Glucosamine, the dietary supplement that is widely used to relieve osteoarthritis of the knee (read this to find out if it works) is also alleged to relieve lower back pain. How’s it work? A recent study conducted at Oslo University and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has this to say: not so good. Arthritis Today, the publication of the Arthritis Foundation, reports that researchers enrolled 250 patients who had osteoarthritis in their lower spine for
more than six months. Half of the participants got 1,500 mg of glucosamine daily; the other half got a placebo. Curiously, both groups said their pain improved by an average of
about 50 percent over the course of the study, yet after six months, and then
again at one year, researchers found no difference in pain, disability
or quality of life between the two groups.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Does glucosamine actually do anything except make the wallets of the manufacturers grow?
When I used it for my joints, I never noticed any improvement and I when I stopped using it I could tell any difference.
namaste
After 2 lumbar laminectomies I was accustomed to using NSAIDs for pain relief for years, but after starting on both Omega 3 oil supplements and glucosamine 1 gm twice daily my use of NSAIDs (primarily ibuprofen) dropped to very infrequent use