I have severe osteoarthritis of my knee and my doctor says I should take glucosamine. What do you think?

Osteoarthritis is a common disorder in the North American population and often affects the hips, knees, shoulder and hand. In osteoarthritis, the basic problem is that the cartilage that protects the two ends of the bone breaks down. This results in pain and swelling of the joint. So far, there is no cure for this condition. Pain medications and surgery are the only two available treatments. Now some health care professional recommend glucosamine. This health supplement is available as a pill and is often combined with chondroitin. The daily dose varies from 1000-3000 mg per day. Glucosamine is available without a prescription. But does it work?

 

Evaluation of recent studies indicates that glucosamine was worse than a fake pill. It did jack shit. In fact, people who took the sugar pill had more pain relief that glucosamine.  In simple words, glucosamine is just another fraud, like the weight loss pills. It does nothing. The only relief you get is that your pockets are now empty of you hard earned money. If you have osteoarthritis, save your money for something that works or get yourself a reputable doctor who does not own shares of glucosamine or chondroitin.