Glucosamine supplements reduce knee pain in people with cartilage damage and possibly the degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis, concludes research in this month's British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Glucosamine is produced naturally in the body and found primarily in joint cartilage, damage to which often precedes osteoarthritis. Glucosamine supplements are widely available from health food shops, supermarkets, and over the internet.
The researchers from the University of Western Australia conducted a small trial in which 24 patients with chronic knee pain were prescribed 2000mg a day of glucosamine and a further 22 patients were given placebo. The patients were all aged between 20 and 70 and regularly suffered knee pain that was severe enough to curtail routine activities.
The trial lasted 12 weeks, during which time knee pain and mobility were assessed at regular intervals. Mobility improved over time in both groups of patients, but this happened more quickly in the patients treated with glucosamine, starting at four to eight weeks of the study.
By week 12, almost nine out of ten (88 per cent) of those given glucosamine said their knee pain had lessened compared with only three (17 per cent) in the group treated with the placebo.
The authors conclude that 2000 mg of glucosamine daily can provide some degree of pain relief and improved mobility in patients with chronic knee pain as a result of previous cartilage damage or possibly osteoarthritis.