Articles > Glucosamine for Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a very common condition, affecting the joints, often described as "wear and tear" arthritis. This can start from our teens and gets worse as we grow older.

The amazing thing is how much it varies from person to person. If you look at two people, who have had identical jobs and identical stresses on their joints through their lifetimes, you could well find one with their joints in virtually pristine condition, and the other with visibly misshapen and painful joints which do not function normally.

Most of the time people with this condition do not have inflamed joints, although they may well be painful and, to some extent, deformed. Thus, in truth, osteoarthrosis is probably a more accurate overall description of the condition. However as most people refer to the condition as osteoarthritis, this is the term used below.

Osteoarthritis is not usually a progressive, and crippling arthritis in the way that some other forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis can be. It may begin at a very young age, so do not worry too much that it means you are "over the hill". Changes of osteoarthritis have been found in the bones of teenagers.

Symptoms

The joints that are affected ache and you may feel or hear them crunching or cracking. The range of movement of the joints may be reduced, and they may become visibly knobbly.

Sometimes the pain gets worse, and the joint becomes swollen. This is usually short lived, and the symptoms return to how they were, but you should see your doctor.

Osteoarthritis is more likely to affect your hips or knees, and also the end joints on your fingers, but it can affect any joint.

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

Little is known about the exact cause of this type of arthritis. Although it is not inevitable like death and taxes, about 85 percent of Americans have some degree of OA by age 75. The most common risks are being overweight, having a family history of OA, and having a congenital defect (e.g., hip dysplasia). People who repeatedly injure their joints, such as runners who have spent 20 or so years pounding the pavement in pursuit of healthy bodies, may begin to develop OA in their knees as they move into their 40s.

OA is a condition that affects the cartilage ("gristle") in joints. In a healthy joint, the smooth, elastic cartilage that cushions the ends of our bones does not have its own blood supply. It receives oxygen and nutrients from the synovial fluid that surrounds and bathes the joints.

Over the years, cartilage can become thin, fray, split, and wear away completely. The ends of the bones at the joints then begin to grate on each other. This causes pain, stiffness, and limited joint movement. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, there is little inflammation (i.e., swelling, redness) in the joints.

Information on Glucosamine

One of the most effective supplements for osteoarthritis is a compound called glucosamine. Glucosamine is an amino sugar produced from the shells of chitin (shellfish) and is a key component of cartilage. Glucosamine works to stimulate joint function and repair. It has been proven effective in numerous scientific trials for easing osteoarthritis pain, aiding in the rehabilitation of cartilage, renewing synovial fluid, and repairing joints that have been damaged from osteoarthritis.

Each person produces a certain amount of glucosamine within their bodies. When people grow older, their bodies lose the capacity to make enough glucosamine. Having ample glucosamine in your body is essential to producing the nutrients needed to stimulate the production of synovial fluid, the fluid which lubricates your cartilage and keeps your joints healthy. Without enough glucosamine, the cartilage in their weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, and hands deteriorates. The cartilage then hardens and forms bone spurs, deformed joints, and limited joint movement. This is how the debilitating disease of osteoarthritis develops.

So How Does Glucosamine Help to Maintain Healthy Cartilage?

• Glucosamine is a major building block of proteoglycans
• Glucosamine is needed to make glycosaminoglycans, proteins that bind water in the cartilage matrix
• It is a source of nutrients for the synthesis of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans
• A stimulant to chondrocytes
• Glucosamine is a key factor in determining how many proteoglycans are produced by the chondrocytes
• Is needed to spur chondrocytes to produce more collagen and proteoglycans
A regulator of cartilage metabolism which helps to keep cartilage from breaking down.

In addition, glucosamine has been shown to reduce pain for osteoarthritis sufferers and improves the joint structure.

As you can see, glucosamine is a very important factor in maintaining healthy cartilage and rehabilitating cartilage that has deteriorated. It has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment for osteoarthritis.

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