Glucosamine of No Benefit in Knee Arthritis

Glucosamine has been touted as an alternative treatment that has potential benefits for reducing arthritic knee pain.  A new study published in the the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology studying the effects of glucosamine drinks in patients with symptomatic, mild to moderate knee arthritis showed no significant improvement in degree of pain, cartilage damage, or knee function.  These results are consistent with other studies, including the multicenter GAIT trial performed by the National Institute of Health.  While there are minimal negative side effects to using glucosamine, there is no clear benefit in taking such supplements to treat mild to moderate knee arthritis.