Glucosamine and chondroitin are widely used for osteoarthritis pain. My daughter even gives them to her elderly horse. Their popularity is puzzling, since the evidence from scientific studies indicates that they don’t work. Wikipedia has a useful survey of the history, studies, criticisms, and systematic reviews (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trials_on_glucosamine_and_chondroitin). It includes a… read more "Glucosamine and Chondroitin: Do They Really Work?"
Glucosamine Update
Osteoarthritis, the “wear-and-tear” type of arthritis, affects a great many of us as we grow older. Knee pain is a common symptom. The diet supplements glucosamine and chondroitin have been proposed as a more “natural” treatment than pharmaceuticals, and they are components of a number of proprietary “joint health” formulations… read more "Glucosamine Update"
Effectiveness of Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis
TO THE EDITOR: This article repeated a common misconception about the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), interpreting it as showing that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin is effective for treating moderate to severe osteoarthritis.1 The study found that glucosamine and chondroitin, separately or in combination, were not more effective… read more "Effectiveness of Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis"
Glucosamine: The Unsinkable Rubber Duck
Glucosamine is widely used for osteoarthritis pain. It is not as impossible as homeopathy, but its rationale is improbable. As I explained in a previous post, Wallace Sampson, one of the other authors of this blog, has pointed out that the amount of glucosamine in the typical supplement dose is… read more "Glucosamine: The Unsinkable Rubber Duck"