| Can glucosamine alleviate knee pain? Glucosamine sulphate is a sulphur-containing amino sugar that occurs naturally in connective tissue
and cartilage. It stimulates the cells that are involved in the production of
new bone and cartilage and therefore has a role in maintaining the mobility,
strength and integrity of joint structures. The effects of oral glucosamine supplementation
on knee pain were recently examined in a trial at the University of Western
Australia. The study involved randomly supplementing 46 subjects with either
glucosamine or placebo over a 12 week period. During this time changes in knee
pain and function were assessed 4 times using both clinical and functional tests
and participant subjective evaluations. The tests carried out in the study involved joint
line palpation, a "duck walk" over a distance of 3 metres, a repeated
stair climb (walking pace) and the completion of two questionnaires - the Knee
Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Knee Pain Scale (KPS). The results of the clinical and functional tests
showed improvement over the 12-week period but without any significant
difference between the two groups. The results of the questionnaires also showed
improvement with time, but the glucosamine group was found to have significantly
better KOOS quality of life scores at the third (after 8 weeks) and final (after
12 weeks) testing sessions, and lower KPS scores at week eight, when compared to
the placebo group. The results of the participant subjective
evaluations suggested a significant difference between the two groups with
favourable results for glucosamine supplementation. 21 of the 24 subjects (88%)
in the glucosamine group reported improvement in their knee pain compared with
only 3 out of 22 subjects (17%) in the placebo group. In conclusion the authors suggest that taking a
glucosamine supplement may reduce pain and improve function in persons who
experience regular knee pain, possibly caused by previous cartilage damage or
osteoarthritis. Br J Sports Med 2003 Feb; 37(1):45-9;
discussion 49 | 