President Bush's Supplements Don't Help Treat Mild Arthritic Pain In The Knee

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Main Category: Arthritis / Rheumatology
Also Included In: Pain / Anesthetics;  Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Article Date: 23 Feb 2006 - 15:00 PDT

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Many people, including President George Bush, take glucosamine and chondroitin for mild arthritic pain in the knee, in the belief they will help. According to recent tests carried out at 16 medical centers, they are no better than a placebo.

However, the researchers did say that if you combine them, glucosamine and chondroitin, then you may experience some relief from moderate-to-severe pain in the knee.

So, it seems that moderate-to-severe pain is helped by combining the two supplements. But not mild pain, either alone or in combination.

You can read about this study in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study was led by Daniel Clegg, Utah University School of Medicine.

Clegg added that the supplements, regardless whether taken on their own, or combined, are not likely to prevent the pain from developing in the first place.

Arthritis is a huge business in the USA. It is estimated that one third of American adults experience arthritis. The annual health bill for arthritis (in the USA) is more than $80 billion dollars. Supplements represent about $700 million dollars a year (less than 1% of total expenditure).

This is not the first test on supplements for arthritis pain. Previous ones have indicated that supplements do offer some benefit for the patient.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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