Arthritis therapies 'ineffective'

[Heidi]

Source: BBC News

Most complementary therapies used by people with rheumatoid arthritis are not effective, a study has suggested.

The Arthritis Research Campaign looked at the scientific evidence available for 40 treatments.

<snip>

When the researchers examined treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, they found 13 out of 21 complementary medicines were shown to have no or little effect based on the available evidence.

<snip>

In addition, six out of 27 treatments for osteoarthritis were shown to have little or no effect based on the available evidence

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7875192.stm

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ETA: Headline is misleading, in my opinion, but it's an interesting study.

[stellanoir]

1. I've never tried this before

but I received it in an e-mail entitled "home remedies" a few months ago from a dear friend . . .

"Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... it's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl! and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain."

One could make a real mess by slathering themselves.

[Heidi]

2. My mother-in-law has something like that. She slathers it on her knee,

covers it with plastic, and then wraps it with an Ace bandage. I'm not sure whether it's the warmth of the mixture, or something in the oats, but she believes it relieves the arthritic pain that she's had for years.

[zipplewrath]

10. It's called moist heat

The moisture aids in the transmission of the heat into the skin more effeciently. Ben Gay and some sports creams are basically this concept, heat aided by a compound to conduct the heat into the skin. Wrapping it can help the heat stay in the compound longer.

[Dr.Phool]

9. Wait until it cools down first.

[greenman3610]

3. you'd think the news would be, SOME of them ARE effective

my advice for joint pain, as an orthopedic nurse who's been there:

google this: prolotherapy, Koop

[Vinca]

4. I'd love to find something that isn't a deadly chemical that would work.

The Aleve took the edge off, but I stopped it because I think I've got an ulcer from it. (No health insurance, so no official diagnosis.) I've taken glucosamine chondroitin for several years and it has helped me. When I went off it once - believing the naysayers - I could tell the difference within days. Most notably, if I roll my shoulders without the glucosamin, it sounds like Rice Krispies. When I'm taking the glucosamin the crackling of bones is gone which leads to the conclusion there is some joint lubrication going on.

[Heidi]

7. That's exactly

how my mother-in-law's knee sounds when she bends/extends her leg. Her problems started with a ski injury when she was 17 and she's since had three surgeries on her left knee, and two on her right. She's scheduled for full knee-replacement surgery this spring. I hope it works. She's an extremely dynamic woman at 72 but when she's in pain, it adds 20 years to her whole approach to life. :(

[boomerbust]

5. IMO

Some of the osteoporosis meds are suspect also.

[mucifer]

6. The article only mentions alternative meds, not steroids or enbrel or stuff

most docs prescribe. The title should be "alternative therapies" not "therapies".

[Rhiannon12866]

8. My doctor used DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide) to treat arthritis patients.

He gave it to me for chronic pain back in the '90s, but it seemed to be more effective in treating arthritis. More people have heard of it used topically, but my MD gave it via IV, pharmaceutical grade, sent away for it. I once sat next to an 87-year-old man in my doctor's office, said he'd been unable to sleep due to arthritis pain, but after IV DMSO treatments, said he felt so much better that he planned to go waterskiing when he went to Florida that year... Never knew if he actually did, LOL. ;)

Dr. Stanley Jacob was the one who pioneered its widespread use, appeared on "60 Minutes" with Mike Wallace in 1980, was looking for the transcript. I actually talked to Dr. Jacob over the phone in Oregon, looking for arthritis treatment for my grandmother in NC, since my doctor was doing so well with it, but its use isn't that widespread, even now. :-(

The thing about DMSO is that it's impossible to do a double blind study, since the patient gets a fishy taste (I did) and the doctor and everybody else can smell it (my mother said I smelled like garbage... :eyes:) Also, it's relatively inexpensive, so it's not profitable for the pharmaceutical companies, though it is used more widely and effectively in other countries, remembering Japan being one of them... :-)

Just thought you might be interested... :hi:

DMSO: Many Uses, Much Controversy
http://www.dmso.org/articles/information/muir.htm

[nebenaube]

12. considering the fact that it is a solvent

I'm sure you did smell like garbage since you were essentially flushing toxins in interstitial fluid out through your pores.

[karynnj]

11. The study is interesting and like you said, the headline is misleading

To me the headline could have pointed to the result that fish oil, which is safe, was seen to be very effective. As there are few studies on natural products, it is nice to see the results. If I had rheumatoid arthritis - the take away would be that fish oil might be a good thing to add to see if it helps - not that 13 other things had little or no effect.

[Danchi]

13. Alternative Therapies

No mainstream medical study will ever demonstrate Alternative Therapies work. It is not in their best interest financially. Most mainstream studies of alternatives therapies & medicine are designed to fail so I don't put any faith in them. Anyone who has taken a statists class in college knows you can create a study to say exactly what you want it to say. The main problem with Alternative Therapies or treatments is finding the correct dosage or treatment. In the case of Arthritis, there are effective treatments. MSM or Methylsulfonylmethane also known as dimethyl sulfone, an organosulfur compound is a very effective treatment. The effective treatment is 6,000 mg daily. Add to this regiment Avocado-Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU) a natural product that has been in Europe for over 20 years and you've got a power combination. Saponifiable is a chemical term used to describe a substance that can be mixed with lye to form soap. Saponifiable oils, mixed with lye are the basis of almost all soap products we use. Unsaponifiable oil fractions cannot form soap and, like other “good” fats, have special health benefits when ingested. The avocado portion of ASU has special properties of its own.

From Dr. Theo's website:
ASU has been shown to improve joint health by stimulating the production of new cartilage while reducing the breakdown of existing cartilage. This applies to both major cartilage components: the collagen component that provides the framework and the large proteoglycan molecules that give cartilage its shock absorbing and friction-free properties. Unlike other substances that can stimulate collagen production, ASU causes cartilage cells to produce the four types of collagen for the joint cartilage in the exact same proportion as is found in normal, healthy joint cartilage.

In addition, ASU decreases pain, inflammation and the need for pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, in the majority of users. This alone is a major reason to use ASU. But the news is even better. The safety data on ASU is spectacular, far superior to the (often dangerous) pain relievers and NSAIDs. Unlike other supplements or drug treatments for osteoarthritis, ASU apparently works even better in those who have more severe cartilage loss. ASU appears to benefit cartilage even in those who do not have any noticeable change in their symptoms. This is similar to calcium supplements helping with bone mineral density without affecting a persons symptoms (you can't feel calcium helping your bones, for instance). As a result, people should consider staying on ASU supplements even if they require additional pain relievers.

Dr. Theo's prices are high but a similar product put out by Maximum International - Avocado 300 Soy Unsaponifiables is $18.00 a bottle through Lucky Vitamin. Add to this glucosamine and chondroitin and you're on your way to healing. You should also take a good anti-inflammatory such as, Nattokinase,Serrapeptase or Wobenzym. The benefits of Nattokinase & Serrapeptase is these product work systemically on a whole range of health concerns. Do some research. These are outstanding products.

Unfortunately with Alternative Therapies there is no one pill fixs all. Alternative Therapies take patience and time. Yes, some money but once your health issues resolve themselves you move to a maintenance dose. A great place to buy supplements is Puritans Pride which is running a buy 2 get 3 free sale until March.

[uppityperson]

14. Welcome back. eom

[Warpy]

15. A distinction has to be made between the two types of arthritis

Osteoarthritis is the arthritis of overuse and aging. It features the breakdown of cartilage in the joints with progressive bone on bone pain. Joint replacement is the cure, but some alternative therapies like glucosamine and chondroitin have been shown to prolong the period before joint replacement becomes necessary.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a completely different animal, an autoimmune disease that destroys joints from inflammation. Glucosamine and chondroitin have no effect on rheumatoid arthritis because they do nothing for the underlying inflammation. That's where big pill comes in and it's vital to treat the inflammation and moderate the immune system in order to preserve joint function for as long as possible.

The only alternative therapies I know that work for rheumatoid arthritis are all in the exercise family, from hydrotherapy to Yoga.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

16. Ginger

I had a slip and fall accident and shattered my knee. The first two years after reconstruction were horrible and I was pretty much getting by on ketoprofen and Percocet--and still hobbling with a cane. (Asked my orthopod if that wasn't a bit much and he declared that I looked fine, but if I preferred something less strong, he could give me hydrocodone, instead. Yikes.) To compound my problem, my good leg was compensating for the bad one and at that point, both knees were starting to sound like a gravel road when I bent them. Started taking glucosamine-chondroitin-MSM and did see a big decrease in the crepitus, but what really turned things around was when I started taking ginger capsules every day. After about five weeks, I suddenly realized that my swelling was almost gone (it was comparable in size and shape to a hot dog bun horizontally under my kneecap) and I wasn't taking the hard-core antiinflammatory or the pain meds anymore. My knees are still shot, but as long as I don't slack on the supplements, I still have no pain or swelling.

I'm not sure why ginger isn't promoted for its antiinflammatory effects, except that you can't slap a name brand on it and make a fortune for Big Pharma.