Summary

Original source:
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/104333

Details

• As painkilling arthritis drugs prove increasingly unsafe, the largest study ever done of popular, natural alternatives - glucosamine and chondroitin - shows they can significantly reduce moderate to severe joint pain.
• Used widely in recent years to battle osteoarthritis - the "wear and tear" form of arthritis afflicting more than 20 million Americans - the glucosamine-chondroitin combination of over-the-counter nutritional supplements is coming under heavy scientific scrutiny.
• However, this latest study - involving patients at the University of Arizona - is proving highly controversial, with some evidence suggesting the supplements actually did no better than inactive placebos for arthritis sufferers.
• "The primary outcome of the study was negative - it was not a ringing endorsement of glucosamine and chondroitin," said Dr. Jeffrey Lisse, interim director of the Arizona Arthritis Center, where some 30 patients were enrolled in the nationwide study.
• "But when you look only at those patients with the worst pain, in the moderate to severe range, then glucosamine and chondroitin did better than placebo, or even Celebrex.
• Taken together, they not only ease pain, but actually repair damaged, thinning cartilage that causes the pain, according to Theodosakis.
• At first, most physicians derided these claims as unproven "snake oil."
• The supplements have become increasingly popular as prescription painkillers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - most notably Vioxx - were yanked off the market, blamed for causing heart attacks, strokes and death in regular users.
• That is why the results of the largest study ever done of glucosamine and chondroitin - the nationwide Glucosamine/ Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial - have been so eagerly awaited by patients and physicians wanting to know what really works on this painful disease that affects so many.

Related Articles

Popular Topics: Arthritis, Chondroitin, Glucosamine, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/015758.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.NaturalNews.com/015758.html">University of Arizona study examines natural alternatives to arthritis drugs </a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts