Reader Question on Omega 3 Fatty Acids

MyAchingKnees.com received a reader contact from Shirley in North Carolina.

"I take Fish Oil gel tablets for three months now, and have not yet received any reduction in my knee pain."

Well, Shirley although Fish Oil has high levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids there is no way of telling how much and what quantity you are taking with off the shelf, food grade products. Additionally, without the guaranteed quality, free of toxins that you would get from a pharmaceutical grade product, you risk mercury and other toxins with food grade Fish Oil products.

From EnvironmentalChemistry.com: "In spite of the health benefits provided by omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, people are decreasing fish in their diets due to high levels of mercury found in some fish. Elevated levels of Mercury, a toxin affecting cognitive development in unborn children, is being found in many species of fish raising health concerns from eating mercury laden fish."

Keep in mind that Omega 3 Fatty Acids aren't necessarily a targeted product for your joint pain. Omega 3's work by balancing out the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios therefore thought to keep inflammation reduced which can affect your knees.

I take a pharmaceutical grade Glucosamine product called Procosa II, which is listed on page 3476 of the Physicians Desk Reference 2010 edition. I also take a pharmaceutical grade Omega 3 product, called Bi-Omega, to enhance what the Procosa II does for me, by helping to reduce inflammation. I have no other reason to explain the great reduction in my knee pain. Although I have your e-mail, I will not send anything unsolicited nor give your address to anyone. If you want more information on the products I take, then please fill out the form to the right.

Good luck and be careful on the off the shelf fish oil.

My Story

I had decades of increasing knee pain. Each time I would see a Doctor it was “You have Housemaid’s knee”,……”Have you heard of tennis elbow? You have knees like that.”……… “Knee deterioration is inevitable,..if it hurts, don’t go it.”…and so on…or worse yet,…”Take these pain killers”. No Doctor ever told me about what those pain killers can do to your liver over time.

There is no doubt that sometimes this pain is the result of years of use or abuse, such as in my case of decades in the Army carrying heavy loads, running mile after mile, and performing several hundred parachute jumps. Sometimes the knee pain is a result of injury never healing and becoming just chronic pain.

Sometimes you learn subconsciously to minimize the motions and movements that produce pain. But when the pain is going up and coming down stairs, and you have a lot of stairs in your daily life,…well,….it just sucks.

I tried Off-The-Shelf after Off-The-Shelf joint product. Osteo Bi-lex, Fex-A-Min,…..this variety of Glucosamine, that variety of Chondroitin….all without effect. Until I tried a pharmaceutical grade Glucosamine product and combined it with a pharmaceutical grade Fish Oil supplement. Within a few weeks I had relief. What a amazing feeling!

If you are like I used to be, living with knee pain, having it change my life and minimize my physical activities then this site is for you. I plan on writing about knee pain, sharing stories of people, who like me, had agonizing knee pain then found relief, and talking about the problems with conventional pain relievers and joint replacement surgeries.

Don’t let the Medical professionals blow you off. A lot of them are more like Disease Management pro’s rather than Health Care Managers. Take charge of your own bodies. I am here to tell you there is a lot you can do to bring back the enjoyment of physical activities. Read on. If you feel you may be one of many who can be helped then please contact me on the no obligation form below to learn more.