Glucosamine Does Not Help with Chronic Lower Back Pain Study Says

From: Foodconsumer.org
Long Beach Chiropractic - Mull Chiropractic - www.MullChiro.com

Taking glucosamine supplements may not help relieve chronic low back pain and degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis, a new trial published in the July 7 issue of Journal of American Medical Association suggests.

The trial study showed the people taking glucosamine for six months did not seem to help people on the regimen to improve measures of pain related disability, low back pain, leg pain and health related quality of life, compared with those who received placebo.

More than 20 million people in the U.S. suffer osteoarthritis and low back pain is the second most common concern of patients in primary care, according to a release by the JAMA. Glucosamine is commonly used as an alternative treatment, but its efficacy remains unknown.

For the trial, Philip Wilkens, M. Chiro., of Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Norway, and colleagues randomly assigned 250 patients aged 25 or older with chronic low back pain and degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis with 1,500 mg of oral glucosamine or placebo every day for 6 months.

The outcomes were evaluated at the beginning of the trial, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and one year.

"No statistically significant difference in change between groups was found when assessed after the 6-month intervention period and at 1 year for RMDQ, and for measures of LBP at rest, LBP during activity and quality-of-life," JAMA says in its release.

RMDQ is the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire that yields a score to indicate the severity of the condition. A higher score means a more serious condition.

Low back pain can be treated with more than a dozen of alternative treatments including acupuncture, capsaicin cream, vitamin d, music therapy, vitamin b12, magnesium, willow bark, yoga for back pain, Bowen therapy, breathing techniques, massage therapy, chiropractic, Alexander Technique, Prolotherapy, and balneotherapy, according to about.com.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation with Mull Chiropractic, call 562-795-7007 or visit Mull Chiropractic online at www.Mullchiro.com