I have to say a few bad words about alternative medicines here, even though I’ve used chiropractic services successfully for many other types of malfunctions. Chiropractors seem to think that their discipline can cure all ills, including reversing osteoarthritic deterioration. It does not. I had one guy, not named here, who took X rays of my left hip back in 2012 and who never EVER suggested that I might one day need a joint replacement.

Some people swear by dietary supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin, among other things. Nope. They might slow deterioration but they won’t reverse it once it has occurred.

Here are some other things that won’t cure osteoarthritic deterioration: a gluten-free diet, a raw foods diet, deep breathing, weight training, marijuana, and wishful thinking.