Glucosamine Chondroitin: Pain Relief with No Side Effects

There has been a study to prove the effectiveness of glucosamine chondroitin in treating patients with pain associated with osteoarthritis. It was conducted at 16 rheumatology research centers and was coordinated by the University of Utah, School of Medicine. Its results show that patients with mild to severe pain noticed a statistically significant decrease in pain when they took glucosamine chondroitin.

Experience has shown many arthritis sufferers over the last several years that glucosamine chondroitin provides more pain relief than over-the-counter medicine such as aspirin and acetaminophen, and more than knee braces or any medicine applied externally. Scientific studies to support it, though, were hard to find.

The study, the NIH Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT, involved five groups of patients. It was double-blind, with neither the patients nor the researchers knowing which group was given which medication. One group received glucosamine, one chondroitin sulfate, one a combination of the two, one a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and the other a placebo.

The patients with only mild pain at the outset did not notice a statistically significant decrease in pain from the glucosamine chondroitin. There were no significant differences between the pain relief felt by the ones taking one or the other of the two or the placebo. The group taking the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug was not divided into mild and severe pain groups.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, "Past studies show that some people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis (OA) taking either glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate reported pain relief at a level similar to that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen."

Glucosamine and chondroitin are naturally occurring substances that play roles in forming cartilage and giving it elasticity. When there is not enough of either to keep up with the degenerating cartilage of osteoarthritis, they can be supplemented with extractions from the shells of shrimp, lobster and crabs and from shark cartilage.

If your doctor does not welcome the idea of your trying glucosamine chondroitin and you are not allergic to shellfish, it might be good to seek a second opinion. For a long time, it was thought to be an old wives' tale.

If you have tried a multitude of treatments, only to be disappointed when they either didn't work or caused side effects like knocking you flat, this might be worth the time and effort to try. It is available as a dietary supplement and is therefore unregulated, so it would be wise to ask a doctor or pharmacist to recommend a brand. Also, it can take up to a month for you to notice any improvement. Be patient. It should be worth the wait.

Sources: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm
Arthritis Foundation; http://ww2.arthritis.org/conditions/alttherapies/glucosamine.asp