Has anyone tried taking collagen supplements?

I can't help you with the collagen question. However, I have osteoarthritis in my spine, right shoulder, both elbows, hands & knees! Mine is genetics & accidents. OA is a the most common arthritis that afflicts millions around the world.

It's a wear/tear type, injuries, often genetics are involved. Some people can have a mild form with few symptoms or it can get progressively worse.
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An example of OA, my 38 yr old son started having arm pain. Long story short an MRI of his neck shows his neck is riddled with arthritis & bone spurs at several levels. The dr said your neck looks like a 90 yr old.

There are lots of ways to treat it on your own. I use Voltaren gel now that it's available OTC. My gi has no problem with this, plenty of OTC analgesics with Lidocaine added that will help with the pain. Because mine is so wide spread I use a pool in the summer & a jacuzzi in the winter, you have to keep moving.

You can try the collagen powder & see if it helps.

You should look at the bigger picture here and consider if there are co-morbidities along with your OA. OA does not come on over-night unless there is joint damage or injury and some people can have OA with no obvious pain. Most x-rays will show some wear and tear even at young to middle ages and so you need to be careful you do not get labelled into an OA box when something else could potentially be causing the issues too. I'm all for meds and doctors but OA is the one area where the get-out-clause is used too much.

damo...I totally agree. I thought it was a bit strange that it would just pop up on both hands, all of a sudden. Thank you, all, for your input.