Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Knee Pain

A recent study called the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) looked at the effectiveness of these two dietary supplements for the pain of osteoarthritis of the knee. For mild to moderate knee pain, glucosamine and chondroitin didn't seem to be quite as effective as Celebrex , however the two supplements were more effective pain relievers for participants with moderate to severe knee pain.

Many people prefer to use glucosamine and chondroitin for relief of osteoarthritis pain and inflammation because they don't want to risk possible side effects of some anti-inflammatory drugs such as Vioxx, which was one such anti-inflammatory drug. Vioxx was pulled from the shelves due to an increased rate of heart problems in patients who took it.

Poll: Do you take dietary supplements for a specific health condition like glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis, or omega-3 EFAs for heart disease?

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Related Articles:

• Do Two Popular Arthritis Supplements Work?
• What is Glucosamine?
• Five Remedies for Osteoarthritis

Do you take glucosamine or chondroitin for arthritis? Let me know what you think of them in the Nutrition Forum.