Health

Treating Arthritis Naturally

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 31, 2002 / 8:41 AM EST / CBS

There are 20 million Americans who suffer from crippling arthritis. Many rely on over the counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, which can cause stomach upset. Natural supplements are an alternative treatment but CBS 2's Paul Moniz reports they have a mixed rate of success.

Ella Scardello's arthritis pain was so crippling she was willing to try anything: after simple tasks with her hands became tortuous.

So Ella turned to the popular natural supplement glucosamine and spent $50 dollars a month for two years.

Now, she's angry because she found only temporary relief and relies on hand braces to control the pain.

"Everything came back with a vengeance and it's worse than ever," she says.

Despite the tremendous hype behind glucosamine, and the similar supplement, chondroitin, which are sometimes taken together, there's little evidence they work.

Both supplements are components of cartilage found in foods like shellfish and our bodies.

Several limited studies have shown some benefit but much of the evidence is anecdotal. Still, some users swear by the supplements.

"I walk four or five miles and I don't have a pain," says one happy supplement taker. "And I used to not be able to do that at all."

There's no clear explanation for the uneven results.

Researchers can't scientifically prove if or how the supplements work but because arthritis has no cure sufferers are collectively willing to shell out more than $300 million a year on glucosamine alone.

Experts warn that could be dangerous.

"Health supplements are unregulated, which means several things," warns Dr. Steven Abramson of the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York. "When you buy a bottle you don't know what's really in it. Number two, it hasn't had to be shown by the Food and Drug Administration to work."

And No. 3, you don't know if it's safe, especially long term.

"When you've taken something for a couple of years, like I have, you start to wonder has it affected me in some other way and I do worry," Ella says.

For the first time, the federal government is looking into the safety and effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin, launching a massive trial but the study will take three years to complete.

Until then, millions of arthritis sufferers will continue spending big on hope in a bottle.

"You become a human guinea pig and that's very bad because you're so desperate for help," Ella says. "You'll do anything and take anything."

If you take these supplements, there are some important things to keep in mind.

They're indicated for osteoarthritis not rheumatoid arthritis.

They should be taken in their unadulterated form, not mixed with herbs and other additives because of possible interactions.

Chondroitin can cause internal bleeding in some people.

A recent analysis of the supplements showed many contain only a fraction of the amount the label says, which means you may not get what you pay or.

Major brand names tend to be more reliable.