# Does Glucosamine really work?



## Lynne (Jul 30, 2008)

I have elbow tendonitis, have had it about 4 months now. I bought some glucosamine with chondroitin and MSM.  Does the stuff really work?

I'm wearing an elbow strap and that helps with pain after class.

I suspect I got the elbow tendonitis from doing punching drills.  One night, we did over 600 punches in class.  The next morning...ouch.

Last time, I had wrist tendonitis from doing fingertip pushups.  That took 9 months to go away.

I guess this is what happens when you're 50?  Pfffffftttt....


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## MBuzzy (Jul 30, 2008)

I took it for a while and it seems to help me....the problem with it is the a lot of injuries heal themselves.........so you can't really tell if it is the chemical or just your body naturally healing itself.


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## Lynne (Jul 30, 2008)

MBuzzy said:


> I took it for a while and it seems to help me....the problem with it is the a lot of injuries heal themselves.........so you can't really tell if it is the chemical or just your body naturally healing itself.


 And tendonitis seems to take forever.  I'll just keep taking the stuff.  It's fairly nontoxic.


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## punisher73 (Jul 30, 2008)

Lynne said:


> And tendonitis seems to take forever. I'll just keep taking the stuff. It's fairly nontoxic.


 
I remember reading somewhere that tendonitis takes so long because the body dosen't really recognize it as an injury (like a cut) to put it's resources on it to heal.

I take it and I can tell a difference in my joints when I am on it for awhile and then if I stop taking it the joints will start to get achy again.  Start it back up and the pain goes away.


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## Lynne (Jul 30, 2008)

punisher73 said:


> I remember reading somewhere that tendonitis takes so long because the body dosen't really recognize it as an injury (like a cut) to put it's resources on it to heal.
> 
> I take it and I can tell a difference in my joints when I am on it for awhile and then if I stop taking it the joints will start to get achy again. Start it back up and the pain goes away.


 That's interesting about the body not recognizing it as an injury so-to-speak.  I haven't bothered going to a doctor.  I know what they'd say, "Rest the joint."  Ummm...

Thanks for telling me you found it useful.  I'll keep taking it.


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## terryl965 (Jul 30, 2008)

I take it and it seem to help, give it a try and see if you feel any differences I did.


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## Lynne (Jul 30, 2008)

terryl965 said:


> I take it and it seem to help, give it a try and see if you feel any differences I did.


 Thankee.


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## Phoenix44 (Jul 30, 2008)

Yes it helps.  It's an anti-inflammatory.  Of course, so is Advil.


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## KELLYG (Jul 30, 2008)

Ive been doing research on arthritis and every web site I've been to says that the use of glucosamine can be benificial.


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## Empty Hands (Jul 30, 2008)

Lynne said:


> Does the stuff really work?



For tendonitis, I can't find a single study that has even looked at the question.  Tendonitis is an inflammatory process, so I would stick with known anti-inflammatory drugs.  As for arthritis, the jury is still out.  Some studies have shown a beneficial effect, but other large randomized trials have shown no benefit to glucosamine.  I certainly would not have it be the only thing you try.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jul 30, 2008)

Since the later 1990's I have used it to aid in recovery from injuries.  Some of them have been fairly major and glucosamine seems to have worked for me.


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## Kacey (Jul 30, 2008)

A lot of the studies I've seen that say glucosamine is not effective looked at it in isolation.  I've seen others that say that it works better in conjunction with chondroitin - which is what I take, Nature Made's Glucosamine/Chondroitin with MSM.  I usually take it daily.  When I don't take it, after about 4 or 5 days, my knees (which is what I started taking it for) start to ache just from walking - so it's been a while since I stopped taking it!


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## teekin (Aug 7, 2008)

The studies I have seen done on warm bloods horses ( no people sorry) showed that glucosamine HCL was a good preventative measure but needed to be given at a rate of 10,000 mg/ 1000 lbs  1x 24/ hours for 3 month loading doses then continued 2 years to have any measurable impact on growth. Any less than this showed no measurable change.
 Once the damage was done the glucosamine did very little to help repair or speed healing. I think you have expensive pee taking just the Gluc. HCL.
 On the other hand Hyaluronic Acid, does show significant positive effects but it is injected into the joint. There is an oral form but the jury is still out of how effective it is. There are claims on both sides. Naprox Soduim (aleve) is a good anti- inflamitory. Herbal, try devils claw. There is hard proof it works but it is a pain killer and a stop gap not a cure.
 Lori.

My animals eat a lot better than I do.:uhyeah:


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