Better Health & Living: Article: Ease Arthritis Pain Without Drugs

Issue: November 2008

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Ease Arthritis Pain Without Drugs

These remedies really work

by Sara Altshul

Published in health •alternate_view •METRO •METRO Story | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »

If you have osteoarthritis, you’ve been on a roller-coaster ride for a few years now trying to find a pain remedy that will work and not put your health at risk. Of the breakthrough COX-2 inhibitor drugs, only one, celecoxib (Celebrex), remains, but it comes with warnings of potential heart attack and internal bleeding risks—the same risks that forced manufacturers to take the other COX-2s off the market.

If you switched to glucosamine with chondroitin, you probably read accounts of a federally funded study called GAIT (the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial), which involved 1,583 arthritis patients and found that the popular remedy didn’t ease mild arthritis pain.

Before you write this natural treatment off altogether, though, dig a little deeper into the results of that study. There were two other key findings: Glucosamine and chondroitin did relieve moderate to severe pain, and celecoxib, against which the combo was tested, failed to work.

The bottom line: Some natural, side effect-free alternatives, including glucosamine and chondroitin, not only ease pain but can also protect your body against several factors that cause or worsen arthritis.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

Glucosamine is a natural sugar found in cartilage, the tissue that cushions joints. It helps keep joints healthy and pain-free by decreasing the production of an enzyme that breaks down cartilage and by reducing nitric oxide production, which leads to cartilage cell death. Glucosamine also helps promote the growth of cells that contribute to cartilage building.

Chondroitin, like glucosamine, is a naturally occurring sugar. It acts as a “liquid magnet,” says Jason Theodosakis, MD, clinical assistant professor at the University of Arizona Prevention Center in Tucson, GAIT trial investigator, and author of The Arthritis Cure. The fluid that chondroitin attracts helps cartilage absorb shock and floods its cells with much-needed nutrients.

“There are four good long-term X-ray studies showing that glucosamine and chondroitin can prevent the progression of osteoarthritis and decrease the use of anti-inflammatory drugs,” says Dr. Theodosakis. “Even when people didn’t experience significant pain relief, X-rays showed healthier cartilage at the end of the studies as compared to people who took a placebo, and after five years, people who took glucosamine and chondroitin needed 73 percent fewer joint replacements than did people who took a placebo.” Because it improves cartilage structure, “failure to recommend glucosamine/chondroitin for osteoarthritis may one day be considered medical malpractice,” he says.

Good to know
It may take glucosamine and chondroitin supplements up to six months to work and longer for cartilage health to improve, says Dr. Theodosakis.

Avoid
Cheap or store brands, products that don’t separately list how much glucosamine and chondroitin they contain, and liquid products. Chondroitin is expensive, and a 2006 study showed that 50 percent of studied brands were inactive.

Choose
A supplement that contains at least 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate or hydrochloride (HCl) and 800 to 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin sulfate. Take it consistently every day.

Hyaluronic Acid (HA)

Hyaluronans are large sugar molecules that allow the synovial fluid in joints to respond to physical stress. When stress on a joint increases, hyaluronans become “cushiony” to help absorb shock and protect against wear and tear. HA was approved by the FDA in 1997 as an injection to relieve osteoarthritis knee pain. Now a new oral form, called Hyal-Joint, is available. “What’s neat about this HA is that when it’s taken orally, it actually stimulates HA production in the joints,” says Dr. Theodosakis.

Good to know
Try Country Life’s Bio-Active Hyaluronic Acid, which is available at health food stores. Follow the label directions.

Pycnogenol

This potent antioxidant, extracted from French maritime pine trees, has been studied extensively for its ability to ease heart disease, asthma, ADHD, varicose veins, and even menopause symptoms. Last year, U.S., Iranian, and German researchers suggested it might be useful for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. “In the study, pycnogenol appears effective in reducing some symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee,” says study coauthor Ronald Ross Watson, PhD, a professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Good to know
It takes two months for pycnogenol’s anti-inflammatory action to reduce arthritis pain. In the study, people took 50 milligrams three times a day. You can find it at health food stores.