Benefits of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate for Osteoarthritis

According to the Glucosamine/ Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAITT), a study made by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate food supplements is more effective than the pain medication Celebrex® in treating moderate to severe osteoarthritis knee pain. The study was published in the February 23rd issue (2006) of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The 14 million dollar study funded by the NIH is the largest placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin in reducing knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. A control group of 1258 patients, with ages 40 and above, were randomly given placebo, glucosamine (1500 mg.), chondroitin (1200 mg.), a combination of the glucosamine and chondroitin or celecoxib (Celebrex 200 mg.) daily for a period of 6 months. The study found that 79.2 percent of the patients, suffering from moderate to severe osteoarthritis, experienced a significant decrease in pain with the glucosamine/chondroitin combination as compared to 69.4 percent of those taking Celebrex. However, the study also concluded that glucosamine and chondroitin, alone or in combination, did not reduce pain effectively in patients with mild knee pain.

The study comes as a welcome relief to the estimated 21 million Americans suffering from osteoarthristis looking for a convenient alternative to expensive pain medications. Glucosamine and chondroitin also have fewer side effects compared to non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.