December 6, 2004 – Three recent studies are looking at ways to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. If the effectiveness of acupuncture seems to be clearer, that of heat and glucosamine are called into question.
Acupuncture. About half of a group of 97 people received weekly acupuncture sessions for three months, while the other half received “placebo” treatments at the same frequency and for the same duration. All of the participants continued to take an anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, throughout the study. Acupuncture, as an adjunct to this medication, has been shown to be effective in relieving symptoms such as stiffness, joint function, and pain in general. The patients who benefited from the treatment also reduced the doses of drugs taken during this study carried out in Spain.1.
The heat. A study aimed to determine if a therapeutic sleeve specially designed to retain heat could help reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee more effectively than a simple cotton sleeve2. According to the preliminary results of this one-month pilot study, conducted among 52 individuals, it could be so. Participants who wore the special sleeve reported a 16% reduction in pain compared to 9.7% for those who wore the cotton sleeve. However, the difference was not statistically significant, according to the authors who believe that the improvement felt could be attributable to the placebo effect.
Glucosamine. In 205 people with osteoarthritis of the knee, a study showed that glucosamine, taken for 12 weeks at a rate of 1.5 g per day, failed to reduce stiffness or improve joint function more effectively than would do a placebo3. Although some clinical trials have given negative results, it should be noted that glucosamine has been the subject of several meta-analyzes and reviews concluding that it is effective in relieving pain associated with minor or moderate osteoarthritis.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters
1. Vas J, Mendez C, Perea-Milla E, et al, Acupuncture as a complementary therapy to the pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: randomized controlled trial, British Medical Journal, November 20, 2004, Vol. 329, No. 7476, 1216. Epub 2004 Oct 19.
2. Mazzuca SA, Page MC, et al, Pilot study of the effects of a heat-retaining knee sleeve on joint pain, stiffness, and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, Arthritis Rheum, October 15, 2004, VOl. 51, No. 5, 716-21.
3. McAlindon T, Formica M, LaValley M, Lehmer M, Kabbara K, Effectiveness of glucosamine for symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: results from an internet-based randomized double-blind controlled trial, Am J Med. 1er November 2004, Vol. 117, No. 9, 643-9.
