Hi, I had my first visit with arthritis when I was 18 (lower back)...I went on to do a good busy life, worked with chiropractors for many years, still do. There is OA in my family, so guess I was doomed. Ate lots of sugar stuff and born and raised in fluoride which I now think both of these did a job on my body. Bad job.

I also had a great osteopathic MD who worked on my back from my 30's into probably late 50's. He's gone now. He's the one who brought a low thyroid I dealt with for many years to the forefront. He put me on desiccated thyroid in 2002, I was 64 but believed I was low thyroid for 10 yrs before. Dsyfunction of thyroid can cause pain in many ways.

Now I deal with more advancing OA since hip replacement at 72 but I manage and take many joint supplements, wear supports on back, knee and ankle...don't want back surgery as I've heard some stories on that surgery(s)..I also use quite a few topicals for my joints and try so many and find the ones that work best for me to keep me going.

You mentioned costo issue and I don't have that issue but know from studying grape seed extract for decades that it can help that issue. Grape seed ex has been a salvation in my life since 1995. This is my long story on back and joints but overall am healthy and thank grape seed ex which is called an OPC, a family of powerful antioxidants.

Hope you will find relief to keep going. You are young.

PS: I was told in 1999 I had Fibro but never believed it, talk about achy body. It was sluggish thyroid all along. So much to address as we age.

I see only integrative MD's and learned so much over the years on health support groups.

Hormones are vital too and as we age our DHEA levels drop, they start to drop at 20 or so and so many never know that unless they are fortunate enough to have an integrative MD in their life. DHEA is otc here in the U.S. but good to have those levels checked.