A recent study published in the
New England Journal
of Medicine offers in depth information to sufferers of osteoarthritis about a popular dietary supplement used to combat the degenerative condition.
The four year study, funded in part by the National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS),
examined what effects the
dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate have in reducing pain
associated with knee osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis caused by cartilage breakdown. Glucosamine is a compound found naturally in the body and is
needed to produce a molecule that creates and repairs cartilage, the rubbery tissue that cushions joints. But as our bodies age, the production of glucosamine slows and our cartilage can become brittle and stiff. That is why the study's doctors believed taking supplements of the compound could repair the damaged tissue that causes osteoarthritis.
The study found that a majority of participants, especially those with mild discomfort, saw no significant relief of their osteoarthritis pain with the dietary supplements. Only participants with moderate-to-severe discomfort saw a 20 percent or
greater reduction in their pain.
But because the number of participants with
moderate-to-severe pain was so limited, only 22 percent of the total 1,600
people, the positive findings are considered promising but preliminary.
Most importantly, the study's team of doctors urges people with osteoarthritis
to follow a comprehensive plan for managing their arthritis pain, like eating
right, exercising, losing excess weight, and talking to health care providers
about appropriate treatment options.
To learn more about this study, please visit the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website.
