More than 50 million Americans suffer from arthritis. The vast majority of these have osteoarthritis, also known as ‘wear and tear arthritis’. By the time we reach the age of 50 nearly all of us have some sign of osteoarthritis. It is caused by a breakdown of the protective cartilage layer that covers and cushions the ends of all bones. As the cartilage wears down, and its cushioning effect dissipates, smooth joint function suffers and this causes pain and inflammation. The accumulated wear and tear of everyday life on our joints from walking, typing, lifting, running and so on eventually results in a thinning and breakdown of the cartilage, and the inevitable pain, inflammation and loss of motion associated with osteoarthritis. This can happen even faster for athletes or obese individuals. Until recently most doctors thought that once osteoarthritis set in, there was no cure. All they could do was give pain relief. Aspirin (Bayer, Excedrin, etc.),

Ibuprofen (Motrin IB, Advil), Ketoprofen (Orudis KT, Actron), Naproxen sodium (Aleve) and Acetaminophen (Tylenol) are usually given first. Importantly, these drugs have serious side effects, they can cause stomach bleeding, ulcers and other problems, and may cause liver damage. Eventually, these over-the-counter drugs fail to relive the pain stronger non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Celecoxib (Celebrex), MK-0966 (Vioxx) or Meloxicam (Mobic) may be prescribed. Finally, steroid injections (such as cortisone) or opiates are used. All of these drugs do nothing to fix the underlying problem. All they do is mask the pain. In fact, they may well contribute to further damage since without pain it is easier to over work arthritic joints.

Over the last few years several double-blind clinical studies have shown that glucosamine sulfate supplements may help to maintain healthy joints, restore full range of motion, and reduce pain and inflammation. Unlike the painkillers that doctors prescribe, glucosamine doesn’t just cover the pain, but it has been shown to stop further degradation, and may helps to rebuild cartilage, thus alleviating the cause of the pain. Glucosamine is the most fundamental building block required for the biosynthesis of cartilage. It is a simple amino sugar and the primary building block of proteoglycans the molecules that give cartilage elasticity.

However, even a few years ago few doctors believed that glucosamine worked. While there were some short term clinical trials,1,2,3,4,5,6 the conventional wisdom said, there were no long term studies on a large enough group to prove that glucosamine works. Then, at the 63 rd Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology a new report of a 3-year randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study on 212 patients dispelled the conventional wisdom.7 This study showed, for the first time, that glucosamine not only reduces the symptoms (pain and inflammation) but it actually stops deterioration and induces regrowth of the cartilage. Radiographs of knee joints were used to measure the space between joints. In the placebo group this space decreased by about 0.3 mm showing that cartilage continued to deteriorate. In the glucosamine-treated group the mean joint space had increased nearly 0.1 mm.

 This and other recent studies on glucosamine 8,9,10 has finally convinced the skeptics that glucosamine works. For example the Arthritis Foundation published a report (Glucosamine: the truth about the talk) earlier this year, and the NIH recently awarded a 4-year research contract to the University of Utah School of Medicine, totaling approximately $6.6 million to study glucosamine at 9 centers across the US. Many doctors are now telling their patients to take glucosamine supplements, and the use of glucosamine by professional athletic teams is growing rapidly. If you’re starting to feel the early warning signs of osteoarthritis – morning stiffness or minor aches and pain – or if you’ve already gone beyond that and aspirin is part of your daily routine, a high quality glucosamine sulfate supplement may help you to enjoy many more years of pain-free, active life.

References

Arthrosis: a Controlled Clinical Investigation. Curr. Med Res Opin. 1980, 7, 104-109.