I have had some serious joint and knee problems for years. I ve been through years of exercises, physical therapy , x-rays, MRI s, cortizone shots, and other stuff, nothing has helped. I ve been tested for arthritis , gout , pseudo-gout, muscle and bone diseases, and a vareity of other things but to no avail, my knees kept swelling to the size of my head without known cause. They feel like they are packed in sand and when this happens the quad muscles seem not to fire properly. I was a runner, a basketball player, and I was in the Army, all of which can be murder on the knees and doctors have just chalked my joint issues up to overuse or my current weight, which I did not gain until the knee problems occurred. Recently, upon tips from a friend with connective tissue issues, I have begun supplementing with magnesium and the pain seems to dissappear. Is there a reason for this? Should I trust this? I m afraid to try doing the things I used to do for fear of getting hurt again. Is magnesium a treatment for joint issues/connective tissue issues and could this have been my problem all along?