At Sydney Chiropractic and Massage, knee osteoarthritis (OA) and associated knee pain is a common condition that our Sydney chiropractor has expertise in treating. It is considered the most common joint disorder in the world, It is one of the most frequent causes of pain, loss of function and disability in adults. As the knee and hips are considered load bearing joints they are most commonly affected. (1) A commonly prescribed supplement for OA of the knee and related knee pain and dysfunction is glucosamine, However, findings by researchers have been mixed.
In a 2010 study, published in the British Medical Journal the authors concluded “compared with placebo, 
glucosamine, chondroitin, and their combination do not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space.” (2) However; in a more recent study published in 2015, the authors found the combination of glucosamine and chodroitin sulpahte “was equally as effective in has comparable efficacy to celecoxib in reducing pain, stiffness, functional limitation and joint swelling/effusion after 6 months in patients with painful knee osteoarthritis, with a good safety profile.” (3) celecoxib is a non steroidal noninflammatory, with known effectiveness (and negative side effects) and is commonly prescribed in the management of knee pain associated with knee OA. If you do decide to supplement with glucosamine, it is important you have an effective dose of 500 mg as used in the previous study and combine it with chodroitin sulpahte 400 mg three times a day.
A trial period of at least 6 months is needed to establish if you are benefiting from the supplements. Other therapies that may be of benefit, are knee strengthening exercises preferably non weight bearing (4) manual therapy (5) and massage therapy (6) have all been found to be effective in the management of knee pain and dysfunction related to OA.
At Sydney Chiropractic and Massage, we use a multidisciplinary approach using remedial and deep tissue massage, chiropractic, manual therapy and we also educate you the pain sufferer how to take care of your own knee pain and dysfunction through exercise and education; with out the need for excessive treatment.
Our Sydney chiropractor is the only professional trained as both a chiropractor and myotherapist (SLM) this combination makes Kieran expert in diagnosing and treating knee pain, even when other therapies have failed.
Keywords: Knee Pain, Knee osteoarthritis, Glucosamine, Knee pain treatment, knee pain glucosamine, Sydney chiropractic, Sydney chiropractor, chiropractor Sydney, Sydney Remedial Massage, Remedial Massage Sydney.
(1) Arden N, Nevitt MC,. Osteoarthritis: epidemiology. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Feb;20(1):3-25.
(2) Wandel S1, Jüni P, Tendal B, Nüesch E, Villiger PM, Welton NJ, Reichenbach S, Trelle S. Effects of glucosamine, chondroitin, or placebo in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2010 Sep 16;341:c4675. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c4675.
(3) Hochberg MC1, Martel-Pelletier J2, Monfort J3, Möller I4, Castillo JR5, Arden N6, Berenbaum F7, Blanco FJ8, Conaghan PG9, Doménech G10, Henrotin Y11,Pap T12, Richette P13, Sawitzke A14, du Souich P15, Pelletier JP2; Combined chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine for painful knee osteoarthritis: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial versus celecoxib. Ann Rheum Dis. 2015 Jan 14.
(4) Tanaka R1, Ozawa J, Kito N, Moriyama H. Efficacy of strengthening or aerobic exercise on pain relief in people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Rehabil. 2013 Dec;27(12):1059-71.
(5) Deyle GD1, Henderson NE, Matekel RL, Ryder MG, Garber MB, Allison SC. Effectiveness of manual physical therapy and exercise in osteoarthritis of the knee. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2000 Feb.1;132(3):173-81.
(6) Perlman AI., Sabina A., Williams A-L.,Njike VY, Katz DL. Massage Therapy for Osteoarthritis of the KneeA Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(22):2533-2538
