If you suffer from the ravages of arthritis, you may have chosen glucosamine as your own weapon of choice to battle the constant pain. How did you decide?

Did you do your own investigation, or accept a friend's recommendation? Perhaps your doctor gave a half-hearted endorsement when you asked what he thought of your trying it.

Folks with arthritis are truly caught between stiff joints and a painful place!

If you've been a long-term member of the OA population, you've surely looked for a way around the hazards of anti-inflammatory and COX-2 inhibitor drugs, and cortisone injections. You've probably even considered over-the-counter remedies in hopes of relief.

National Arthritis Meeting in 1999,

At a national arthritis meeting in 1999, several independent studies of the food supplements glucosamine and chondroitin were presented.

The results indicated possible benefits for relief of the joint stiffness and pain in certain arthritis patients - only some, not all. Everyone climbed on the band wagon to embrace both supplements as the next - natural - alternatives to battle arthritis joint pain and misery.

Hallelujah! The stampede was on! Since the FDA does not control food supplements, the production and use of glucosamine and/or chondroitin would be available to you without prescription.

And the testimonials poured forth from patients and manufacturers alike. Some doctors advocated these choices for their patients, others did not.

Even manufacturers who formulated this brave, new remedy could not agree just how to make it most effective: Glucosamine plus Chondroitin? Glucosamine with MSM?

Maybe even blending glucosamine with other natural substances like ginger, turmeric or boswellin, and some boron was an answer! Remind you of a Chinese menu?

Each individual component has its qualities for pain relief or reduction of inflammation. But which combination held the magic key for most arthritis sufferers? What worked for your pain?

National Institutes of Health Study Conclusion

Well, sad to say, in Nov. 2005, a National Institutes of Health study was a major disappointment. Seems that results for glucosamine and chondroitin testing (used just for knee pain arthritis), offered no significant benefit to the patient's pain.

In addition, glucosamine's solo use for knee pain showed nothing more notable than a - placebo - might offer. This was a major study from 1999-2005 that obtained significant data from 16 major US centers.

The disappointment remains for relief of your pain, no matter how many joints are hurting and stiff with arthritic pain. Apparently, further study will continue to investigate the claims that glucosamine may protect the cartilage in joints.

But for now, who cares? When you still hurt a lot, subjective recommendations from other friends who have found relief with one herbal combination or another are a choice from the alternative medicine cabinet.

The Best of Health