Nature’s Way Joint Movement Glucosamine Review

Is Natures Way Joint Movement Any Good?

Published March 27th 2023
Fact Checked by Dr Mark Watson

Joint Movement is not that expensive but neither is it that effective. Being a liquid is its only unique selling point. 

A liquid formula joint supplement, Joint Movement is a good option for anyone who struggles to swallow capsules and tablets. The downside is that the formula is very far from being the most effective available. While it does contain ingredients that have been shown to prevent joint problems, promote healthy joints, and relieve joint-related pain it also contains a couple of dud ingredients and misses some of the most potent, proven ones.

The main ingredients missing from the Nature’s Way Joint Movement supplement are omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin (an extract from Turmeric), and resveratrol. Nature’s Way could also have considered ginger, vitamin K2, and boswellic acid. Any of these would have been better than the completely ineffective ingredients sodium and hyaluronic acid.

The manufacturer, Nature’s Way, claims Joint Movement will work faster than capsules or tablets because the liquid can be absorbed more easily. While this logic might hold true for something that has an almost immediate effect on the body, like caffeine, it is unlikely to hold true for the ingredients in Joint Movement.

Most supplements that impact joint health need to be taken continuously for a few weeks before results can be experienced. This is true of vitamin D and also of glucosamine. This is because they build up slowly in the body and have longer-term effects. Perhaps the exception to this when it comes to joint supplements and medication is anti-inflammatories, which have faster effects. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen can have an effect within hours. However, even then, whether taken as a capsule or a liquid the difference in speed of effectiveness will be minimal.

The idea that taking a joint supplement as a liquid will improve the way it works does not hold up to scrutiny. The only benefit gained from Joint Movement being a liquid is that people who can’t swallow capsules and tablets can use it.

Considering the shortcomings of the formula, we recommended taking a joint supplement that contains more proven ingredients unless you really can’t take capsules.

Joint Movement Customer Reviews

Verified reviews of Joint Movement are mostly positive with many customers awarding the product five stars. Around 70% of reviews of Joint Movement rated the joint supplement five stars, 15% gave four stars, and just 4% of customers rated Joint Movement one star.

The most common complaint against Joint Movement is the taste, which customers reported to be very bad and strong. One customer wrote, “tastes too bad to swallow”, while another said of the taste, “It is nasty!!” Other customers reported experiencing no difference in pain or joint-related problems.

Positive reviews of Joint Movement said it improved joint movement and flexibility, and that it reduced pain from joint problems. Others noted that the effects were experienced more quickly than with capsules or tablets that had been tried previously, but as noted earlier, this is probably not actually the case 

Joint Movement Ingredients 

Vitamin D3 (10mcg) - Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to joint pain, particularly among people over 50, and increased chances of developing more serious joint problems. Taking a vitamin D supplement to restore levels will alleviate the pain. While take additional vitamin D, even for people whose levels are sufficient, can help to prevent joint problems from developing further down the line.

Sodium (100mg) - This is an odd choice of ingredient. Sodium is salt, and salt is something people experiencing joint pain are constantly told to avoid. This is because eating too much salt causes water retention and swelling, which can put pressure on joints leading to inflammation. The only logic we can find in including sodium is to treat hyponatremia, the condition of having low sodium levels in the blood. One of the symptoms is cramping, which can put extra pressure on joints, but the condition is rare (normally only found in older persons who are hospitalised) whereas high sodium levels—i.e. eating too much salt—is very common.

Glucosamine HCL (2,000mg) - Glucosamine is a naturally occurring substance found in cartilage. Studies have demonstrated glucosamine’s effectiveness at relieving pain from knee osteoarthritis and other joint issues. Glucosamine can be harvested from shellfish or created in a laboratory, the type in Joint Movement is lab-made, meaning this joint supplement is safe for anyone with a shellfish allergy. The recommended effective daily dose is around 1500mg. The 2,000mg in Joint Movement will be more than sufficient to enjoy the benefits this supplement can provide.

Chondroitin Sulfate (1,200mg) - Often found in combination with glucosamine, chondroitin is thought to enhance the effectiveness of glucosamine on joints. It is not normally included in joint supplements in such high amounts. For it to impact the effect of glucosamine a dose of around 200-500mg would be enough. As a stand-alone supplement, chondroitin’s impact on joint health is unclear as the results of studies are very mixed.

MSM (500mg) - Shown to be effective at treating knee pain, it is not known if MSM has similar effects on other joints. Studies into its effectiveness are lacking at present. It is thought to reduce inflammation and prevent the degeneration of cartilage. One small study suggested MSM can reduce joint stiffness and pain [1].

Hyaluronic Acid (10mg) - Found naturally in joints, the use of hyaluronic acid has been found to be effective as an injection but not as an oral supplement. Therefore, its inclusion in the Joint Movement formula is pointless.  

Natures Way Joint Movement Review: Conclusion 

Joint Movement is a mediocre joint support supplement. It contains a couple of good ingredients: vitamin d, MSM, glucosamine, and chondroitin. However, it also contains hyaluronic acid and sodium, which will do nothing for your joints.

On top of this, Joint Movement misses a lot of top-tier ingredients that are proven to alleviate joint pain, promote long-term joint health, and build resistance to joint problems. Basics like omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and ginger are all missing from Joint Movement.

Joint Movement is pretty cheap, coming in at under $20, but you really do get what you pay for: just a couple of effective ingredients.

Promoted as a fast-acting liquid joint supplement, the only real advantage to Joint Movement being a liquid is that, for some people, it could be easier to swallow than pills. Unfortunately, according to customers, the formula tastes pretty disgusting, which might make Joint Movement actually quite difficult to swallow.

The issues with the formula—missing ingredients and the use of dud ingredients—mean this joint supplement is not all that great. We recommend trying something else unless you really can’t handle swallowing capsules or tablets. You can check our best joint supplements list for suggestions. Our firm favourite is FlexAgain, which is currently the highest-dosed joint supplement on the market and features 11 proven ingredients.  

Best Joint Supplements
Criteria Rating
Ingredients 5/10
Pain Relief 5/10
Joint Health 5/10
Swelling 3/10
Value 5/10
Recommended 4/10 

References

1.      Xu, G., et. al. (2015) Evaluation of the Effect of Mega MSM on Improving Joint Function in Populations Experiencing Joint Degeneration. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4502733/