Two dietary supplements that have been used extensively to help manage osteoarthritis are glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. These nutrients help the body replace the tissue that cushions joints, which in turn helps relieve the pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip.

A recent report has examined the results from previous clinical studies of glucosamine and chondroitin on osteoarthritis patients to determine the outcome of using these nutrients based on the combined data of 13 independent studies. It was concluded that although the studies had deficiencies in design, there was a robust treatment effect associated with the use of these supplements.

The mean pain scores were reduced 39.5% for glucosamine and 40.2% for chondroitin, compared to placebos. The bottom line is that there may be a real benefit using these dietary supplements to help with osteoarthritis.

Although more well-controlled studies are needed to be absolutely certain, at least for now, there is some scientific evidence support osteoarthritis patients using Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements to manage the pain associated with this condition.
Gulin J., et al. Glucosamine and chondroitin treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip: meta-analysis and quality assessment. Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, December, 1998.