Blog Layout

Controlled Trial Shows Turmeric Effective In Alleviating Pain Of Knee Oa

Jul 31, 2022

From the treatment of digestive issues to reducing pain and inflammation in rheumatologic conditions, the root of the flowering plant turmeric (Curcuma longa extract) has long been a staple of traditional medicine. Now, a well- designed trial has shown that turmeric—best known in the United States as a ginger-like cooking spice—could potentially serve as a clinical alternative to existing pain treatments in conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA).

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been studied extensively for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in both animal and human trials. Given the efficacy seen and a side effect profile that compares favorably to existing pain medications, the authors of a clinical review of the data stated that turmeric “could be a possible candidate for consideration for use as a stand- alone analgesic, or in analgesic combinations as part of opioid-, NSAID- [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] or paracetamol (acetaminophen)-sparing strategies” ( J Clin Pharm Ther 2018;43[4]:460-466 ).


In the current double-blind, single-center study ( Ann Intern Med 2020 Sep 15. [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.7326/M20-0990 ), researchers at the University of Tasmania randomized patients with symptomatic knee OA and knee effusion–synovitis volume, as evidenced by ultrasound, to receive two capsules of turmeric (n=36) or matched placebo (n=34) per day for 12 weeks.

Primary outcomes were change in knee pain measured on a visual analog scale and evidence of effusion–synovitis volume as seen on MRI. The researchers also looked at pain score change on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and cartilage composition values.

Results showed turmeric was more effective in reducing pain compared with placebo, but did not change effusion–synovitis volume or cartilage composition. Turmeric also showed greater change in knee pain on the WOMAC than placebo. Adverse events occurred in 14 individuals in the turmeric group and 18 in the control group.


Limitations of the study include its small population and short study period, according to its authors, who called for larger multicenter trials to expand on the findings.

Our Recent Articles

COMPRESSION FRACTURES: A guide to Alternative treatment options

17 Apr, 2023
A compression fracture is just what it sounds like: compression has led to a crushing or cracking of the spine. This compression can be acute and caused by sudden trauma, or it can occur over time due to wear, tear, or a repetitive stress injury. These fractures can be very painful and debilitating.

What Are Epidural Injections?

28 Oct, 2022
Are you experiencing ongoing neck and/or back pain? Have oral medications, physical therapy, or other treatments failed to help? You may benefit from minimally invasive epidural injections. Clinical research studies have indicated that Epidural Steroid Injections (ESI) relieved back pain more effectively than other conservative therapy. Would you like to find out more about these treatments? The following guide will explain this procedure and some of it’s benefits.

What Is Lumbar Radicular Pain?

31 Jul, 2022
The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) issued a new set of recommendations to guide clinicians in the safe and appropriate use of steroid injections for pain management in patients who are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (J Pain Res 2021;14:623-629). “The central question that we wanted to deduce and answer is whether a local steroid injection might potentially reduce the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, which relies upon a robust and potent immune response that primes the body to fight the virus,” lead author Krishnan Chakravarthy, MD, PhD, an assistant clinical professor of anesthesiology at the University of California, San Diego, told Pain Medicine News.

Steroid Injection Therapy Does Not Compromise Covid-19 Vaccine Efficacy, New Guideline Suggests

31 Jul, 2022
The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) issued a new set of recommendations to guide clinicians in the safe and appropriate use of steroid injections for pain management in patients who are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (J Pain Res 2021;14:623-629). “The central question that we wanted to deduce and answer is whether a local steroid injection might potentially reduce the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, which relies upon a robust and potent immune response that primes the body to fight the virus,” lead author Krishnan Chakravarthy, MD, PhD, an assistant clinical professor of anesthesiology at the University of California, San Diego, told Pain Medicine News.

Interventional Pain Procedures Can Reduce Office Visits, May Increase Functionality

31 Jul, 2022
Patients who did not receive interventional pain procedures at an office clinic subsequently had 37% more office visits and 139% greater use of opioid prescription medications, according to a new retrospective study. Fewer office visits could correlate with patients achieving greater functionality, as well as possibly reducing opioid prescriptions and other health care utilization, said lead researcher Ryan Jacobs, MD, a pain fellow at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, in Chicago. “These are improvements we have anecdotally noticed in our clinic,” Jacobs said. “However, prior to our study, these improvements have not been actually quantified.
Show More
Share by: