Osteoarthritis

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Nearly half of all Americans older than 60 develop osteoarthritis and most people older than 80 will develop it. The percentage of people with osteoarthritis in Canada is even higher. But joints don't just wear out with age. Researchers now recognize that several factors lead to the development of osteoarthritis rather than one single factor. These are:

• biological factors
• age
• joint damage by injury
• joint damage by chronic obesity
• heredity

Conventional treatment for OA, designed to relieve symptoms, includes the use of hot soaks, warm paraffin applications, heating pads, and joint support devices. Medications for pain relief include acetaminophen [e.g., Tylenol®], nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (e.g., diclofenac [Voltaren®], etodolac [Lodine®], ibuprofen [Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®], indomethicin [Indocin®], and others). Topical applications with cream containing capsaicin (Zostrix®) may also be used for local pain relief.

Diet & Lifestyle

• Warmbrand Diet: A diet free of meat, poultry, dairy, chemicals, sugar, eggs, and processed foods has been used for people with OA with some reported success.
• Avoid nightshade vegetables: Solanine, a substance found in tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers (except black pepper), and eggplant, may aggravate OA. Elimination of nightshade vegetables is recommended by some doctors, but researchers have never put this diet to a strict clinical test.
• Allergies: Older reports suggest a possible link between food reactions and worsening of OA symptoms.
• Obesity: Weight loss may reduce pain levels.

Key Herbs & Nutritional Supplements

• Chondroitin sulfate (CS): Most studies have used 400 mg two to three times per day. CS reduces pain, increases joint mobility, and promotes healing within joints of people with OA.
• Glucosamine sulfate (GS): Most research trials use 500 mg GS taken three times per day. GS has significantly reduced symptoms of OA in many studies.
• S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe): Most studies used 1,200 mg per day. Lower amounts of SAMe (400-600 mg per day) have also proven effective.
• Niacinamide (not Niacin): 250 to 500 mg four to six times per day.
• Vitamin E: Supplementing with 400-600 IU of vitamin E per day has reduced symptoms of OA in several studies.
• Cayenne: (topical application of cayenne creams containing 0.025-0.075% capsaicin) Capsaicin, the "burning" substance in cayenne creams, has been used topically to relieve pain from OA.

Other herbs & supplements that may be helpful

• New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus): lipid extract 210 mg per day; freeze-dried powder 1150 mg per day.
• DMSO: Topical; under a doctor's supervision only.
• Cetyl myristoleate (CMO): 540 mg per day orally for 30 days.
• Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens): Devil's claw extract was found in one clinical trial to reduce pain associated with OA as effectively as the slow-acting analgesic/cartilage-protective drug diacerhein, however both are slow-acting and there was no placebo group included for comparison.
• Ginger (Zingiber officinale): Ginger has historically been used for arthritis and rheumatism. Both a preliminary trial and a more recent double-blind trial found ginger extract (170 mg three times a day for three weeks) to be slightly more effective than a placebo.
• Nettle (Urtica dioica): Stinging nettle has historically been used for joint pain. Topical application with the intent of causing stings to relieve joint pain has been found to be safe and effective for relieving the pain of OA.
• White willow (Salix alba) (100 mg of the active ingredient, salicin, per day): White willow has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. Although the analgesic actions of willow are typically slow-acting, they tend to last longer than aspirin.

Studies