Turmeric May Help Relieve Pain from Knee Osteoarthritis

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Extract of the Curcuma longa plant, commonly known as turmeric, may help relieve knee pain in adults with osteoarthritis (OA), according to a small randomized trial in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Curcumin, the plant's main component, has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

Seventy adults with painful knee OA and ultrasound-defined effusion–synovitis were randomized to receive Curcuma longa capsules (two daily totaling 1000 mg) or placebo for 12 weeks. One primary outcome — change in knee pain by the end of treatment — significantly favored the Curcuma longa group (mean reduction of 24 mm vs. 15 mm on a 100-mm visual analog scale). However, the second primary outcome — change in effusion–synovitis volume on MRI — did not differ significantly between the groups. There were no differences in the incidence of adverse events.

The authors note that the reduction in pain, while statistically significant, was modest. They call for larger, longer-term studies to assess the effects of Curcuma longa in inflammatory knee OA.