September is Pain Awareness Month, so we are sharing resources on the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs most often in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. There has been interest in several natural products as possible treatments for osteoarthritis pain. Let’s look at what research says: - Extensive research has been done on glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis, especially knee osteoarthritis. However, no clear conclusions have been reached about whether they’re helpful because studies have had inconsistent results.
- Very little research has been done on dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which is applied to the skin, and the related substance methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which is taken as a dietary supplement. It’s uncertain whether they are helpful for osteoarthritis symptoms.
- Studies of the dietary supplement S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) for osteoarthritis have had inconsistent results.
- Two herbal remedies that are taken orally, avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASUs) and Boswellia serrata, may produce slight improvements in pain and function in patients with osteoarthritis; however, the improvements are so small that patients might not consider them meaningful.
- There’s some evidence that two herbal remedies that are applied to the skin, arnica gel and comfrey extract gel, might be helpful for osteoarthritis. The evidence suggests that another product applied to the skin, capsicum extract gel, is probably not helpful.
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