Glucosamine Helps with Arthritis Pain and Slows Degeneration
A three-year controlled study involving 212 patients with osteoarthitis of the knee shows the effectiveness of glucosamine sulfate. The study was presented at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Patients who took the glucosamine experienced a reduction in pain and, according to x-ray, a slowdown of actual degeneration compared to those who took a placebo.
The patients’ knees were x-rayed, with those x-rays being interpreted by doctors who had no idea which patients received the glucosamine or which patients received the placebo. Along with feeling better, the patients who received the glucosamine had no further narrowing of cartilage. The placebo group experienced more pain and more degeneration after the three-year period.