As one of the 27 million victims of osteoarthritis I am always on the lookout for any new medication, therapy or technology which can help reduce the pain, stiffness and swelling that makes so many of my every day tasks more difficult. Whenever I find something I like to share with everyone so when an article was posted on Ivanhoe.com on September 7, 2011 telling about a new supplement that could help I had let everyone know.

According to the World Health Organization or WHO, osteoarthritis affects around 10% of the world’s population over the age of 60 with osteoarthritis of the hand the most prevalent. As you may already know, osteoarthritis affects more then 27 million people in the United States alone and can cause crippling joint pain and stiffness, which can be especially bad in the morning. The real problem is that there is currently no cure and therapy offers limited results. But a new study shows that chondroitin sulfate may actually help improve hand function, grip strength and even that annoying morning stiffness.

The study collected data from a total of 162 people with radiographic hand OA and included 80 people who were given 800mg of chondroitin sulfate and 82 who were given a placebo for 6 months and found that those who took the chondroitin sulfate had a significant increase in hand movement and a reduction of morning stiffness.

“Our findings show chondroitin sulfate is a safe and effective treatment for patients with hand OA,” Dr. Gabay explained. “Alternative therapies, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), provide similar pain reducing effects, but with considerably more long-term toxicities.” Chondroitin sulfate is a naturally occurring molecule and a main component of joint cartilage.

“Our findings show chondroitin sulfate is a safe and effective treatment for patients with hand OA,” Dr. Gabay explained. “Alternative therapies, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), provide similar pain reducing effects, but with considerably more long-term toxicities.” Chondroitin sulfate is a naturally occurring molecule and a main component of joint cartilage.

Although the use of chondroitin sulfate is not really new when it comes to osteoarthritis this new study shows promising results so it may be worth giving it another try.

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