Current studies show “a moderate benefit” for glucosamine sulfate and a slightly greater benefit for glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate when used for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip to treat pain (3). The only study that examined results for treatment of osteoarthritis of the spine did not have a large enough number of patients to support or reject the use of glucosamine sulfate and/or chondroitin sulfate.
However, the authors felt the supplements to be a reasonable treatment for osteoarthritis of the spine given the low incidence of side effects, other available evidence supporting their use, and the lack of more effective traditional medical treatments.
It should be emphasized that with the current studies, there is no conclusive evidence that glucosamine sulfate or chondroitin sulfate prevents or reverses the process of joint degeneration that leads to osteoarthritis. Future studies are needed to make such conclusions.
The following summary is based on the reviewed studies:
