Supplements for treating joint pain
For those of you who have expressed interest in the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements in treating joint pain and/or inflammation,Glucosamine and chondroitin/chondroitin sulfate are commonly thought to effectively treat osteoarthritis. Even if these treatments are only mildly effective, in many cases they may be a more desirable treatment option than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) due to the adverse side-effects associated with the latter.
McAlindon et al. presented a review of previous studies on the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin in treating osteoarthritis symptoms. They found that in general, the studies showed that glucosamine and chondroitin "demonstrate moderate to large treatment effects on symptoms." However, the authors found the methodology of most of these studies to be less than optimal, and stated their belief that these findings of effectiveness may have been exaggerated as a result.
Clegg et al. reported on one recent study, the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT). In general, the response rates for glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate (alone or in combination) were not significantly higher than those for placebo; however, the response rates for glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in combination were significantly greater in patients with moderate-to-severe joint pain (this was a relatively small group). Also, treatment with chondroitin sulfate correlated to a significant decrease in joint swelling and/or effusion. The authors remarked upon the high response rate (60.1%) to placebo and also upon the relatively minor symptoms presented by participants in this study and in osteoarthritis treatment studies in general; these were cited as possible reasons for difficulty in detecting treatment benefits.
It may be possible that these treatments require patience. In both articles, it was noted that response rates increased substantially beyond 4 weeks. (In the Clegg study specifically, the response rate to placebo also increased between 4 and 24 weeks, but the response rates to glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate increased more.)
Further reading:
McAlindon et al.: "Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Quality Assessment and Meta-analysis." [PDF, 223 KB]
Clegg et al.: "Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, and the Two in Combination for Painful Knee Osteoarthritis." [PDF, 184 KB]
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Labels: science
posted by the alygator @ 3:23 PM
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