Taking glucosomine for tennis elbow?

Will it help tennis elbow, or tendenitis? What about back pain? Also does it have any interactions with pain meds>vicodin for back pain.

Glucosamine probably would have minimal if any benefit on lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) or most types of back pain.

The primary understood effects of glucosamine/chondrotin tablets is to maintain or improve the health of the joint cartilage, and these are not present in either of the conditions mentioned.

There should be no problems, however, with G/C making these conditions worse. Glucosamine has no reported interactions with hydrocodone or acetaminophen which are the active ingredients in Vicodin.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are substances naturally found in the body that are also sold as nutritional supplements (nutraceuticals) to help with a variety of conditions.

Most commonly, glucosamine and chondroitin are purported to help strengthen and grow cartilage 鈥?the spongy tissue that cushions bones at the joints. People with osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease that breaks down cartilage) may take the supplements to relieve chronic joint pain. Some individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder and other conditions may also use the supplements for pain relief.

However, none of the uses of the supplements have clear scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of the products. One large study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), indicated that a combination of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin may help people with moderate to severe osteoarthritis in the knee. However, the supplements were no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill) in relieving mild pain. More studies are necessary to confirm these results.

More information on glucosamine from iVillage.com - Your Total Health

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/gluc...

Will not help. The problem is really in the wrist-- the tendons to the extensor muscles of the wrist insert on the lateral epicondyle. Get a wrist brace to keep the wrist from extending. Ges some small Dixie cups- fill them with water and freeze them. Then use them to ice down the elbow.
Helps decrease the inflammation. If nothing helps, see your doctor- a shot of a cortisone like drug usually does the job.
Watch for any repetitive motion that extends the wrist. If you identify what it is, change the way you do it.

Glucosamine won't do much for tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is the inflammation of the insertion point (tendon) of the wrist extensor muscles.
Reduction of the inflammation is the best way to deal with the pain. There are a number of ways to do this. Icing is probably the best one to be able to do at home. Dixie cups (as mentioned earlier) make good ice wands to localize the are that gets iced. I would apply it to the area of pain for 10-15 mins (no longer, otherwise risking skin injury due to prolonged cold) four times a day until feeling better. Also what activities do you do that cause wrist extension or elbow flexion? I would recommend easing off those activities for a little while and also getting a brace to place just below the elbow region so that any stresses to the tendon insertion point is reduced to allow the body to heal. Good luck!!