In the early days conventional medicine found very little that could actually cope with the arthritis pain. After that came the Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS). These household names were once upon a time new drugs having common names such as aspirin and ibuprofen and later on Naproxen Sodium. These were known to be good medicines to cover up the arthritis pain. Though they had some sever side affects if taken for a long period of time at the dosage needed to cover up the increasing pain of arthritis. If NSAIDS are taken long enough then it may lead to stomach bleeding to breaking down of the lower digestive track to even liver failure.

It was not known then that with the use of NSAIDS it was only making the arthritis worse for the people rather than making it any better. After the first generation of pre COX-2 Drugs, the NSAIDS worked on to inhibit an enzyme which came to be known as COX-1. This is why they work for pain relief because COX-1 would partially mediate the pain receptors. But unfortunately it COX-1 was not a very safe molecule. As a matter of fact it also affected the other important body systems such as blood clotting and digestion. This is the reason why people would get an upset stomach or get bruised easily due to the thinning of the blood when a daily dose of aspirin or ibuprofen or naproxen is taken and disrupting those body systems.

Glucosamine being an amino is naturally present in the human body. It is commercially produced from the shells of crustaceans. It is of good use to the patients who generally would suffer from osteoarthritis. This results in damage and breakdown of the cartilage in the joints. This basically leads to inflammation, pain and also swelling.

Glucosamine is believed to work by helping restore the damaged cartilage. It may tend to have an anti inflammatory effect. This product is mostly used in combination with chondroitin. There have been many studies where it has been proven time after time that taking glucosamine is absolutely safe. Being derived from the shells of crustaceans, people having allergies with seafood should be caution about using it and should consult a doctor before using it as well.

The FDA has not yet licensed glucosamine for use as a medical product for humans, even though as of now it is classed as a dietary supplement and can also be marketed with the condition that no specific claims to treat a condition are made.

As a medication for arthritis glucosamine is taken in either a liquid form or in a tablet form. A daily dose of 1500 mg is generally recommended by all physicians. This could be achieved by taking three tablets of 500mg in a single day. There are a few products that may provide considerably less than the figure mentioned and thus it is a necessity to check before making the purchase.

To evaluate the success and effectiveness of glucosamine a number of scientific studies have been conducted. There has been a growing number showing the conclusion that there is a clear benefit of using glucosamine especially with the combination of chondroitin. All other studies have failed to show any signs of benefit over placebo.