Glucosamine Placebo Effect

Other wise known as “sugar pills,” placebo drugs are used to test the effectiveness of drugs against an inactive standard. By testing a known substance against an inactive agent (a placebo), if one groups starts to feel better (and the designers can later verify with statistics which group was on the placebo and which wasn’t on the placebo) then effects of bias can be filtered out. Glucosamine has long been known for its effects, both clinically and anecdotally.

During clinical trials, only the actual substance you are testing for is being evaluated because even the doctors who are giving the medicine and placebo and making sure that proper dosages are being administered do not know which is which. Glucosamine has endured many double blind placebo tests and in all clinical trials to date (over 20 years of trials) it has always been determined that glucosamine if far more effective than a placebo. Glucosamine works because it gives the body what it needs. While is might take up to 3 months to get the full benefit of glucosamine, some people report increased joint mobility and range of motion within two weeks. More evidence against the placebo effect lies in the evidence that glucosamine continues working after you have stopped taking it. Many clinical trials reflect this fact, something that suggests that glucosamine is rebuilding cartilage rather than just masking joint pain like the detrimental NSAIDS. Click here to read more about the dangers of NSAIDs.

Another concrete example of glucosamine’s effectiveness is due to the long history of use in animals. Animals do not know if they are taking a placebo or a real product and as such they will only respond to what actually produces results. Results you simply would not see in a placebo. Some of the first animal uses of glucosamine were in thoroughbred horses. And there most certainly were results for them as well. The use of glucosamine in horses and the incredible results that were obtained made people wonder if in fact they could use it for their own arthritic joints.

At least as long as you are actually taking glucosamine, you can rest assured it's working because it’s actually boosting the natural processes at work all of the time, rebuilding your cartilage and lubricating your joints.

Be sure to visit the Glucosamine Product Guide for a review of commercially available glucosamine products.