While prescription and over-the-counter medication can be helpful in relieving osteoarthritis symptoms, some people prefer a more natural approach to treating arthritis pain and stiffness. Glucosamine and chondroitin, two supplements that occur naturally in your body's connective tissues and joints, may be beneficial to joint health. While taking these supplements won't worsen your arthritis, you may not experience a significant decline in pain or an improvement in the health of your joints.
Identification
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in a joint begins to break down and is no longer effective in cushioning the joint. When this happens, the bones of the joint rub together, resulting in pain and stiffness. Glucosamine found in supplements comes from the shells of crab, shrimp or lobsters. A synthetic form of glucosamine is produced in a laboratory. Glucosamine sulfate is most commonly used in supplements, although other forms of glucosamine exist. Glucosamine may be helpful in the repair and formation of cartilage and may help reduce the breakdown of cartilage in the joints due to osteoarthritis. Chondroitin is a protein molecule that comes from animal cartilage. Chondroitin gives cartilage in joints elasticity, may help prevent or slow breakdown joint cartilage and may act as an anti-inflammatory. Glucosamine and chondroitin are often combined into one tablet.
Effectiveness
Taking glucosamine and chondroitin may be somewhat helpful in treating osteoarthritis, although more research is needed. Recent studies on patients with knee osteoarthritis found that the glucosamine and chondroitin supplements had no statistically significant impact on joint space width, but showed beneficial, but not significant, results in improving knee pain. The studies were part of the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
Considerations
There is no regulation or testing of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any federal agency. Because of the lack of regulation, products you purchase may not contain the ingredients you expect. Medline Plus reports that in some cases, the amount of glucosamine in the supplement has varied from none to over 100 percent of the amount stated on the label. Other products claimed to contain glucosamine sulfate but actually contained glucosamine hydrochloride.
Warning
Because the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin have not been studied in infants and pregnant women, don't take the supplement if you are nursing or are pregnant. Ask for your doctor's advice before taking chondroitin if you are taking blood thinners or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that chondroitin could enhance the effects of blood thinners and may cause stomach bleeding if taken with an anti-inflammatory medication. Avoid taking glucosamine sulfate if you are undergoing chemotherapy, as glucosamine may decrease the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drugs.
References
- "Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases"; Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Glucosamine Chondroitin; Sawitzke, A.D. et al; August 2010
- "Arthritis and Rheumatism"; The Effect of Glucosamine and/or Chondroitin Sulfate on the Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis; Sawitzke, A.D. et al; October 2008
- Medline Plus; Glucosamine Sulfate; January 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Chondroitin; December 2008
- Spine Health; Effectiveness of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate for Osteoarthritis; Thomas E. Hyde, D.C.
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