The result is disruption and loss of cartilage and eventually damage to the bones. Osteoarthritis generally affects a single joint or only a few joints. Early on it is painless, but as the disease progresses the pain sends the victim to seek medical help. The pain is typically aggravated by activity and relieved by rest. In later stages the pain may persist all the time.
Stiffness is common, especially upon arising in the morning.
In advanced stages, gross deformity and loss of joint motion may be striking. Yet medical researchers and physicians in the United States have totally ignored this therapy, even with consistent evidence showing it is safe and effective. To date, over 300 scientific investigations and over 20 double-blind studies have been published on the use of glucosamine and chondroitin. Millions of people have tried it, and it's popularity is growing because it works. Glucosamine serves as the substrate for the building blocks of joint proteoglycans.