From telegraph.co.uk
By Luisa Metcalfe
Experts reveal which complementary treatments can help reduce pain and ease flare-ups – and which may be a waste of your money
If you’re one of the estimated 10 million people in the UK living with the agony of osteoarthritis (OA), chances are you’ve already veered from the traditional NHS trinity of recommended remedies – weight loss, ibuprofen and exercise – in search of alternative relief from your knee, hip or hand pain.
In a 2024 survey by Arthritis UK, 87 per cent of people with arthritis said they had used some form of complementary medicine to manage their symptoms, with 61 per cent saying they had taken supplements and 26 per cent saying they had tried herbal medicine. The 2,800 respondents included both people living with OA, the chronic condition where the protective cartilage in a joint wears away, and people with inflammatory arthritis, which includes the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Many remedies for one form of arthritis can be helpful for others too. “There are lots of treatments available for inflammatory arthritis because you can target the autoimmune system,” says Dr Julekha Wajed, a consultant rheumatologist at Kingston Hospital.
“What’s interesting is that with ultrasound and MRI scans, we can see that some people with osteoarthritis also have inflammatory changes.”
With a new study indicating that taking prebiotics could be beneficial, we ask the experts which complementary remedies could help reduce the pain and stiffness of OA or ease RA flare-ups – and which may be a waste of your time and money.
The more promising treatments…
1. Prebiotics
Gut health might well be the foundation of good health: A diverse microbiome is linked with a strong immune system, low inflammation and a healthy heart.
In a study carried out at the University of Nottingham, a daily supplement of inulin – a prebiotic fibre found in Jerusalem artichokes and onions – was found to significantly reduce pain in people with osteoarthritis.
The inulin feeds “good” gut bacteria, leading to the production of short-chain fatty acids that play a role in inflammation and pain pathways in the body.
A fibre-rich Mediterranean diet can also help people with RA. “Pro- and prebiotics are good for gut health,” says Wajed. “If you improve your gut health, it improves your inflammation levels, and that, in theory, improves inflammatory arthritis.”
2. Turmeric
Turmeric isn’t just key for some of the world’s most delicious meals but is also a powerful anti-inflammatory thanks to its active ingredient, curcumin, which can be taken in powder or capsule form.
“There are various double-blinded, randomised controlled trials that show high-bioavailability curcumin is associated with improved pain scores and improves joint mobility and function for both hand and knee OA,” says Wajed.
Applying curcumin in a gel directly on the joint might also help, according to an Australian study of patients with knee OA.
3. Hot and cold therapy
If you need a reprieve from painful joints, a hot water bottle can help. Hampshire GP James Hubbard explains: “Heat increases blood supply to the joint, which then increases your range of movement, which in turn reduces pain. When you have better use of your joint you can maintain it for longer.”
Wajed adds: “For people with pain and stiffness and low-grade aching pain, heat bags and pads may give a gentle relief. However, if you have a hot swollen joint from a flare, you need to put cold on the painful area. Use a gel pack or bag of peas from the freezer rather than cold gels or sprays. Apply for five minutes to reduce the inflammation.”
4. Capsaicin
You may not be a fan of spicy food, but capsaicin, the active compound in chilli peppers, could help with your osteoarthritis joint pain.
“It’s recommended as an alternative to anti-inflammatory cream,” says Wajed.
NHS advice is to apply a pea-sized amount of prescription-only capsaicin cream to your joints up to four times a day to block the pain messages being transmitted to the affected area.
5. Specialist pro-resolving mediators (SPMs)
The Mediterranean diet is the gold-standard dietary pattern for a long, healthy life, and at its heart are omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as sardines and salmon and in nuts. “Omega-3 lowers levels of inflammatory cytokines, known as TNF, IL-17 and IL-6 that we see in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and this reduces the inflammatory response,” explains Wajed, who recommends omega-3 supplements for both RA and OA.
A supplement derived from omega-3 fatty acids is now offering hope for those with OA. “Specialist pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) help calm low-grade systemic inflammation and support the body in switching it off,” says VJ Hamilton, a registered nutritionist who founded the Autoimmune Nutrition Clinic.
Patients with knee osteoarthritis taking SPMs for 12 weeks as part of a Spanish double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study showed “reduced pain” and an “improved quality of life”.
6. Meditation
Taking a few moments each day to clear your mind could have a dramatic impact on your arthritis. “Meditation has changed my life,” says Emily Johnson, 32, who wrote Beat Arthritis Naturally and shares tips for managing her pain and symptoms of inflammatory seronegative arthritis on Instagram as Arthritis Foodie. She says it is a powerful way to reduce stress, which can affect the immune system and inflammation.
Her experience is backed by research, including a 2020 Chinese meta-analysis of six randomised control trials that found that mindfulness meditation was associated with reduced pain intensity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Tens machine
A handheld device delivering small electric shocks will be familiar to many women who have used it to take the edge off during labour, but a Tens (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine could help ease both OA-related and RA-related discomfort.
It’s thought to work by encouraging the body to release natural painkillers and to stop the pain messages at the affected area from reaching the brain.
In the Arthritis UK survey, 63 per cent of Tens machine users reported that the device eased back pain.
Osteopath Nadia Alibhai, the director of the west London clinic Back 2 Well, says, “Tens machines can bring quite a bit of relief, particularly with my older patients who aren’t very mobile.”
8. Hydrotherapy
Getting into water can provide instant relief for OA and RA sufferers, with hydrotherapy being the highest-rated physical therapy in the Arthritis UK survey, where 77 per cent of respondents found it effective.
Unlike strenuous aqua-aerobics, hydrotherapy involves performing special movements in a heated pool.
“The resistance from the water helps strengthen muscles, and you’re also working on your balance at the same time,” Alibhai says, “which is so important for osteoarthritis.”
A 2022 review by Brazilian researchers found that people with RA who took part in “aquatic exercise” had “significantly improved” disease activity and improved physical function.
9. Cinnamon
Don’t just save cinnamon for your apple crumbles – the spice might help with pain relief year-round for women with rheumatoid arthritis.
A small randomised, double-blind clinical trial published in 2018 found that women taking four capsules of 500mg of cinnamon powder daily for eight weeks had reduced levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein and less tender, swollen joints than women who took a placebo.
10. Wax bath therapy
Wearing a warm glove of wax is the go-to treatment for many people with OA in their hands. According to a 2023 review, paraffin bath therapy “significantly reduced” pain scores and improved grip and pinch strength.
At-home wax baths are available to purchase at high street chemists or online, and the NHS advises users to dip their hands into wax, no hotter than 51.7 degrees Celsius, to coat the skin.
11. Epsom salts
Soaking in a bath full of Epsom salts (a natural mineral compound, magnesium sulphate) has been recommended for centuries as a treatment for joint pain, and a small 2025 study that gave 32 people Epsom salt baths for seven days suggests our forbears may have been on to something.
“Epsom salts reduce pain and improve the activity of daily living,” the researchers concluded. Hubbard adds, “Soaking in a bath helps with muscles and soreness and a warm bath can also improve sleep, which is often disrupted by joint pain.”
…and the treatments that may be more of a gamble
1. Rose hip
Nutrient-dense rose hip is a popular supplement for the treatment of osteoarthritis, and many people who take it swear by it.
Gopo Joint Health supplements, which contain the active compound glycoside of mono and diglycerol, found in the rose hip Rosa canina, are a popular choice with sufferers.
Containing polyphenols and anthocyanins believed to ease joint inflammation and prevent joint damage, rose hip is also high in the antioxidant vitamin C, which can protect the body from harmful free radicals.
Arthritis UK, however, says that rose hip “may modestly ease osteoarthritis symptoms” but that “more high-quality trials are needed”, while Wajed says: “Evidence is limited, but I do recommend trying it and using it if it helps.
2. CBD rub
Trendy cannabidiol oil, popularly known as CBD, has soared in popularity for its calming properties, as well as offering pain relief and reduced anxiety. Found in marijuana, but without the chemicals found in the drug that make users feel “high”, it’s also been touted as a treatment for painful arthritic joints.
In 2024, Canadian researchers conducting a review of the literature around using cannabidiol as a topical treatment for “management of acute inflammatory pain”, found that it showed “great promise” but that work remained to be done to ensure “tangible clinical benefits”.
3. At-home red light therapy
The skincare trend embracing anti-ageing red light masks shows no signs of slowing down. Now the same technology – photobiomodulation (PBM), which includes red light therapy – is becoming increasingly popular for tackling aches and pains.
“Red light is known to be anti-inflammatory, healing, and it stimulates collagen,” says Alibhai. “A lot of people use it for their joints for that anti-inflammatory effect.”
But while a recent review said red light had “potential” as an “effective and non-invasive arthritis treatment”, it also said further research was needed on the effects of different wavelength ranges, dosage and treatment duration.
Red light devices such as panels, mats and knee wraps, which are available in stores and across the internet, and cost up to £549, are potentially an expensive mistake.
5. Collagen
Already in demand as an anti-ageing skin supplement, collagen is becoming increasingly popular with arthritis sufferers hoping to rebuild and support the cartilage in their joints. But the key lies in choosing the right kind.
Type II collagen, which is naturally in cartilage, has been found to offer small improvements in pain and stiffness for people with knee OA. Hamilton also says it may help with RA by reducing the body’s autoimmune response from attacking joint cartilage.
She also advises trying hydrolysed collagen, a different form that has been broken down into easy-to-absorb amino acid chains called peptides. Wajed’s verdict: “I weakly recommend it. Perhaps try it for three months – if it works for you, great. If not, don’t waste your money.”
5. Glucosamine
A natural compound found in healthy cartilage and joint fluid, glucosamine is among the most popular health supplements taken by people hoping not just to relieve joint pain but also to prevent joint disease.
When it comes to osteoarthritis, however, Arthritis UK says glucosamine’s benefits “are uncertain and generally modest”, while Wajed adds: “There isn’t strong evidence for glucosamine, but going on my patients’ anecdotal experience, it can help with pain management and improved function, so might be worth trying.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/conditions/bones-joints/arthritis-remedies-best-worst/
No comments:
Post a Comment