Most complementary arthritis remedies are 'ineffective'

The study was carried out by the Arthritis Research Foundation in the UK and looked at the scientific evidence available for 40 different treatments. Researchers found that two thirds of the remedies for rheumatoid arthritis and a fifth of the treatments for osteoarthritis were ineffective.

About 60% of people with various forms of arthritis are thought to use complementary therapies.

The researchers looked at compounds taken by the mouth or applied to the skin.
Effectiveness is measured by improvements in pain, movement or general well-being.

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.

The 13 were: antler velvet powder, blackcurrant seed oil, collagen, eazmov (a herbal mixture), feverfew (herb), flaxseed oil, green-lipped mussels, homeopathy, reumalex herbal mixture, selenium, the Chinese herb tong luo kai bi, vitamins A, C and E, and willow bark.

However, fish body oil was given five out of five in the report, for being effective in reducing joint pain and stiffness.

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

Capsaicin gel, made from chilli peppers, proved most effective in relieving pain and joint tenderness.

But the effectiveness of glucosamine, a popular supplement used by people with OA which costs around R150 a month, which researchers have previously said was ineffective, again called into question.

For fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain in muscles and joints, only four products were assessed, none were found to be highly effective with three medicines scoring two out of five, and the fourth just one.

Researchers also looked at side effects of these treatments and found that one Chines traditional medicine had serious side effects and that at least a quarter of all the compounds examined had some side effects.