It can help. I've taken it for years, and, like it has been mentioned above, I mostly notice it when I stop taking it. You might want to add SAM-e. I did, and that seems to be the only thing that helps with my neck & shoulder "crunchies" that can get pretty painful. You have to take it on an empty stomach and not eat for 30 minutes or so for the best effect. A good combination for overall inflammation is boswellia serrata (frankincense), ashwaghanda, and turmeric. This is an old Ayurvedic remedy that is also used in traditional Chinese Medicine for pain, especially joint pain, and generalized inflammation. You can get these at a local herb store. As with any herbal supplement, it may take several days or up to 2 weeks before you know if it's going to work, though if it IS going to work, you should notice improvement in 2-3 days.That combination works for a higher percentage of people than just the Glucosamine, in my experience. You can take both, or all 3, if you count the SAM-e.