If you have already been diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and have chosen to use glucosamine and/or chondroitin to treat arthritis pain and dysfunction, you already have an opinion as to whether or not it works.

However, according to a recent news release published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), research has not proven the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin for relieving arthritis pain or slowing the degenerative process of knee osteoarthritis. As the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis is estimated to affect nearly 27 million Americans.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin
Glucosamine and chondroitin are naturally occurring substances found in cartilage and in the fluid (synovial fluid) that lubricates our joints. Both substances alone and in combination have been studied in multiple trials for more than 25 years. In spite of the fact that benefit has been shown in most of the research, it was felt that prior trials were not designed well enough to statistically prove benefit.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of NIH, was one of the sponsors of two large studies designed to eliminate some of the flaws found with previous research.

The original study, the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), was a 24-week study of patients receiving glucosamine alone, chondroitin alone, a combination of the two, celecoxib (Celebrex), or a placebo. Reduction in arthritis pain was the response being documented.

Arthritis Pain Relief
Although there was a trend toward combined glucosamine and chondroitin reducing arthritis pain for the patients with moderate to severe pain, no statistical difference was shown when data from all participants was computed. Celecoxib did show faster arthritis pain relief, but even it did not meet the statistical criteria which were pre-determined.

The second study actually continued the original GAIT study for an additional 18 months. This study used the same participants who wished to continue in the study, and the same treatments were used. Slowing of the degenerative process in the knee joint was the response being documented. Improved radiology techniques were used to determine loss of joint space, the standard for measuring this degeneration.

In this study, there was an indication that glucosamine taken alone and chondroitin taken alone (but not the glucosamine and chondroitin combined) showed some promise in decreasing degeneration. However, the final results showed no significant difference in outcome for any of the four treatments.

The NIH press release cautions that the results of these two studies are very difficult to interpret due to the many variables involved and the unexpected results in the placebo group. The authors of both studies also listed limitations of their research. However, the general consensus was that these studies did provide further understanding of osteoarthritis and will help design future research in osteoarthritis treatment and diagnosis.

For further information, refer to NIHPRESS@LIST.NIH.GOV, "Dietary Supplements Glucosamine &/or Chondroitin Fare No Better than Placebo in Slowing Structural Damage of Knee Osteoarthritis," published Sept. 29, 2008.

"Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, and the Two in Combination for Painful Knee Osteoarthritis," Clegg, D MD et al; New England Journal of Medicine, February 2006, Volume 354, Number 8.

"The Effect of Glucosamine and/or Chondroitin Sulfate on the Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis," Sawitzke, A MD, et al; Arthritis and Rheumatism, October 2008, Volume 58, Number 10.

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For information on surgery for arthritis pain relief, see Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Doesn't Provide Osteoarthritis Pain Relief.

Some arthritis patients found pain relief with shoe wedges. See Shoe Wedges Provide Osteoarthritis Knee Pain Relief for more information.