Written By: GreenMedInfo Research Group

Suffering from the pain and inflammation of knee osteoarthritis? NSAIDs, Tylenol and other pain relievers aren't your only option. Research confirms herbal formulations, including turmeric, may work just as well, with fewer side effects

If you struggle with pain from knee osteoarthritis, natural herbal extracts, including turmeric, may work as well as common drug treatments.[i],[ii] Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition that leads to pain and stiffness in the joints, often the knees.

Among people aged 60 and over, up to 15% have some degree of osteoarthritis, and it's estimated that by 2050, 130 million people will be affected by osteoarthritis worldwide, 40 million of them severely enough to become disabled.[iii]

Medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly offered to relieve the pain and inflammation of knee osteoarthritis, but they're not the only options. Three studies highlight turmeric's effectiveness for relieving knee osteoarthritis pain and inflammation as well as drugs, and in some cases even better.

What's especially exciting about turmeric's potential for this condition is that it offers synergistic support for human health. At our turmeric research database, you can find 904 diseases that turmeric may benefit, while also exploring its impressive 281 known pharmacological actions that influence health and well-being.

Three Studies Showing Turmeric's Potential for Knee Osteoarthritis

1. Turmeric Extract Reduces Inflammation as Well as NSAIDs

NSAIDs, such as naproxen (Aleve), are commonly prescribed for knee osteoarthritis due to their anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. But NSAIDs may cause stomach problems, including ulcers, inflammation of the stomach lining and bleeding, which can be serious. Further, NSAIDs inhibit the synthesis of cartilage matrix, which may increase damage in osteoarthritis patients.[iv]

"Therefore," researchers wrote in Phytotherapy Research, "many researchers are looking for new therapies to reduce side effects, focusing on herbal formulations that are generally more tolerable than synthetic medications."[v] They tested an herbal formulation against naproxen for chronic knee osteoarthritis. The herbal remedy included:

• Turmeric extract -- Curcumin, an active ingredient in the spice turmeric, is a potent antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
• Black pepper -- Piperine, an alkaloid in black pepper, also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.[vi] It's also known to increase the bioavailability and absorption of curcumin.[vii]
• Ginger -- Gingerols in ginger may reduce inflammation and help relieve pain in osteoarthritis.

This combination was chosen, specifically, due to the ability of piperine and gingerol to "potentially enhance and sustain the effect of curcumin … in protecting the joints against destructive factors."[viii] For the study, 60 patients with knee osteoarthritis received either the herbal combination or naproxen daily for four weeks.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a marker of inflammation, was evaluated and found to decrease significantly in both groups. There was no significant difference between the herbal or drug groups. The researchers concluded:[ix]

"Daily consumption of turmeric extract, black pepper, and ginger for 1 month may lead to improvement of inflammation in patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis, similar to the effect of Naproxen capsule; so prepared herbal formulation with lower adverse effects can be administered as a safer alternative to chemical drugs."

2. Turmeric Extract as Effective as Tylenol

Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen (Tylenol), is commonly used as a first-line treatment for osteoarthritis. But Tylenol, despite its reputation as a safe pain reliever, is a leading cause of liver failure[x] as well as other risks, like dulled emotions. In a study of people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), 71 patients received bioavailable turmeric extract while 73 received acetaminophen.[xi]

After six weeks, the turmeric extract was found to be as effective as acetaminophen in reducing pain and other symptoms, while turmeric was more effective than the drug in reducing C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), two measures of inflammation. Further, there were less adverse events in the turmeric group (5.48%) compared to the acetaminophen group (12.68%).

"The results clearly indicate that bioavailable turmeric extract is as effective as paracetamol in improving the physical functions and alleviating pain and stiffness of patients suffering from knee OA," the researchers explained. "CRP and TNF-α were significantly reduced in knee OA patients with bioavailable turmeric extract over a period of 6 weeks and found to be safe."[xii]

3. Turmeric Similar to NSAIDs for Knee OA Pain and Function

A systematic review published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine showed that turmeric therapy led to improvements in pain and function in all 10 studies evaluated.[xiii]

Three of the studies compared turmeric to NSAIDs, and no differences in outcome were noted, meaning turmeric worked as well as the drugs for relieving pain and improving physical function in people with knee osteoarthritis. The researchers noted that, based on their results, turmeric "may be a beneficial addition to our current treatment regimen" for knee osteoarthritis.

The latest research builds on past evidence that turmeric extract puts drugs for knee osteoarthritis to shame. If you're looking for an effective remedy, but want to avoid the significant risks of NSAIDs and other common pain relievers, turmeric may deserve a spot in your medicine chest.

More Natural Options for Knee Osteoarthritis

What else works for supporting knee osteoarthritis naturally? We've compiled 75 natural substances for knee osteoarthritis at our research database. Turmeric and curcumin are among them, but there are many other options to explore, including:

Frankincense

Glucosamine

Blueberry

Garlic

Hyaluronic acid

Vitamin D

Pomegranate

Green tea

More than two dozen therapeutic actions are also included that may help, such as:

Laser treatment

Acupuncture

Balneotherapy

Tai chi

Massage

Ozone therapy

Aromatherapy

Mud therapy

These natural remedies and actions may be welcome news if you're among the millions of people struggling with knee osteoarthritis who believe drugs are the only option. Feel free to hop on GreenMedInfo.com and explore our full database indexing nature's evidence-based pharmacy now.

©  April 4th 2023 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here //www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.