Glucosamine is a sugar with a nitrogen group that is abundant in both plants and animals. It is used to synthesize many lipids and proteins in the human body, including those that make up cartilage. Chondroitin is a long chain of sugars that is a structural component of cartilage. Glucosamine chondroitin sulfate is often sold as a combined supplement. It has been found in some clinical studies to reduce pain and inflammation in people with the degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM, estimates that 27 million people in the United States have osteoarthritis. This disease is caused by the breakdown of cartilage, which is the connective tissue between bones. In the elbow, similar to other joints, osteoarthritis causes joint pain, stiffness, weakness and motion disabilities.
Clinical Trials
No clinical trials have evaluated the effects of glucosamine chondroitin sulfate supplementation on elbow pain. The Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT, was a large multicenter trial funded by the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The NCCAM reports that 79 percent of patients with moderate to severe pain who took the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate had a 20 percent or greater reduction in knee pain. This is compared to 54 percent of patients that also reported reduction in knee pain even though they took a placebo. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone or in combination did not decrease pain in individuals with mild osteoarthritic knee pain in this large study. Additionally, this study did not find that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, together or alone, slowed the destruction of cartilage in the knee. A second large clinical trial conducted in Europe reported in the May 2010 issue of the "International Journal of Clinical Practice" that glucosamine sulfate was more effective than acetaminophen in relieving knee pain caused by osteoarthritis.
Cartilage Destruction
In addition to reducing inflammation and pain, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate have been reported to slow the destruction of cartilage. Again, the human studies on these particular effects of glucosamine chondroitin sulfate supplementation are conflicting. However, many animal studies have demonstrated that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate block cartilage degradation.
Muscle Pain
Elbow pain may also be caused by muscle damage. A study in the "Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness" reported that chondroitin sulfate supplementation did not reduce muscle soreness, inflammation or muscle damage in men who repetitiously maximally contracted their elbow flexors.
Side Effects
There are few reported side effects of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate used alone or in combination. In the GAIT study, the few reported side effects were mild, such as stomach upset. This large study also reported that glucosamine chondroitin sulfate supplementation did not affect glucose levels. A review in the January 2009 issue of "Arthroscopy" reported that clinical trial studies demonstrate the safety of glucosamine chondroitin sulfate is equivalent to that of placebo. There are two case reports of glucosamine influencing the actions of the blood thinner warfarin. Currently, the main therapies for osteoarthritis are acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, more commonly known as NSAIDS. These drugs exhibit significantly more adverse toxicity profiles than glucosamine chondroitin sulfate supplementation.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Questions and Answers: NIH Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial Primary Study
- "International Journal of Clinical Practice"; Glucosamine Sulphate in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: Cost-Effectiveness Comparison with Paracetamol; S. Scholtissen et al.; May 2010
- "Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness"; The Effects of Chondroitin Sulfate Supplementation on Indices of Muscle Damage Induced by Eccentric Arm Exercise; W.A. Braun et al.; December 2005
- "Arthroscopy"; A Review of Evidence-Based Medicine for Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate Use in Knee Osteoarthritis; C.T. Vangsness et al.; January 2009
