Two widely used nutritional supplements for arthritis pain do not effectively soothe patients aching knees, a large US study has found. The study of glucosamine and chondroitin was meant to provide a definite answer to a question that has baffled doctors and patients alike. Do these supplements work?
In the 24 week study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 1583 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee were randomly assigned to one of five groups. Some patients took glucosamine, some took chondroitin and some took both. Others took a placebo or Celebrex.
No effect was found for glucosamine, chondroitin, or the combination of both.