Curcumin for arthritis: Does it really work?

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is the most common type of arthritis. Usually, it occurs among people of advanced age. But it can begin in middle age or even sooner, especially if there’s been an injury to the joint. While there are treatments available — exercise, braces or canes, loss of excess weight, various pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines — these are no cures, and none of the treatments are predictably effective. In fact, often they don’t work at all, or help only a little. Injected steroids or synthetic lubricants can be tried as well. When all else fails, joint replacement surgery can be highly effective. In fact, about a million joint replacements (mostly knees and hips) are performed each year in the US. So, it’s no surprise that people with osteoarthritis will try just about anything that seems reasonably safe if it might provide relief. My patients often ask about diet, including anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidants, low-gluten diets, and many others. There’s little evidence that most of these dietary approaches work. When there is evidence, it usually demonstrates no consistent or clear benefit. That’s why a new study is noteworthy: it suggests that curcumin, a naturally occurring substance found in a common spice, might work for osteoarthritis. A new study of curcumin for osteoarthritis of the knee In the study, researchers enrolled 139 people with symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Their symptoms were at least mode...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Arthritis Bones and joints Complementary and alternative medicine Pain Management Source Type: blogs