Indication: Knee pain

Source: British J Sports Med 2003;37:45-49.

Research: Twenty-four patients with chronic knee pain were supplemented with 2000 mg a day of glucosamine and 22 subjects were given a placebo (lactose). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral glucosamine supplementation on the functional ability and degree of pain felt by individuals who had regular knee pain, most likely due to previous articular cartilage damage, and possibly osteoarthritis. Over this period, four testing sessions were conducted, with changes in knee pain and function assessed by clinical and functional tests, (joint line palpation, a 3 meter “duck walk” and a repeated, walking stair climb), two questionnaires (the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Knee Pain Scale (KPS)) and participant subjective evaluations.

Results: The clinical and functional test scores improved with time but there were no significant differences between the two groups. The questionnaire results also recorded a significant main effect for time, but the glucosamine group was found to have significantly better KOOS quality of life scores at week eight and 12, and lower KPS scores at week eight than the placebo group. On self report evaluations of changes across the 12 week supplementation period, 88% of the glucosamine group reported some degree of improvement in their knee pain versus only 17% in the placebo group. The authors concluded that 2000 mg of glucosamine daily can provide some degree of pain relief and improved mobility in patients with chronic knee pain as a result of previous cartilage damage or possibly osteoarthritis.