Benefits of Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis
Did you know that some clinical trials have reported more side effects caused by a sugar pill (placebo) than by glucosamine!
This
is because glucosamine is a natural supplement already found in the human
body. It’s there to build and maintain cartilage, tendons and other
connective tissues of the body while inhibiting the growth of cartilage-destroying
enzymes.
The biggest advantage of taking glucosamine is that it does not have
any of the side effects commonly associated with NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen, or COX-2 such as
Celebrex, the drugs that have traditionally been used for the
treatment of arthritis. Another benefit is that glucosamine is far cheaper
(it costs about a dollar a day) than NSAIDs or COX-2 drugs. Lastly, long
term use of glucosamine causes no harmful side effects, but long term
use of COX 2 drugs and NSAIDS can cause ulcers, kidney failure, stroke and even heart attacks.
Vioxx was removed from the market in 2004 due to the hundreds of thousands of
strokes, heart attacks and other related events associated with its usage.
Bextra was removed in 2005 for similar reasons.
Glucosamine works from within, bathing your joints in a warm and
protective solution. The effect of stimulating the cartilage cells to
produce more components is to aid in the formation and repair of the cartilage.
This, scientists theorize, therefore seems likely to vastly improve the
health of your joints. This supports the longevity of the cartilage and
promotes joint health over time. Glucosamine also can act as a preventative
measure, helping to ward off problems before they start.
The only disadvantage with Glucosamine is the fact that pain relief is
a bit slow to take effect (do not expect instant results), slower than
in the case of NSAIDs or COX-2 drugs, which work within hours. Keep in
mind that NSAIDs and COX-2 drugs only serve as TEMPORARY pain-masking
agents, while the healing effects of glucosamine are long lasting. The
good news is that you can take NSAIDs while you are taking glucosamine
and then wean yourself off of the NSAIDs. Many people report that they
are able to reduce or eliminate their traditional pain relief medications
(under the direction of their doctor) after taking glucosamine for a period
of time of about two to four weeks, sometimes longer depending on the severity of joint pain and cartilage damage.
For immediate pain relief, some people combine glucosamine with traditional NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) drugs. Relief may take up to a month, or longer, to reach its full effect.
