Most treatments — and nearly every supplement on the market — target cartilage, assuming that its wear and tear is the main cause of joint pain. But this ignores a critical fact: cartilage doesn’t have nerve endings. So where does the pain come from? The answer lies in a thin, often-overlooked membrane called the synovium — the tissue that surrounds every joint. When the synovium becomes inflamed (a condition called synovitis), it releases inflammatory chemicals and stops producing lubricating fluid. This is where pain begins. And this is where healing must start.