When I was training for the Inca trail a few years ago (said training knackers the knees), one GP swore that Glucosamine was fabulous for joints* and gave me an NHS prescription for it. At the followup with a different GP, that one swore *at* the glucosamine and said it was for really gullible people.
*Although this was for exercise damage, not any kind of arthritis.
Basic rule of alternative medicines: if it works for you, carry on. Or you could try copper bracelets, cod liver oil capsules or any other remedy the web throws up. Every one of them will have its disciples. Or you could stop dancing rapper.
Well, it hasn't obviously been working, in that I've noticed no correlation between improvement in symptoms and tablet-taking. I may notice now I've stopped, in which case I shall start again.
I really don't believe it's a placebo. I mean -- I could be wrong. But I really don't believe it.
I use glucosamine with chondroitin, admittedly (so it's possible that it's only the chondroitin that's doing much). I am also pretty sceptical. I know that doesn't make one immune to the placebo effect. But it can't hurt.
I do know that a month or two after I start taking it, the constant pain in my right knee goes away (and, I've tried stopping -- and the pain comes back). It also no longer gets aggravated by long car journeys if I'm on glucosamine.
I also know that it made a *massive* difference to my mother-in-law's mobility after about 6 weeks -- from the point where she couldn't bend over at all to the point where she was able to sit on the floor, kneel, etc.
Plus, it worked on my arthritic dog... who wasn't really smart enough to get placeboed up, I reckon.
Looking around there was some stuff in the 60s based on rats that had a cautious yes to placebo effects. More recently the debate is well muddied by people who claim that if animals can't experience placebo then dog homeopathy seeming to work is proof that homeopathy isn't nonsense.
It's further muddied by people who sell books to dog lovers but don't quote sources when they make claims. A pertinent line I came across was
"A recent double-blind veterinary study involved arthritic dogs randomly assigned to either a treatment or a placebo group. Their response to treatment was objectively assessed by force-plate analysis, which precisely measures the use of individual limbs while a dog is in motion. The result? Fifty-six percent of placebo-treated dogs had an objectively measured, significant, positive response."
but no further details on the trial are provided so *shrug*.
Ooh, thanks for this. I used to take glucosamine when I was having intermittent knee issues, and recently started taking both glucosamine and some zinc+magnesium when I restarted yoga. I'll drop the first for now and see how I go.
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*Although this was for exercise damage, not any kind of arthritis.
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I use glucosamine with chondroitin, admittedly (so it's possible that it's only the chondroitin that's doing much). I am also pretty sceptical. I know that doesn't make one immune to the placebo effect. But it can't hurt.
I do know that a month or two after I start taking it, the constant pain in my right knee goes away (and, I've tried stopping -- and the pain comes back). It also no longer gets aggravated by long car journeys if I'm on glucosamine.
I also know that it made a *massive* difference to my mother-in-law's mobility after about 6 weeks -- from the point where she couldn't bend over at all to the point where she was able to sit on the floor, kneel, etc.
Plus, it worked on my arthritic dog... who wasn't really smart enough to get placeboed up, I reckon.
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I have read it on The Internet, though, so it may have been bollocks.
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It's further muddied by people who sell books to dog lovers but don't quote sources when they make claims. A pertinent line I came across was
"A recent double-blind veterinary study involved arthritic dogs randomly assigned to either a treatment or a placebo group. Their response to treatment was objectively assessed by force-plate analysis, which precisely measures the use of individual limbs while a dog is in motion. The result? Fifty-six percent of placebo-treated dogs had an objectively measured, significant, positive response."
but no further details on the trial are provided so *shrug*.
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