subject: Glucosamine, Supplement for Relieving Low Back Pain, Concluded Ineffective [print this page] Glucosamine, Supplement for Relieving Low Back Pain, Concluded Ineffective
A recent study by Oslo University in Norway has concluded that glucosamine, a dietary supplement commonly used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee and other joints, was ineffective at reducing low back pain in patients. Glucosamine is a compound which is used by the body to create new cartilage and is generally commercially made from the cartilage of fish or other animals.
The study divided 250 patients with degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis and low back pain into two groups with half being treated with glucosamine and the other half receiving placebo. The treatment lasted 6 months, with surveys at the beginning of treatment, end of treatment, and 6 months after the end of treatment.
The groups both experienced decreased levels of low back pain at the end of treatment and 6 months after treatment, but there was no noticeable difference between the improvement of the placebo group and the group treated using glucosamine. These results indicate there may be little benefit of glucosamine for degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis of the spine. The researchers were not able to identify a specific characteristic in the group of patients where glucosamine was effective.
It's important to note that nutritional supplements such as glucosamine are not subject to the same FDA regulartion as other medications. In a previous blog we discussed how some supplements can actually be more of a risk by increasing bleeding during surgery, worsen swelling, raise high blood pressure, and interact with non-steroidal anti-infammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Read our blog post that explains why natural supplements do not always mean that they are safe.
