Knee Pain: The Verdict Is In On Glucosamine Vs Prescription Pain Killers
Knee pain sufferers who weren’t sure if they should take the
supplement glucosamine or pain killers for knee pain relief
now have some answers to this frequently debated question.
Two clinical trials have found that knee pain sufferers got
more pain relief with glucosamine than with a commonly used
painkiller in Europe.
Glucosamine is already widely used for knee pain and other
arthritis related ailments in the United States. US
consumers spent $800 million on glucosamine during 2004, and
in Japan retail sales reached $200 million, according to
Euromonitor.
Glucosamine is often used in combination with chondroitin
sulphate.
One trial by the US government-funded National Institutes of
Health involved almost 1,500 osteoarthritis patients. They
were given a daily dose of either 1,500 mg of glucosamine
hydrochloride, 1,200 mg of chondroitin sulphate, a
combination of both supplements, 200 mg of the common
prescription painkiller celecoxib (Celebrex) or a placebo
for 24 weeks.
The patients were evaluated at baseline and every four weeks
thereafter.
The authors of the study said celecoxib and the glucosamine-
chondroitin combination significantly reduced knee pain
compared to placebo.
Another study done at the Fundacion Jimenez Diaz in Madrid
found glucosamine sulphate to be more effective than the
over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen on joint pain.
The Madrid trial compared a daily dose of 1500mg of
glucosamine sulphate and 3000 mg of the OTC drug to a
placebo in 318 patients.
After 24 weeks, the superior efficacy of the glucosamine
returned better results.
In both trials there were no differences among groups in
safety.
The new findings on glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate
come as welcome news to knee pain sufferers because of the
withdrawal of Cox-2 inhibitor drugs last year.
For additional information, including links to other news
stories and websites, visit http://www.kneepain.us and
http://www.myjointpain.us/jointpainglucosamine.htm
George McKenzie is a freelance writer and CEO of Mastermind
Learning Systems http://www.mastermindlearning.com. He’s a
former TV news anchor and radio talk show host.
