I am a male, 69 year old and have been paraplegic for 35 years. I remain wheelchair active but for about 3 years have had severe pain in neck, shoulders, arms and even hands. Doctor told me after two years of tests I had bad joint wear?

I bet you suspected you might have some spinal wear and tear long before the two years of investigations were up!

Being sat for so long will affect the spine and cause the vertebrae to compress, which I suspect is what the tests uncovered.

Fortunately, wear and tear in the upper body respond better to the supplement glucosamine than wear and tear lower down, such as in the knee, so please try 3g a day for 6-8 weeks and you may help create some extra distance between the bones (called joint space).

For a little extra benefit, you might try glucosamine combined with MSM and Chondroitin. The MSM can offer a little pain relief too but for a more immediate effect, our Atrogel Arnica gel can help pain in less than 30 minutes.

If at all possible, increase magnesium-rich foods (veg, grains, nuts, beans, pulses) and reduce dairy and salty foods as these measures will help relax the tense muscles I'm sure you must have in the shoulders and neck.

All my best

Earle