It's a bit too early for me to say if any of it is helping because some of it takes 2-3 months to kick in. Going on some research, some of the things I am trying are:

collagen
colostrum
glucosamine & chondritin
msm
omega oils 3/6/9
vitamin E
selenium
B vitamins

An interesting herbal extract Pycnogenol sounds very promising:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/132512.php
unfortunately is it crazy expensive in NZ so I am not sure I can afford to keep taking that

Another promising extract is: Boswellia serrata extract: http://www.arthritis.org/boswellia-oa.php -but I am not currently taking it, sounds tempting though.

Feel free to post about any success you've had with supplements..

Sean

*an update posted in the main forum, just pasting it here:

Hi All, just an update. I have the general osteoarthritis issues and disc issues T4-T11 mainly more wear and tear than should be there.. loss of disc height and hydration but no surgery needed. When it comes to these things I am now a firm believer that doctors don't have all the answers. I was in horrible pain for 2 months and told I would have to learn to live with it. Luckily I refused to accept this and did my own research. After a great deal of effort I am now a lot better, I would say 65-70% improvement. I still have to take it easy (not lift things and get over worked) but the chronic pain is mostly gone and I'll take it easy in exchange for that any day! For those curious, this is exactly what has worked for me and I feel has given me my life back (in no particular order):

-dietary changes, less fats, less gluten, more fruits and veges, LOTS of water

supplementation routine (beware of snake oil.. do the research)
--omega 3 oil 3x a day, I can literally start to get sore if I miss one dose
--3 gms daily Genacol type2 collagen, this is truly truly incredible stuff. It took about 5 weeks to fully kick in and just like the arthritis studies of collagen supplementation have shown big success for others, I have had tremendous success with this supplement. It is up there with miracle cure in my opinion. Several of my facet joints are no longer aching, grinding and what felt like arthritis starting in my hips and knees has vanished as well. Lisa says my skin has completely transformed, like It's 10yrs younger.. so amazed she started taking the supplement herself. If anyone here has arthritis I urge you to try it for a couple months. 1.5gms in the morning 30mins before breakfast, and 1.5gms before bed (ensure empty stomach for 3hrs prior).
--Calcium + vitD
--Glucosamine/Chondroiton but does not seem near as affective as the collagen
--VitaminE
--Selenium
--B vitamins
--I was on about 7 other supplements but slowly stopped taking them and it made no difference. If any of my regimen above is missed however I feel issues starting to come back.

exercise
-swimming, I have given up running, cycling, rowing, weightlifting and any load bearing exercise. I now swim at a nearby lap pool every other day for about 1hr a session. I enjoy it and feel great afterward. It took me a while to build up to an hour at a time. A big fan of swimming now, what a workout and there is no gravity impact on joints.
-inversion therapy 15-30mins 2x a day, an inversion table is a contraption that allows me to hang upside down. It decompresses the spine, re-aligns the spine and helps hydrate the discs. It has literally cured my upper back woes after 4 weeks of use. It has helped my mid back too but nothing like my upper back.. maybe my mid back will take more time or is as good as it can get.
-days between swimming a short walk is about all I can muster
-very hot soaks for 20mins or so between swim days as well seem to help

So, that's all for now.. fingers crossed I can either maintain the current state of things or even improve it. Doctors have their uses but don't let them have the final say on YOUR life. There are also some new treatments in clinical trials and recent breakthroughs in osteoarthritis. In much better spirits

Sean, A change of diet is in order as well. Time to lay off red meat and eat lots of fish high in omega 3 fatty acid. Salmon, trout and the like, are all good for the ailment.Some veggies can exacerbate artheritis. Good things include cherries(relieves pain) and raspberries(relieves inflamation). Lots of fresh fruit and veggies, but cut back on the nightshade family.

God bless
Rick

Thanks Rick, I have read about some of this. Luckily Lisa is a vegetarian and does all of the cooking. I'll look into the nightshade thing a bit more, thanks!

Some info on eating GRAPES. they are supposed to be the best natural relief for arthritis, as well as relieves gout. A handfull of grapes eaten daily is purported to have anti-inflamatory properties. other foods include pinapple,olive oil, green tea. Grape seed extract as a supplement works well, also helps prevent tooth decay(destroys a stapheloccus bacteria that causes tooth decay). The article I read states that red wine(in moderation) is an excellent source of the specific antigen that is antiinflamatory. Again, oily fish high in omega-3, soy, and broccoli are on the list of good foods.

I updated this thread with my latest progress. Also, I started avoiding omega6 seemed to give me grief.. now just using 3

What Sean updated is very good suggestion.
I wonder if You boys and girls are checking the pH of your morning urine from time to time?
With arthritis the cartilage is affected by calcium oxalate, uric acid crystals and such that needs to be dissolved slowly, as Rick A suggested, some foods and liquids are helping those crystals to dissolve.