glucosamine sulfate

[manijak]

The pain in the shoulder is killing me...the quiropractor said it's just sore and it'll be OK.But after a few weeks of light duty on the shoulders I started pushing some serious weight again ,and the sumbich still hurts.
This funny old man I met ,he's some kind od "herbal doctor" told me that glucosamine sulfate is good for the joints .
Has anyone tried it?
Or if someone knows something for the joint pain let me know...

[bex]

Glucosamine for Arthritis
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most widespread type of arthritis, is a degenerative disease of the joints. Although sometimes capable of causing acute inflammation, it is most commonly a "wear-and-tear" disease involving degeneration of joint cartilage and formation of bony spurs within various joints. Trauma to the joints, repetitive occupational usage, and obesity are risk factors. Most people over 60 years of age have this affliction to some extent, with approximately 16 million sufferers requiring medical care. The main goal of treatment is to relieve pain.

In recent years, glucosamine and chondroitin have been widely promoted as a treatment for OA. Glucosamine, an amino sugar, is thought to promote the formation and repair of cartilage. Chondroitin, a carbohydrate, is a cartilage component that is thought to promote water retention and elasticity and to inhibit the enzymes that break down cartilage. Both compounds are manufactured by the body.

Research Findings
Laboratory studies suggest that glucosamine may stimulate production of cartilage-building proteins. Other research suggests that chondroitin may inhibit production of cartilage-destroying enzymes and fight inflammation too. Glucosamine supplements are derived from shellfish shells; chondroitin supplements are generally made from cow cartilage. Human studies have shown that either one may relieve arthritis pain and stiffness with fewer side effects than conventional arthritis drugs. But two problems remain. First, there has not been enough high-quality or long-range research to determine whether their use is practical. Second, because dietary supplement manufacture is not regulated, product quality (especially of chondroitin products) is not assured.

Some published studies comparing glucosamine or chondroitin to various standard medications have found that the drugs worked faster than the supplements. But they also found that several months after treatment ended, the analgesic effect of the supplements remained stronger.

In March 2000, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded:

Trials of glucosamine and chondroitin preparations for OA symptoms demonstrate moderate to large effects, but quality issues and likely publication bias suggest that these effects are exaggerated. Nevertheless, some degree of efficacy appears probable for these preparations [1].

An accompanying editorial cautioned:

As with many nutraceuticals that currently are widely touted as beneficial for common but difficult-to-treat disorders, the promotional enthusiasm often far surpasses the scientific evidence supporting clinical use. Until high-quality studies, such as the National Institutes of Health study, are completed, work such as [the meta-analysis] is the best hope for providing physicians with information necessary to advise their patients about the risks and benefits of these therapies [2].

In 2001, the Lancet published the results of a three-year double-blind clinical trial involving 212 people with osteoarthritis who took either glucosamine or a placebo. The researchers found that symptoms improved 20% to 25% in the glucosamine group but worsened slightly in the placebo group. The x-ray examinations showed that serious narrowing of the knee-joint space -- a sign of progression of the disease -- occurred in only half as many patients taking glucosamine as in those receiving the placebo [3].However, the Medical Letter has reported that the x-rays were questionably standardized; there was little correlation between the joint-space changes and the symptoms; and there was no difference between the glucosamine and placebo groups in the use of standard medication to "rescue" patients [4].

As for chondroitin, a recent analysis of the combined results of seven randomized, controlled trials indicated that the supplement may reduce osteoarthritis symptoms and improve function by an average of some 50%, although the studies had flaws that may exaggerate the benefits.

[lucky]

Take a week layoff from working out and if there is no big improvement you might think about seeing a doctor for rotator cuff problem. Only a MRI can tell for sure.