Osteoarthritis and supplements

Osteoarthritis and supplements

Osteoarthritis is a common inflammatory condition characterised by joint pain. See below example.

Osteoarthritis affects 2.1 million Australians.  The prevalence is higher in women and joint symptoms are experienced by more than 25% of people aged 65 years or older.

Osteoarthritis is particularly burdensome, on individuals and on the healthcare system and is the main reason for knee replacement surgery.  This is of great concern considering the projected rise in the aging population.

In recent years, omega 3 fatty acids (from fish oil), glucosamine and chondroiten have increased in popularity. Research into these and osteoarthritis is showing some promising results, however more research is still needed.

Should you take these supplements if you have Osteoarthritis??

You can as there is some worthwhile evidence but it should form only a small part of your management plan.

Score your pain on a scale of 1-10 before taking the supplement, then after 3-6 months score your pain again to see if there has been any change.

If you are taking chondroitin it is recommended that you take a supplement containing 800mg such as BioOrganics glucosamine 750g and chondroitin 400mg.

There is much stronger evidence to show that dietary induced weight loss (>10% of body weight) and physical exercise such as strength training and aerobic exercise can have a moderate to large improvement in pain, function and quality of life.

In addition, learning effective pain – coping skills have been shown to have positive outcomes not only for pain but also for function, stiffness and disability.