30 Dec Glucosamine Plus Chondroitin Sulfate vs. Celebrex for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

A European study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease studied 606 participants with moderate-severe osteoarthritis of the knees.  Participants received either combination chondroitin sulfate 400mg and glucosamine hydrochloride 500mg three times a day or Celebrex 200 mg a day for 6 months.  Both groups had a similar 50% reduction in pain, stiffness, and improvement in function.  Celebrex was more effective in the first 4 months, but by 6 months efficacy was similar.

A similar study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015, of participants with less severe pain showed no more improvement with the combination of  glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate than placebo.  Treatment options for severe osteoarthritis of the knees are limited.  I do recommend that patients at least try the combination.  The most common problem I see is that patients do not take the combination long enough for it to be effective.  As the European study suggests, one should take the glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate combination for at least 6 months before deciding if it is efficacious.

Definition – Osteoarthritis is a “wear and tear” arthritis as opposed to an inflammatory arthritis such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus.

Here’s to the Journey!

(David W. Ball, MD, an Internal Medicine physician, founder of NuVitality Health – a wellness education company, and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness – a fitness facility for Every Body)