The mainstream “solutions” to multiple sclerosis can be even worse than the disease itself: Of all the dangerous meds MS patients are told to take, not a single one of them can stop or reverse the damage.

And they all come with some horrific side effects.

One recently approved drug that does little more than boost walking speed — and only in about a third of MS patients — is actually a bird poison, for crying out loud.

Now, there’s finally some real promise on the horizon — and no… it’s not a drug. It’s a natural supplement that’s very similar to the glucosamine safely taken by millions of arthritis patients every single day.

It’s called N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), and researchers say it can help correct the problems that cause the immune system to start attacking itself in MS patients.

The secret is in the sugars: Cellular proteins react to sugar molecules, and recent studies have shown that those sugars could be triggering the message that causes immune system T-cells to go haywire.

Glucosamine, as the name suggests, is also a form of sugar — and researchers say the N-acetylglucosamine form is powerful enough to change that message and replace it with a new one: Stop it. Now.

That’s the theory. To test it, the researchers bred mice with an MS-like condition that was causing leg weakness to the point where the rodents should have eventually suffered from paralysis.

When they were given N-acetylglucosamine, however, the march to paralysis wasn’t just stopped… it was reversed.

The researchers say human trials are needed to figure out if it really can deliver on the elusive promise of an MS cure or even relief, as well as key issues like the most effective dose.

But if you don’t want to wait, I can certainly understand — and you don’t have to, either: N-acetylglucosamine is inexpensive and already widely available. Just be sure to work with an experienced naturopathic physician who can help monitor your progress.

The benefits may not end with MS. In fact, N-acetylglucosamine could open the doorway to new treatments for a host of autoimmune disorders.

In one study, for example, eight of 12 kids suffering from inflammatory bowel disease saw significant improvements — and no serious side effects — after two years of N-acetylglucosamine supplements.

These were kids who had a treatment-resistant version of the disease — so once again, a simple natural supplement managed to pull off what a pharmacy full of meds could not.

A small army of seniors already swears by chondroitin for arthritis relief — and the latest research shows they’re not swearing in vain.

The new study confirms that chondroitin can beat pain, ease stiffness, and even restore function to patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the hands.

Researchers gave 162 patients suffering from radiographic hand osteoarthritis either 800 mg of chondroitin sulfate or a placebo every day. After six months, those who took the real supplement enjoyed a dramatic reduction in hand pain (nearly 9 points on a visual analogue scale).

The visual analogue scale is a 100-point scale where patients estimate their pain levels. Since most of them started around 40, a nine-point drop is an improvement of nearly 25 percent.

They also saw improvements in morning hand stiffness, grip strength, and overall function.

As good as chondroitin is, it’s even better when you pair it with glucosamine.

Glucosamine and chondroitin together can actually restore cartilage to your joints and repair the damage caused by years of osteoarthritis.

For an added boost, add some gentle movement exercises to your routine. Yoga, for example, has been shown to ease pain and restore function in patients who suffer from hand osteoarthritis. And Tai chi, the slow and graceful martial art, has shown to help combat osteoarthritis of the knees.

Put that together with the arthritis-battling duo of glucosamine and chondroitin, and you have yourself a winner.

Vioxx may be gone–but it certainly hasn’t been forgotten, and some researchers seem to have much fonder memories of it than the rest of us.

You might remember Vioxx as the painkiller that was pulled due to its deadly heart and stroke risk, especially for long-term users such as osteoarthritis patients.

But the researchers behind a new study seem to remember it as a safer choice for those very same patients–because when the drug was pulled from the market, those patients began to suffer from falls and fractures.

I suppose falling down is better than dropping dead… but as you’ll see in a moment, you don’t have to choose one over the other–because the problem isn’t the lack of Vioxx.

It’s the bad decisions made by docs when the drug was shelved, as many of them began loading their patients up with opioid painkillers–drugs that can make anyone feel loopy, foggy and unsteady enough to take a tumble.

The researchers looked at data on some 11,000 osteoarthritis patients 65 and older who were in a health system database between 2001 and 2009, and found that the number of opioid prescriptions shot up from 8 percent of the patients in 2001 to 20 percent in 2004, the final year of Vioxx.

And then, with Vioxx off the market, the opioid floodgates really opened: By 2009, 40 percent of the osteoarthritis patients were taking them.

The researchers say the number of falls and fractures climbed right with those prescription rates–from less than 1 percent of the patients in 2001 to 4 percent of them by 2009.

And almost all of the new fall victims were opioid users, according to the study presented at a recent American College of Rheumatology meeting.

It’s as if docs just threw up their hands when Vioxx was withdrawn and started passing out narcotics willy-nilly.

But that doesn’t have to be your fate–because there are much safer alternatives out there.

Acupuncture, tai chi, glucosamine, and MSM have all helped patients fight osteoarthritis–and many have had even greater success killing the pain and restoring physical function by combining two or more of these treatments.

Other patients have found that their osteoarthritis is triggered or worsened by food allergies. Get tested by an experienced naturopath to learn what role diet may be playing in your condition.

The other option is to wait for Vioxx to mount a comeback — because the drug isn’t actually banned. The withdrawal was voluntary, and an FDA panel even voted to allow its return despite the risks.

Merck didn’t take them up on that offer–but technically, that means Vioxx is still out there like a horror movie monster… waiting for its sequel.

If you’re taking glucosamine for your joint pain, you’re really only halfway there.

The latest research shows you need the anti-inflammatory power of fish oil to complete the picture – because together, these two supplements are far more effective at reducing and even eliminating joint pain.

In a controlled trial, researchers found that adding fish oil to the equation gave much better relief to osteoarthritis patients than the glucosamine alone. The combined power of the two supplements also worked better at easing morning stiffness and relieving pain in the knees and hips.

The study, which was published in the journal Advances in Therapy, was funded by a British supplement maker – but there’s nothing fishy about this one. In fact, it’s easy to understand why this works so well: The fish oil is easing the inflammation linked to the pain, as the glucosamine works to help rebuild lost cartilage.

Many times, glucosamine is sold with chondroitin – but early research has linked chondroitin to prostate cancer, and most people don’t need it anyway to get real relief. But adding fish oil to the mix gives your body something too many of us miss out on: essential omega-3 fatty acids.

While the study looked at osteoarthritis pain, fish oil can help with nearly any inflammation-related pain. It’s also great for the brain, eyes, heart and overall health

If, like the patients in this study, you’re looking for some relief from osteoarthritis, also make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D – low levels of the sunshine vitamin have been linked to increased pain. Smoking has also been known to worsen the problem – so there’s one more reason to call it quits.

And as I wrote just a few weeks ago, a recent study found slow Chinese tai-chi exercises have also shown to help provide osteoarthritis relief.

Finally, many people don’t realize how big a role food allergies can play in joint pain. Consider an elimination diet – cutting out certain foods and seeing if it makes a difference over time. The most common culprits when it comes to arthritis are nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and many kinds of peppers.

Work with an experienced doctor who can also run some allergy tests as you try the elimination approach.

These allergies may not be responsible for every case of joint pain and arthritis, but they’re behind enough of them that you should look into it, especially if you find your pain won’t go away – or gets worse – no matter what you do.

The alternative is a lifetime’s supply of painkillers and other meds that can damage your body in other ways as they mask the symptoms of your pain.