| Osteoarthritis is associated with factors such as ageing, obesity and physical injury (sport or otherwise), all of which can contribute to degeneration of joint cartilage. Commonly, analgesics (aspirin, paracetamol or more potent drugs such as morphine) and anti- inflammatory agents (e.g. ibuprofen) are used in the management of osteoarthritis. However, studies have shown that glucosamine sulphate can provide relief from arthritic pain related symptoms but without the side effects of commonly used drug therapies.
Glucosamine has the potential to rebuild the cartilage lost in a joint due to injury or osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease. With more than 30 million Americans suffering from this type of arthritis, it is no wonder that the American College of Rheumatology took a closer look at this supplement. In a 1999 press release they proclaimed that Glucosamine reduces the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Lead investigator Jean-Yves Reginster, MD, PhD, of the University of Liege in Belgium added that "for the first time, we have shown that a compound may be able at least to slow down the progression of osteoarthritis." They based these findings on a three-year study where they compared disease symptoms and average joint space widths, as measured by X-rays, between patients taking a 1500 mg daily dose of Glucosamine sulfate and those taking a placebo. They found that joint space narrowed in patients taking a placebo, but showed no further narrowing in patients on Glucosamine sulfate. They also found that symptoms worsened for patients taking a placebo and improved for those on Glucosamine sulfate. A just released study done over three years demonstrated virtually the same findings, further validating the use of Glucosamine for stimulating cartilage growth and joint pain.
Cartilage acts as the shock absorber of the joints. Visualize a water balloon filled with water and a big sponge inside of it. When you press your hand into the center of the balloon and move the pressure from side to side, the water redistributes in response to the pressure. This is the way the cartilage in joint responds to jumping, twisting, and excess weight it distributes the pressure evenly to account for the excess load, thus protecting the bone and joint. With age and use, the cartilage loses this resiliency, much like the sponge in the balloon dries out. The pain and inflammation that results from the degradation of cartilage is referred to as osteoarthritis or osteoarthrosis.
People with diabetes should consult with a doctor before taking glucosamine and should have blood sugar levels monitored if they are taking glucosamine.
Up until recently, "Vitamins for the Joints" or cartilage protective agents, were often overlooked by American doctors. Despite being widely prescribed by European physicians, many American physicians cite the limited clinical evidence supporting glucosamine sulfates use and prematurely dismiss the use of supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin. Since the publication of The Arthritis Cure in 1996, a large group of people began to treat their joint pain with glucosamine and chondroitin, rather than NSAIDs and reported their personal findings to their physicians. Subjectively, 75-80% of people reported drastic improvements in their pain and mobility.
Decrease in the symptoms of osteoarthritis happens during the first week with the use of ibuprofen and not with glucosamine sulfate. By the second week and through out all the clinical trials, however, the glucosamine group had caught up in terms of pain relief and osteoarthritic symptoms. The remarkable difference comes from side effects, one in three of the ibuprofen users complained of stomach upset, while there were no reported symptoms from the patients taking glucosamine sulfate. Although these studies are limited by length (the longest one was 8 weeks) they certainly show promise in the use of glucosamine in reduction of reported pain levels.
Two questions remain, if glucosamine is so promising why have not I heard of it and how does it work. First, the word is getting out, many progressive physicians are currently prescribing glucosamine sulfate for osteoarthritis, however because it is classified as a nutritional supplement, not a drug, it is an out of pocket expense. In addition to subjective clinical studies, animal based clinical trials have been performed to evaluate how glucosamine works. It has been found that in vitro, glucosamine sulfate stimulates cartilage cells to synthesize glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans. In animal studies, oral glucosamine sulfate has had a beneficial effect on inflammation and arthritis. However, the question still remained, does a glucosamine supplement taken orally, really get to the right place in the joint to stimulate new cartilage growth, as many people claim. In February 2000, an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), looked at this. In the trial, participants were given glucosamine sulfate tagged with a radioactive dye. This technique allowed the investigators to follow the glucosamine through the body. The results showed that indeed oral glucosamine sulfate became a component of cartilage, supporting all of the subjective results by patients.
A study published in the Lancet (medical journal) in 2001 show that glucosamine effectively controlled osteoarthritis symptoms and even suggested that it produced some reversal of the disease process. More recently (2003) scientists reviewed the reported effects of 15 studies using either glucosamine or/and chondroitin on osteoarthritis of the knee and found treatment with either glucosamine or glucosamine plus chondroitin to be effective. This study even concluded that supplementation will improve joint mobility for 1 in 5 patients and may slow narrowing of joint spaces. However, the authors of this review study and other review studies have noted a likely publication bias but also some degree of efficiency appears prominent for these preparations.
Furthermore, all these clinical studies of glucosamine in arthritis of the knee or hip, note that:
Onset of reduced symptoms does not occur for several weeks after starting glucosamine
Benefits persist for several weeks or months after glucosamine is discontinued
No reports that continued use reduces the impact or efficiency
A study in the British Journal Sport Medicine (2003) gave subjects with regular knee pain, 12 weeks of a glucosamine supplement (2000mg per day). The results suggested that a glucosamine supplement can provide some degree of pain relief and improved mobility in subjects who experience regular, chronic knee pain due to cartilage damage and/or possible osteoarthritis. 88% of the glucosamine group did report less knee pain, however there were no objective improvements between groups in the functional tests. This study supports the findings from other reports but you should note that this study was not specific to athletes and it was only self reported improvements in knee pain.
MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) was isolated by Robert Herschler and Dr. Stanley Jacob of the University of Oregon Medical School in the early 80's. Their research showed that MSM is a natural sulfur compound found in all living things. It revealed that MSM one of the most prominent compounds in our bodies, just behind water and sodium. In his research, Dr. Jacob found that the sulfur in MSM, called Sulfonyl, is as safe and is as important as vitamin C in our diet.
In a study of 24 people with athletic injuries, MSM was shown to reduce symptoms by nearly twice as much as those taking placebos, and was able to reduce the average needed visits to the chiropractor by approximately 60%(7). Another preliminary study compared 10 degenerative arthritis suffers taking MSM versus 6 who took a placebo. Results indicate a better than 80 percent control of pain within six weeks for those patients using MSM, while only two patients showed a minimal improvement (less than 20 percent) on the placebo(7). Dr. Lawrence, the medical doctor who headed up these studies, relates that he has treated more than one thousand patients with MSM and believes that it is safer than water.
Other Ingredients: Microcrystalline cellulose, di-calcium phosphate, croscarmellose sodium, stearic acid, silica, magnesium stearate, talc, titanium dioxide and beeswax
Standard Formula:Contains no sugar, salt, preservative coloring synthetic excipients, egg, milk corn, wheat and yeast derivatives
Suggested Dosage: 2 Pills in morning along with breakfast, 2 Pills at night with fruit juice Or As recommended by your healthcare professional.
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