Patients Ask Me About Supplements Every Day Here is What I Actually Take

Every week, patients ask me about supplements.

Collagen. Glucosamine. UC-II. Omega-3. Magnesium. Creatine. Vitamin D.

Sometimes they bring bottles to the clinic. Sometimes they show me screenshots from social media. Occasionally, they are already taking four or five supplements and want to know whether any of them are actually helping.

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I find these conversations fascinating because they reveal how much confusion exists around supplements. Many people assume there must be a pill for every problem—joint pain, weak bones, muscle loss, ageing, arthritis, osteoporosis, or sports injuries.

So I recently asked myself a simple question:

If I had to spend my own money on supplements, which ones would actually make the cut?

Before I answer, an important disclaimer.

No supplement can replace exercise, adequate nutrition, good sleep, or appropriate medical treatment. In fact, some of the most powerful interventions for bone, muscle, and joint health do not come from a pharmacy at all.

With that said, here are the supplements I personally consider most useful.

Protein: The Most Important Supplement I Take

Many people expect me to start with calcium or collagen.

Instead, I start with protein.

If there is one supplement that I consider genuinely valuable for long-term musculoskeletal health, it is adequate protein intake.

Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even bones depend on protein.

As we age, preserving muscle mass becomes increasingly important. Strong muscles improve balance, reduce the risk of falls, support joints, and help us remain active and independent.

As someone who spends a significant part of my practice treating osteoporosis and fragility fractures, I have become increasingly convinced that muscle health is just as important as bone health.

A strong skeleton attached to weak muscles is still at risk.

Many hip fractures occur not simply because bones are weak, but because people fall. Stronger muscles improve balance, reaction time, and confidence in movement.

One of the most common nutritional issues I encounter in clinical practice is not a deficiency of collagen or glucosamine—it is inadequate protein intake.

For that reason, protein sits at the top of my list.

Vitamin D: Boring but Important

Vitamin D is probably one of the least exciting supplements available.

It doesn’t promise dramatic transformations. It rarely makes headlines.

Yet it remains important.

Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, muscle function, and bone health. Deficiency is common and can contribute to muscle weakness and poor bone quality.

In patients with osteoporosis, vitamin D is often one of the first things I assess because correcting deficiency is an important part of protecting long-term bone health.

I don’t view vitamin D as a performance supplement.

I view it as a correction of a deficiency when one exists.

Sometimes the most useful interventions in medicine are also the least glamorous.

Creatine: Not Just for Bodybuilders

If there is one supplement that has undergone far more scientific scrutiny than most people realize, it is creatine.

Many still associate it only with gym enthusiasts.

I see it differently.

Creatine has substantial evidence supporting improvements in strength and exercise performance. More recently, researchers have become interested in its role in preserving muscle mass as we age.

One reason creatine interests me is that many of the problems we associate with ageing are actually problems of muscle loss.

Falls, fractures, loss of independence, slower recovery after surgery, and reduced mobility all become more common as muscle mass declines.

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I spend a lot of time thinking about healthy ageing. For that reason, creatine remains one of the more interesting supplements in modern nutrition research.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 supplements have been studied extensively for their potential effects on overall health.

I don’t think of them as miracle cures for joint pain.

However, they may have modest anti-inflammatory effects and can be a reasonable consideration for individuals who consume little oily fish in their diet.

Like most supplements, they work best when expectations remain realistic.

What About Calcium?

Many readers may be surprised that calcium is not higher on my list.

That is because I currently meet my calcium requirements through diet.

Milk, curd, paneer, and other dietary sources remain my preferred approach.

If I were unable to meet my calcium requirements through food, or if I developed osteoporosis or another condition that increased my fracture risk, my answer might be different.

One of the most common misconceptions I encounter is that joint pain and bone health are the same thing.

They are not.

A person can have severe knee arthritis with perfectly healthy bones. Equally, someone with osteoporosis may have no symptoms until they suffer a fracture.

Calcium primarily supports bone health. It does not treat arthritis.

Understanding that distinction is important because osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are completely different conditions, despite how often they are confused.

What About Collagen, Glucosamine, and Chondroitin?

This is where patients are often most surprised by my answer.

At present, I do not take collagen, glucosamine, or chondroitin to prevent arthritis.

The reason is simple.

Despite years of research, these supplements have not consistently demonstrated that they can prevent osteoarthritis or regrow meaningful amounts of cartilage in human joints.

If my goal was to reduce my future risk of arthritis, I would focus on things that have much stronger evidence:

• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Staying physically active
• Preserving muscle strength
• Avoiding major joint injuries

However, that does not mean I think these supplements are useless.

If I developed osteoarthritis in the future and began experiencing pain or stiffness, I would be open to trying them.

Not because I believe they rebuild cartilage.

Not because I think they reverse arthritis.

But because some studies suggest that certain patients may experience modest improvements in pain and symptoms.

Personally, I would probably start with a glucosamine-chondroitin combination for a few months. If I experienced no benefit, I would stop. Later, I might consider trying a collagen-based supplement.

The important distinction is this:

I would use them as symptom-management tools, not cartilage-regeneration tools.

Of course, by the time significant arthritis develops—fingers crossed that’s still many years away—we may have better evidence, better supplements, or entirely new treatments. Medicine evolves, and today’s answers are not always tomorrow’s answers.

Interestingly, because I already prioritize adequate protein intake, I am less convinced that additional collagen supplementation is necessary for general musculoskeletal health. Whether collagen provides benefits beyond adequate dietary protein remains an active area of research.

As a shoulder surgeon, I am occasionally asked whether collagen or glucosamine can heal a rotator cuff tear or reverse shoulder arthritis.

Unfortunately, no supplement has been shown to heal a torn rotator cuff tendon.

When it comes to shoulder problems, good rehabilitation, maintaining muscle strength, and appropriate treatment decisions remain far more important than any supplement currently available.

The Biggest Mistake I See

The biggest mistake is not choosing the wrong supplement.

It is expecting supplements to do the work that lifestyle changes should be doing.

Many people spend considerable money on supplements while neglecting:

• Strength training
• Physical activity
• Sleep
• Weight management
• Adequate protein intake

The scientific evidence supporting these interventions is stronger than the evidence supporting most supplements currently on the market.

The Take-Home Message

Patients often assume that because I am an orthopaedic surgeon, I must be taking a long list of supplements.

The truth is much less exciting.

The supplements I find most useful are often the least glamorous: adequate protein, correcting vitamin D deficiency when necessary, and selected supplements such as creatine or omega-3 in appropriate situations.

As for collagen, glucosamine, and chondroitin, I would not take them to prevent arthritis. However, if I developed symptomatic arthritis in the future, I would be open to using them as part of a broader symptom-management strategy.

Whether I am treating a rotator cuff tear, shoulder arthritis, osteoporosis, or a fragility fracture, the lesson is remarkably similar: supplements may help at the margins, but the foundations remain movement, muscle strength, nutrition, and healthy habits practiced consistently over time.

There is no magic pill for musculoskeletal health—but there are habits that consistently outperform most supplements ever invented.