Open AccessEfficacy of Curcuma for Treatment of Osteoarthritis
Author(s) -
Kimberly Perkins,
William Sahy,
Robert D. Beckett
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2156-5872
pISSN - 2156-5899
DOI - 10.1177/2156587216636747
Subject(s) - curcuma , osteoarthritis , medicine , clinical trial , placebo , nonsteroidal , physical therapy , alternative medicine , traditional medicine , pathology
The objective of this review is to identify, summarize, and evaluate clinical trials to determine the efficacy of curcuma in the treatment of osteoarthritis. A literature search for interventional studies assessing efficacy of curcuma was performed, resulting in 8 clinical trials. Studies have investigated the effect of curcuma on pain, stiffness, and functionality in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Curcuma-containing products consistently demonstrated statistically significant improvement in osteoarthritis-related endpoints compared with placebo, with one exception. When compared with active control, curcuma-containing products were similar to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and potentially to glucosamine. While statistical significant differences in outcomes were reported in a majority of studies, the small magnitude of effect and presence of major study limitations hinder application of these results. Further rigorous studies are needed prior to recommending curcuma as an effective alternative therapy for knee osteoarthritis.