My MRI Results + What I'm Doing About It

I got my MRI results back this week. Grade 4 cartilage loss in my knee. Bursitis and biceps tendon inflammation in my shoulder. Fluid in both joints. My doctor handed me a prescription for meloxicam and sent me on my way.

I'm not taking it. Here's what I'm doing instead — and why it's backed by better science than most people realize.

▶️ THIS WEEK ON THE PODCAST

🎙️ I Got My MRI Results — Here's the Natural Stack I'm Using Instead of Painkillers

If you've been told to "just manage it" or handed an NSAID prescription for joint pain — this episode is for you. I break down my actual MRI findings in plain English, explain why the standard medical response falls short, and walk through the exact two-product natural protocol I'm running instead.

In this episode:

• What Grade 4 chondromalacia actually means — and why your MRI can look scary but feel fine

• The problem with long-term NSAID use for joint inflammation (and what Ray Peat got right about aspirin)

• My exact supplement stack — two products, one capsule a day, and why I chose Pure Encapsulations over every other brand I researched

• The golf follow-through connection — why my shoulder hurts on the trail side and what the anatomy actually tells us

• Daily Body blade shoulder routine, swing modifications, and the pre-bed recovery sequence I'm using every night

• Upper body training modifications that keep you in the gym without setting the joint back

🎬 Watch the full episode

🔬 THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE STACK — 3-min read

Here's what I'm taking and why each ingredient maps directly to my MRI findings:

1️⃣ Carnivore Aurelius Grass-Fed Brazilian Collagen

Taken on an empty stomach before movement. Research from Keith Baar's lab at UC Davis shows collagen peptides taken before exercise dramatically increases collagen synthesis in tendons and cartilage. The raw material your body needs to rebuild — glycine and proline — delivered at exactly the right time.

2️⃣ Pure Encapsulations Joint Complex — 1 capsule daily

Five ingredients in one clean NSF-certified formula:

• UC-II Undenatured Type II Collagen (40mg) — shown in RCTs to be 2x more effective than 1,500mg glucosamine + 1,200mg chondroitin for joint health

• Meriva Curcumin Phytosome (100mg) — COX-2 inhibition (same pathway as meloxicam) with superior phytosome absorption

• 5-LOXIN Boswellia standardized to 30% AKBA — highest potency boswellia form, hits the 5-LOX pathway meloxicam misses entirely

• Hyaluronic Acid (70mg) — lubricates synovial fluid, directly addresses joint effusion

• MSM (400mg) — organic sulfur for cartilage matrix integrity

💡 Why not fish oil? From a Ray Peat bioenergetic perspective, PUFAs including omega-3s are prone to lipid peroxidation and may suppress thyroid function. Curcumin and boswellia give you better anti-inflammatory coverage without the PUFA tradeoff.

⚡ QUICK HITS — What I'm doing this week

🏌️ Taking 4–5 days off hitting balls before Florida. The shoulder needs a clean window for the supplements to start working. Coming back with intentional half swings and a shortened follow-through.

🦵 Knee prep before every leg day: heat, leg swings, wall sits (isometric loading has an analgesic effect for up to 45 min post-exercise), glute bridges, clamshells, bodyweight squat test set.

💊 Uncoated aspirin as a bridge. While waiting for Pure Encapsulations to arrive — 325mg with food once daily. Clean, bioenergetically aligned, and directionally helpful for both joints.

🏋️ Upper body training continues — intelligently. Cable rows, neutral grip pressing, face pulls, rear delt work, tricep pushdowns. No barbell bench, no upright rows, no dips until the bursitis settles.

📊 THE RECOVERY TIMELINE — Where I am and where I'm going

The honest roadmap for guys over 40 with active joint inflammation:

📅 COMING UP —

🔜 Blood Flow Restriction Training for Men Over 40. How to build muscle and protect your joints at the same time — and why BFR is one of the most underutilized tools in the over-40 training toolkit. I'll be walking through my own BFR protocol for shoulder and knee rehab and sharing news about an exciting new partnership.

To a healthier you,

Brian Gryn 

📌 QUICK LINKS

🎙️ Get Lean Eat Clean Podcast
🛒 My Book 
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Get Lean Eat Clean is published by Brian, FDN-P wellness coach and author of The Stepladder System. For nearly 20 years, he's helped busy professionals over 40 build muscle, gain energy, and lose inches around their waist through evidence-based, sustainable approaches.

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