- With Mayo Clinic rheumatologist
April Chang-Miller, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
April Chang-Miller, M.D.
April Chang-Miller, M.D.
Dr. April Chang-Miller is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and is a consultant in the Division of Rheumatology and Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
Dr. Chang-Miller's primary field is rheumatology with special interests in inflammatory joint diseases called seronegative spondyloarthropathies such as ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. She also cares for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.
The New York City native is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine and had been with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., between 1991 and 2002 when she relocated to Mayo Clinic, Arizona. She is a fellow in the American College of Rheumatology and has been on the board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation North Central Chapter.
Definition (1)
- 'Degenerative changes' in the spine: Is this arthritis?
Treatments and drugs (4)
- Arthritis pain: Are opiates safer than NSAIDs for older people?
- Hip resurfacing: An alternative to conventional hip replacement?
- Arthritis pain medications: Do they raise blood pressure?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Lifestyle and home remedies (3)
- Glucosamine: Does it affect blood sugar?
- MSM for arthritis pain: Is it safe?
- Water exercise for arthritis: Does pool temperature matter?
Alternative medicine (1)
- Glucosamine supplements: Can they rebuild cartilage?
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Question
Glucosamine supplements: Can they rebuild cartilage?
Can glucosamine supplements help rebuild cartilage in people with osteoarthritis?
Answer
from April Chang-Miller, M.D.
Many manufacturers market dietary supplements that they claim can rebuild cartilage. But little scientific evidence supports this claim. The most studied of these supplements is glucosamine sulfate.
Glucosamine is a natural compound in your body that helps make your cartilage strong and rigid. Glucosamine is also sold as a nutritional supplement in many drugstores and health food stores.
Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of joint cartilage and can affect any joint. Because glucosamine is a component of normal cartilage, it is thought that glucosamine supplements may be able to help the body repair damaged cartilage.
While some studies have shown that glucosamine may slow the progression of osteoarthritis, others have indicated that glucosamine provides no more benefit than does a placebo. If you have arthritis, consult with your doctor before you start taking glucosamine supplements.
Next question'Degenerative changes' in the spine: Is this arthritis?
- Kalunian KC. Investigational approaches to the pharmacologic therapy of osteoarthritis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2009.
- Sawitzke AD, et al. The effect of glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate on the progression of knee osteoarthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism. 2008;58:3183.
