Toparthrose

TOPARTHROSE is food supplement containing 1500 mg Glucosamine Sulphate.

When cartilage becomes worn, exposed bones can rub together and the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis may appear. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, including those throughout the spine. Conventional medicine does not yet have a proven treatment to stop or slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Traditional medical treatment includes drug therapy to control the pain associated with osteoarthritis.

These treatments are sometimes disappointing for physicians and patients because medications may not provide complete relief and can have unwanted side effects. Some of these patients may be candidates for nutritional supplements like glucosamine sulphate.

Glucosamine sulphate is naturally occurring substance found in the connective tissues of the body, including the cartilage that covers the ends of bones in the joints. Glucosamine sulphate functions as the primary building block for proteoglycans, large molecules in cartilage that give it viscoelastic properties. When taken orally, glucosamine sulphate is absorbed readily into the system and can be traced to cartilage as soon as four hours after consumption. Similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucosamine sulphate has been shown to have unique anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, in some laboratory tests, the supplement demonstrated a protective effect on the cartilage as well. These studies suggest that Glucosamine sulphate may inhibit the breakdown of cartilage and may have the potential to help build-up cartilage.

Current studies show "a moderate benefit" for glucosamine sulphate and a slightly greater benefit for glucosamine sulphate when used for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip to treat pain. The only study that examined results for treatment of osteoarthritis of the spine did not have a large enough number of patients to support or reject the use of glucosamine sulphate.

However, the authors felt the supplements to be a reasonable treatment for osteoarthritis of the spine given the low incidence of side effects, other available evidence supporting their use, and the lack of more effective traditional medical treatments.

It should be emphasized that with the current studies, there is no conclusive evidence that glucosamine sulphate prevents or reverses the process of joint degeneration that leads to osteoarthritis. Future studies are needed to make such conclusions.

The following summary is based on the reviewed studies:The dosage of Toparthrose is 1500mg glucosamine sulphate, taken once daily. Duration of treatment has not yet been determined. Reported improvement (e.g. reduction in painful symptoms) varies from three weeks to as much as eight weeks.