Turmeric has been shown to provide effective pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits. When applied directly on osteoarthritic knee joints, turmeric acts as an analgesic and provides significant pain relief.
A randomized clinical study, including 139 participants, was carried out to compare the efficacy of curcumin with diclofenac as an anti-inflammatory treatment for treating knee osteoarthritis.
Some participants were prescribed a 500-mg capsule of curcumin three times daily and another participant received two 50mg tablets of diclofenac twice a day for 28 days.
Assessments were carried out at baseline and on days 7, 14 and 28 of use of curcumin. After 14 and 28 days, participants experiencing pain relief showed similar outcomes in participants taking diclofenac medication.
Curcumin proved equally effective to diclofenac in treating knee osteoarthritis pain relief.
Participants demonstrated greater tolerability toward curcumin than diclofenac, making it an attractive treatment option for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis who cannot take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Studies show turmeric to be more effective than placebo for alleviating knee osteoarthritis pain in individuals.
Researchers conducted a 12-week trial involving 70 participants with osteoarthritis of the knee to investigate whether turmeric could reduce pain and swelling. Participants received either 100 mg daily of either turmeric or placebo for 12 weeks to evaluate any effects it might have had.
Evaluations were carried out after 12 weeks of treatment using questionnaires, MRI scans and other measures such as tests. These measures assessed changes in pain swelling volume, cartilage composition, quality of life levels, physical performance levels as well as tracking any pain medications taken as well as adverse events that might have arisen during this period.
After 12 weeks, it was observed that individuals taking turmeric supplements experienced less pain compared to individuals in the placebo group without experiencing adverse side effects or needing less analgesics than participants given placebos. Furthermore, people in the turmeric group consumed significantly fewer analgesics compared to participants given placebos.
