| If you are suffering from arthritis knee pain, like | | | | month of pycnogenol supplementation with continued |
| millions of people worldwide, there are a variety of | | | | improvement up to three months. Volunteers in this |
| natural treatments that can safely help relieve your | | | | study experienced pain reductions of 40.3 percent. |
| pain. | | | | Glucosomine and Chondroitin |
| Arthritis pain is generally caused by inflammation of | | | | Many people give anectodal reports of these |
| the joint, so pain relief is achieved by reducing the | | | | supplements helping with their joint pain. But what |
| inflammation. Medical treatments usually rely on | | | | does science say? A large 2005 study overseen by |
| anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), however, | | | | the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the |
| undesirable side effects have been linked to these | | | | combination of glucosomine and chondroitin sulfate is |
| drugs. In 2006, the FDA issued health warnings about | | | | effective in treating moderate to severe arthritis |
| anti-inflammatory drugs such as Celebrex. | | | | knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. The study |
| What are some natural alternatives that will ease | | | | involved 1,258 individuals who had been suffering |
| your arthritis knee pain? | | | | from osteoarthritis for an average of 10 years. |
| Bromelain - a Pineapple extract | | | | Researchers determined that individuals who received |
| Bromelain is an enzyme extracted from the fruit and | | | | 1,200mg of chondroitin sulfate and 1,500mg of |
| stem of the pineapple with demonstrated | | | | glucosamine reported 25 percent less pain that |
| anti-inflammatory properties. In 2000, researchers | | | | individuals who received a placebo and 10 percent |
| conducted a study with 73 patients diagnosed with | | | | less pain than those given the drugs Celecoxib |
| arthritis in the knee joint. For 3 weeks, patients were | | | | Celebrex. |
| given a treatment that included bromelain, trypsin and | | | | MSM or Methylsulfonylmethane |
| rutin and were not allowed to take other | | | | Here is another supplement that is often taken in |
| anti-inflammatory or pain relief medications. At the | | | | combination with glucosomine and chondroitin. A small |
| end of the three weeks, patients reported a | | | | 12-week clinical trial conducted in Arizona and |
| reduction in acute arthritis knee pain. | | | | published in 2006 showed that MSM reduced |
| Tart Cherries | | | | osteoarthritis knee pain and improved function. In this |
| Consuming tart cherries is a tasty way to combat | | | | randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled research |
| arthritis knee pain. You can eat dried tart cherries, | | | | project, participants had mild to moderate arthritis |
| tart cherry juice or take tart cherry supplements. | | | | knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Individuals either |
| Two recent studies have pointed to tart cherries as | | | | received 3,000mg of MSM twice a day or a placebo. |
| a natural treatment for arthritis. In 2008, researchers | | | | Clinical evaluations after 12 weeks showed the group |
| from the University of Michigan released finding from | | | | given MSM had significant pain reductions and less |
| an animal study that found that tart cherries reduce | | | | difficulty with tasks related to daily living. Researchers |
| inflammation-- a key to reducing arthritis pain. And in | | | | reported no significant adverse reactions among |
| March 2009, Texas-based Baylor Research Institute | | | | participants. |
| reported that tart cherry supplements brought relief | | | | Boswellia Herbal Supplement |
| for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. More | | | | The Boswellia serrata tree grows in India and is also |
| than half of the patients enrolled in this human pilot | | | | referred to as Shallaki, frankincense or salai guggul. |
| study experienced significant improvement in pain and | | | | The tree bark's gummy resin contains |
| function after taking tart cherry supplements for | | | | anti-inflammatory properties that have been used for |
| eight weeks. | | | | thousands of years to treat pain and inflammatory |
| Pine Bark extract - Pycnogenol | | | | conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and |
| Another natural option for controlling arthritis knee | | | | osteoarthritis. Researchers have validated the |
| pain is pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from | | | | anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of |
| the bark of the French maritime pine tree, pinus | | | | Boswellia. A study published in 2003 involved 30 |
| maritima. Two recent studies looked at pycnogenol | | | | patients with arthritis knee pain caused by |
| and its effect on osteoarthritis. The first study | | | | osteoarthritis. Half of the individuals received 333 mg |
| published in 2007 was a double-blind research project | | | | of Boswellia and the other half received a placebo for |
| that involved 35 volunteers with arthritis knee pain. | | | | a period of eight weeks. Subjects given Boswellia |
| Participants who received pycnogenol for three | | | | reported decreased arthritis knee pain, greater knee |
| months reported their pain levels dropped 43 percent | | | | flexibility, decreased swelling in the knee joint and |
| and stiffness decreased by 35 percent. Another | | | | could walk longer distances, while the group given the |
| study with 100 human volunteers published in 2008 | | | | placebo did not report improvements. |
| had similar findings, but also concluded that the | | | | As you can see, arthritis sufferers are not limited to |
| therapeutic benefit of pycnogenol on osteoarthritis | | | | prescriptions and over-the-counter painkillers to treat |
| knee pain continued even two weeks after | | | | their joint pain. My hope is that one of these natural |
| supplementation ended. In this research project, | | | | arthritis pain relief treatments will work for your |
| improvement in knee pain was noticed after one | | | | arthritis knee pain. |