Veteran journalist Hugh Downs and television and stage actress Angela Lansbury number among the 365,000-plus Americans annually opting for knee replacement surgery. Thanks to advances in technology, people suffering from severe joint pain have an increasingly effective option—replacement surgery.

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus readily admits the path to becoming one of the greatest golfers of the 20th century wasn't without pain and sacrifice--particularly in the hip. It may come as a surprise to many that the "Golden Bear" achieved such a remarkable string of victories while suffering from intense debilitating hip joint pain.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: In your Jan./Feb. '04 issue, Doris Potley wrote in, inquiring about wearing copper for arthritis. I have worn copper for over 20 years because of the relief I got. Twice I have taken off my copper ring, only to find that within approximately two weeks, I can hardly get out of bed, as my knees and elbows are so stiff and sore.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: I read the letter regarding gout in the Sept./Oct. issue. I have a cheap and simple remedy for gout. It's canned red cherries packed in water. It usually takes two cans. Divide each can into thirds and eat them three times a day.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: Would you please tell Wayne Gerbert of Russiaville, Indiana, the man who had gout, to quit drinking cranberry juice? I found that it caused gout in my foot. I haven't had gout since I gave up cranberries.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: I have had several bouts with gout. I don't eat organ meats. I have ground beef and meat loaf weekly. I have been using frozen mixed vegetables. Do peas and carrots have too many purines? I drink orange juice and cranapple juices.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: I've been wearing copper bracelets for at least 10 years now, and yes, they work! It must be 100 percent copper, though. I wear two on my right wrist, and when the pain moves to under my thumb, I move the bracelet and hold it there for several minutes, until the pain leaves. And it does.

Dear Dr. SerVaas: My friend lived in Malaysia most of her life before coming to the U.S. She says, "All the grandmothers in Malaysia wear copper bracelets and rings." Does copper really help for preventing pain?