The promise of arthritis relief, naturally

Better Nutrition, March, 2000 by Brenda Adderly

Osteoarthritis sufferers, rejoice! If there has ever been a time when relief from this crippling disease was more than just a promise, it is now. During the last few years, scientists have made impressive discoveries in treatments -- especially when it comes to alternative health solutions -- including everything from glucosamine and chondroitin supplements to vitamins and minerals. Before looking at these in detail, though, let's quickly review some of the basic facts about osteoarthritis.

Arthritis 101

Swollen joints. Morning stiffness. Painful movements. These are daily facts of life for the more than 35 million Americans who live with osteoarthritis. This disease, also known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, is the leading cause of disability in older people. Osteoarthritis is not a killer, like heart disease and cancer, but, as the millions of Americans who suffer from it know, osteoarthritis can rob otherwise healthy people of their quality of life, by making even the simplest of movements painful.

The exact cause of osteoarthritis is not known, so prevention is difficult.

In general, though, since osteoarthritis affects the joints, anything you can do to relieve stress on the joints is recommended. This includes losing excess weight, avoiding repetitive motions, and choosing low-impact sports (e.g. bicycling, swimming) over grueling, joint-punishing activities.

Here's why: Osteoarthritis breaks down cartilage, the spongy, protective cushion between joint bones. As the cartilage wears away, bones begin to rub against one another, causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Knees, hips, fingers, and the spine are the areas most often affected by the disease, but any joint is vulnerable, especially if it has been injured or overused.

When a joint becomes painful, many people avoid movement, including exercise. This is a major mistake. The stronger the muscles around the joint are, the more support they provide. thereby reducing pain. In addition, strong muscles keep joints properly aligned, cutting down on further cartilage wear and tear.

Once osteoarthritis has been diagnosed, physicians often recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for relief. These include over-the-counter NSAIDs such as Advil, Motrin, aspirin, and others, as well as NSAIDs available by prescription, like Naprosyn, Relafen, and Daypro, to name a few. While they do lessen pain, NSAIDs often have adverse side effects By contrast, many of the alternative therapies are side-effect free. Better yet, as millions of arthritis sufferers know, these alternative therapies are very effective. Even if it takes a few tries to find the right treatment for you, in the long run, it is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

Glucosamine and chondroitin: a hard-working team

Four years ago, when The Arthritis Cure was first published (a book I co-authored with Jason Theodosakis and Barry Fox), arthritis sufferers learned about two naturally occurring substances -- glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates -- that had been shown in international studies to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, and in some cases, even reverse the condition. In spite of extensive, existing research, though, many American doctors were reluctant to prescribe glucosamine and chondroitin until studies were done in the United States. Now, the glowing reports from many patients are being supported by rigorous new studies, both in the U.S. and abroad.

In North Carolina, orthopedic surgeon Amal K. Das, Jr., M.D., conducted a study with 93 patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. After taking glucosamine, more than half of the participants reported significant improvements in both mobility and pain. "At first I only recommended these supplements to patients who had tried everything else and were still in pain," notes Das. "But now I think everyone should know about them."

But even more impressive findings were announced recently at meetings of the American College of Rheumatology, when a 3-year-long European study of 212 patients found glucosamine actually protected cartilage in arthritic joints from deteriorating. Using before and after X-rays, researchers found that 40 percent of the group taking a placebo suffered cartilage deterioration during the 3 years, compared with only 22 percent of the group taking glucosamine.

Is chondroitin necessary?

Given the fact that glucosamine seems to do the job nicely on its own, is chondroitin, the supplement it's often paired with, necessary? In earlier years, when studies were often conducted using injectable chondroitin that wasn't available to the general public, that was a viable question. But several recent studies using oral chondroitin have shown it has potent healing powers of its own.

A year-long clinical trial at the University Hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, looked at the effects of 800 mg of oral chondroitin vs. a placebo on 42 patients with osteoarthritis in the knee. Researchers discovered something remarkable -- chondroitin not only eased symptoms, but it also regulated bone and joint metabolism, halting cartilage degeneration, and stabilized joint width, a key indicator that osteoarthritis did not worsen while patients were taking chondroitin.