Glucosamine and chondroitin are among the most popular supplements for joints and backs. The idea is that they supply building blocks for cartilage. For back pain, the best trial found no benefit: people with chronic low back pain and wear in the lumbar spine who took glucosamine for six months did no better than those taking placebo, at six months or a year.
What the trial found
In a randomised trial in Norway, 250 adults with chronic low back pain and degenerative changes in the lumbar spine took 1,500 mg of glucosamine a day or a placebo for six months.1
| Outcome | Result |
|---|---|
| Pain-related disability at 6 months | No difference between glucosamine and placebo |
| Disability at 1 year | No significant difference |
| Pain and quality of life | No significant difference |
In chronic low back pain with lumbar wear, glucosamine was no better than placebo. Both groups improved over time, which is common in back pain whatever the treatment.1
Why people feel it works
Back pain often improves on its own, and people tend to start a supplement when pain is at its worst. In the trial both groups got better, so the improvement people notice is easy to credit to the supplement.
What about chondroitin and joint pain elsewhere?
Chondroitin is usually combined with glucosamine. There is no good evidence that either helps spinal pain. Evidence for knee and hip osteoarthritis is mixed and beyond this page.
What to try instead
Exercise and staying active have the strongest evidence for back pain.2 See what works for back pain and exercise therapy. The belief that supplements can “rehydrate” or rebuild discs is covered in disc hydration myths.
Glucosamine is generally well tolerated, but it has been reported to interact with warfarin and some products are made from shellfish. See supplement safety.
Footnotes
General information, not medical advice. Every claim carries its source; where the evidence is thin, the page says so.Editorial policy · How we grade evidence · All sources · Disclaimer