain considerably on the long term
• it needed about a week to start working in my case

3. Best For: Inflammation and swollen joints, not as good for cartilage damage.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Great combination of ingredients
• Some original substances
• Contains both anti-inflammatory and cartilage rebuilders
• Should start working in 1-2 weeks (depending on the person)

CONs

• Between 4-6 pills per day (really uncomfortable)
• Really expensive – $50 per monthly supply

 

 

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#4 – Solgar Curcumin ($41.42)

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This product is really similar to my #2 recommendation, Smarter Curcumin.

Overall – it’s surely not a classic turmeric supplement:

• contains a special formula for increased absorption
• doesn’t need bioperine
• uses softgels instead of pills

However – it’s not my favorite supplement in terms of how it works:

• slower than the previous 3
• didn’t relieve my pain quite as well

Now – Solgar’s Curcumin is definitely a great product. After all, that’s why it’s on my list.

But considering how much it costs, it’s not the best turmeric supplement ever – in my opinion.

One thing to note: one bottle is enough for 2 months, so the price isn’t that high as it seems. However, you can’t find a 1 month supply, so you have to buy directly the 2 months one.

1. Ingredients: Full Spectrum Curcumin Liquid Extract

2. How It Works: 8 out of 10 – It was okay, but not the best one ever:

• relieved my pain from a 7 to about a 3-4
• needed a longer time to start working
• slower effect overall

3. Best For: Pain caused by inflammation, just like every turmeric product.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Special formula with an increased absorption
• Only 1 pill per day
• Uses softgels with a liquid extract
• Does relieve the pain on the long term

CONs

• Pretty low doses at first sight (but still they have a better absorption)
• No monthly supply
• Kind of expensive overall

 

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#5 – CuraMed Curcumin ($48.76)

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Here’s another supplement that uses a special formula.

In fact – that’s what makes CuraMed’s Curcumin special:

• contains a proprietary complex
• it’s based on BCM-95, which is a great form of curcumin

But even though it looks really effective, in my case it wasn’t that good.

Now – this supplement surely works, but it wasn’t that amazing as the top 3 from my list.

Besides, it’s also a really pricey supplement at almost $50 per bottle.

However, you need to keep in mind that one bottle is meant to last 2 months, so the price doesn’t seem that high anymore.

So overall, it’s a good product if you afford buying it. But it’s surely not my top recommendation.

1. Ingredients: Proprietary Complex with BCM-95 Curcumin

2. How It Works: 7.50 out of 10 – It’s over the average:

• Works pretty fast, compared to others
• I could see a small change in about a week
• It’s not as good in terms of intensity
• It took my pain from a 7 to about a 4 in 2 months

3. Best For: Swollen Joints, Inflammatory Pain.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Only one pill per day
• Doesn’t contain regular pills but softgels
• Works decently
• I could feel a change in about a week

CONs

• Pills are pretty large, compared to most turmeric products
• No monthly supply
• Expensive to buy from the start
• Not very intense effect

 

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#6 – Youtheory Turmeric ($44.99)

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What I like about this product is that it sticks to the classics:

• contains bioperine + curcuminoides
• no different formula

Now – special formulas are definitely a great thing, but they also tend to be more expensive.

That’s why I prefer supplements with classic ingredients – they’re less pricey.

However, that’s not the case of Youtheory’s turmeric.

Even though it contains a 2 months supply, it’s still quite expensive to buy. Especially if you haven’t tried it out before.

So a monthly supply for a few dollars off would be a better deal – in my opinion.

1. Ingredients: Turmeric Extract, Olive Leaf Extract, Bioperine

2. How It Works: 8 out of 10 – It’s pretty good:

• It decreased my pain pretty well
• But in terms of effect, it’s slower than my top recommendations
• I needed about 2-3 weeks to feel a change

3. Best For: Any kind of inflammatory pain.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Really high doses (too high actually, if you ask me – there’s a high risk of side effects)
• One bottle is enough for 2 months
• Decreases the pain well enough (as intensity)

CONs

• You need to take 3 pills per day
• No turmeric powder
• No monthly supply
• Expensive at first sight

 

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Best 7 Supplements For Cartilage Damage

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The best substances for damaged cartilages are glucosamine and chondroitin.

That’s why all 7 supplements from my list are based on them:

• best cartilage rebuilders
• protect against further cartilage damage
• improve joint flexibility (on the long term)

Now – my top advice is to choose a supplement that contains the strongest form of glucosamine (the sulfate).

Most products on the market contain the HCl form – which doesn’t have so many positive studies behind.

That’s why all supplements from my list contain glucosamine sulfate, which can make the difference.

 

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#1 Recommendation – ProJoint Plus ($29.95)

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This is surely the best supplement for cartilage problems that I tried recently.

In fact, it has 3 main advantages over its competitors:

1. Contains the strongest form of glucosamine (sulfate).
2. Really improves joint mobility, not just the pain.
3. Cheaper than most (you can get it for $19 instead of $29).

Besides, it’s a product that works pretty fast – in terms of pain.

I could feel a slight difference in less than 1 week. But surely, that depends a lot from person to person.

However –  it’s actually the price that makes it my #1 recommendation on this list:

It’s THE CHEAPEST SUPPLEMENT that decreased both my OA pain an improved my joint mobility.

The other ones from this list can also do that – but they simply cost more.

Price Tip: You can buy a bottle for $19 instead of $29. Use the code from below for 5% off and buy a 4 bottles pack.

They will offer you ONE FREE BOTTLE and about $11 discount. That means around $19 per bottle, which is one of the cheapest glucosamine products I know.

1. Ingredients: Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin, MSM, Boswellia Extract, Turmeric, Bromelain, etc.

2. How It Works: 9.80 out of 10 – It’s one of the best products I tried:

• My pain started to get a bit better in less than one week
• On the long term, it really increased my joint mobility
• Also strengthened my joints
• My stiffness got better every week

3. Best For: Osteoarthritis, Damaged Cartilages, Cartilage Problems due to previous injuries.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Great combination of ingredients
• Pretty high doses (especially glucosamine)
• Also contains some anti-inflammatory (Turmeric + Boswellia)
• Starts working in less than a week – in my case at least
• Also helps joint flexibility, not just the pain
• Pretty cheap, compared to other supplements

CONs

• One bottle only lasts for 20 days (that’s what makes it more expensive)
• Only available on the official website
• You can’t find many personal reviews in other places
• Doesn’t ship worldwide (just in about 25 countries)

 

 

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#2 – Super Joint Support ($59.00)

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What makes this supplement so special is its formula:

• combines classic ingredients with original ones
• contains some brand ingredients

In fact – that’s why it’s my #2 recommendation. It has a great formula that you can’t find in many other supplements.

Now – in terms of relieving pain:

• it does almost as well as the previous one
• the only difference is that it’s a bit slower (in my case at least)

And obviously – it costs twice as much as my #1 recommendation, which is why it’s only on the second spot.

But overall, it’s a great product – as long as you’re willing to spend $60 on it every month.

1. Ingredients: Glucosamine Sulfate, Collagen, MSM, Ionic Sea Minerals, Alpha Lipoic Acid, etc.

2. How It Works: 9.30 out of 10 – It’s close to my top choice:

• Decreased my OA pain pretty well
• Also improved my joint mobility in a few months
• A bit slower than ProJoint Plus (in my case)

3. Best For: Osteoarthritis, Cartilage Problems.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Really effective for OA
• Many original ingredients
• Relieves the pain but also strengthens the joints
• Works pretty fast – compared to most supplements on the market

CONs

• You need to take 6 pills per day
• Really expensive overall ($60 per bottle)
  

 

 

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#3 – Flexcin ($49.95)

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This is one of the most surprising supplements I tried.

Despite the high number of negative reviews it has, in turned out to be pretty effective:

• decreased my pain pretty fast 
• also increased my mobility overall

So basically – Flexcin has a slightly different formula.

It uses classic ingredients combined with an anti-inflammatory substance that I haven’t seen before.

And based on how it worked for me, this combination seems to be a right choice.

However, Flexcin has one major downside – it’s extremely expensive on a monthly basis.

So I personally could not afford it constantly. That’s why it’s not my top recommendation.

1. Ingredients: CM8, Glucosamine Sulfate, MSM, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Bromelain, Vitamins, etc.

2. How It Works: 9 out of 10 – It’s surprisingly effective:

• my OA pain started getting better after a few weeks
• it also improved my joint flexibility 
• but it needed a few months to increase my mobility

One thing to point out: Even though it’s based on an anti-inflammatory (CM8), it wasn’t too good for my inflammation.

On the other hand, it worked much better for my OA.

3. Best For: As I said, Osteoarthritis or Cartilage Problems.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Contains both classic and original ingredients
• Money back guarantee
• Really effective for cartilage problems (in my case)

CONs

• You need to start with 4 pills per day
• Expensive
• No chondroitin
• No exact doses for most ingredients
• Many negative reviews

 

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#4 – Instaflex ($49.59)

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This supplement is really good at one chapter:

• knee pain caused by cartilage damage

What does that mean? Well – it works really good for knee pain, but that’s pretty much it.

At least in my case, there was no difference for the rest of my body. It was only my knees that got considerably better.

Now – overall, it’s a pretty good supplement:

• high doses of ingredients
• very popular

However, I read many reviews similar to my experience – Instaflex worked much better for knee pain than for other kinds of pain.

Plus – it’s one of those pricey supplements, at almost $50 per monthly bottle.

1. Ingredients:  Glucosamine Sulfate, MSM, Ginger Root Extract, Boswellia Extract, White Willow Bark Extract, Turmeric Root Extract, etc.

2. How It Works: 8 out of 10 – It’s great from certain points of view:

• really effective for knee pain
• doesn’t work so well for hand, back or hip pain
• it works best if you take all 3 pills together (that’s what I noticed)

3. Best For: Knee Pain caused by cartilage damage.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Great ingredients in high doses
• Also contains anti-inflammatory herbs
• Really popular
• You can find it in several retailers

CONs

• Not very effective for other kinds of pain
• No chondroitin
• Really expensive overall

 

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#5 – Move Free ($33.50)

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This is one of the few affordable products from my list.

Now – it’s a pretty good supplement overall. But despite its lower price, it’s only on the 5th position – here’s why:

• contains the weakest form of glucosamine (HCl)
• not so good for joint mobility

Basically – Move Free does relieve joint pain pretty well. 

But on the long term – it’s not as effective as the previous 4 products. 

At least in my case, it didn’t improve joint flexibility too much.

So that can make the difference between a great product and a decent one, like Move Free.

1. Ingredients: Vitamin D, Glucosamine HCl, MSM, Uniflex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Joint Fluid

2. How It Works: 7 out of 10 – Good at certain chapters:

• relieves the pain pretty well
• doesn’t increase joint flexibility too much
• needs a longer time to start working (in my case)

3. Best For: Joint pain caused by Osteoarthritis, Cartilage Damage.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Pretty good ingredients overall
• Only 2 pills per day
• Great price (one bottle is enough for 40 days)

CONs

• Contains the weaker form of glucosamine (HCl)
• Doesn’t work really fast
• Not very good for stiff joints

 

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#6 – Joint & Bone Essentials ($39.99)

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This is another supplement with a slightly different formula:

• contains some classic ingredients
• but also comes in with several brand substances

Now – Joint & Bone Essentials is not the best supplement ever. That’s why it’s just my 6th recommendation.

But compared to most supplements from the market, it’s surely above.

Besides – it’s not the most expensive product ever. 

1. Ingredients: Glucosamine Sulfate, Vitamin D3, Calcium, NEM Eggshell Membrane, FruiteX-B, Milk Protein

2. How It Works: 7 out of 10 – It’s a decent product:

• Relieves the pain on the long term
• Not as fast as my previous recommendations

3. Best For: Milder forms of osteoarthritis, General cartilage health.

PROs

• Varied ingredients
• Also helps the bones, not just the joints
• Better for cartilage health in general

CONs

• You need to take 4 pills per day
• A bit expensive
• No chondroitin
• Needs a longer time to work

 

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#7 – Joint Advance (No Price Mentioned)

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Even though it’s not my personal favorite, this product has some real advantages:

• great ingredients
• high doses
• free trial bottle

Now – the official website claims to offer a trial bottle for free. You only have to write down your details.

However, this offer seems really questionable:

• no opinions from previous customers
• no listed price

Basically, there’s no way to find out the price of this supplement – so it’s pretty clear there’s something not right.

And overall, this supplement looks much better than it works. At least in my case.

So the only reason why it’s on this list is the free trial bottle.

1. Ingredients: Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin Sulfate, MSM, Proprietary Blend

2. How It Works: 6 out of 10 – Not the best thing ever:

• Didn’t decrease my pain too well
• Little improvement overall

3. Best For: Minor problems with limited budgets.

See My Full Review Here

PROs

• Really good ingredients (mostly classic substances)
• Free trial bottle

CONs

• No info on the company or producer
• Unprofessional website
• No listed price
• Not very effective overall
• Very few authentic reviews

 

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A Quick Video Overview

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Here’s a video review of this list.

I only included the top 7 overall supplements – so the list from this article is actually longer than the video.

So in case you need a quick sum-up, this video is perfect for you.

 

 

 

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What Kind Of Joint Supplement You Need?

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There are basically 2 kinds of joint pain:

1. Caused by INFLAMMATION
2. Caused by CARTILAGE PROBLEMS

So depending on that, here’s the kind of supplement you need:

• Inflammatory Pain – Turmeric
• Cartilage Problems – Glucosamine + Chondroitin

Now – what if you can’t tell what kind of joint pain you have? Here’s what you should look at:

1. Inflammatory Pain:

• Your joints are swollen, warm and sometimes red
• You have rheumatoid/psoriatic arthritis or any other auto-immune form
• You wake up with stiff joints every morning
• The stiffness doesn’t go away faster than 45 minutes

2. Cartilage Damage:

• Appears due to aging or after an injury
• You didn’t have any joint problem before
• You have no external sign of pain
• Your joints are inflexible and very hard to move
• Your stiffness goes away faster than 45 minutes

So at this point, you should be able to tell what kind of joint pain you have.

Chances are it’s caused by cartilage damage – especially if you’re over 60.

Now that you know what you’re looking for – you should be able to tell what’s the best supplement for you.

 

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What’s The Best Supplement For Your Joint Pain?

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As you can see – there are 2 major types of joint supplements:

1. For Inflammatory Pain
2. For Cartilage Damage

The thing is: 

• I recommend turmeric products for inflammation
• Glucosamine + chondroitin work best for cartilage problems

So I advise you to keep this in mind next time you choose a product for your pain.

But basically – once you know the cause of your pain, choosing the right product is simple.

Either way – if you’re looking for a quality supplement for your joint pain, one of the 13 I listed above will surely help.

But I do advise you to choose one of my top recommended products:

• they were the most effective in my case
• they also have the best overall price

In case you’re not very sure what kind of supplement you need, let me know about your problem in a comment:

• give me as many details as you can
• mention when/how the pain started

If you have any other questions or suggestions, I’m waiting for your answers in the comments below.