Most Arthritis therapies 'ineffective'
 Powder made from the 'velvet' on antlers was tested |
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.
Two thirds of treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and a fifth of treatments for osteoarthritis were found to be ineffective by the researchers.
The Arthritis Research Campaign said it wanted people who used the therapies to know what evidence was available.
 |  The message is not 'don't take them'  Professor Alan Silman, Arthritis Research Campaign |
Rheumatoid arthritis, the most common kind, is caused by inflammation of the lining (synovium) of the joints.
Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of protective tissue called cartilage in the joints. Inflammation results when the unprotected bones of the joint begin to rub together.
It most commonly affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine.
In total, 60% of people with arthritis are thought to use some form of complementary medicine.
Antler velvet
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.(please check out a detailed scientific data regarding this that will be posted in the next few days).
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 £10 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.
Side effects
The researchers also examined how safe compounds were.
One - thunder god vine, a traditional Chinese medicine - was given a "red" classification, meaning there were serious safety concerns.
A quarter of the compounds were given an "amber" safety classification, because there were some reported side-effects.
The team said they were unable to evaluate the effectiveness of 36 therapies, including basil, green tea, sarsaparilla and St John's Wort because there was insufficient data.
Professor Gary Macfarlane, from the University of Aberdeen, said while different things worked for different people, "it is useful to also have the scientific evidence available and just as important to know how safe we think they are to use."
Professor Alan Silman, the Arthritis Research Campaign's medical director, added: "We didn't start this saying this was our opportunity to knock complementary medicines.
"The message is not 'don't take them'. The message is 'if you are going to take them, be aware of what the level of evidence is'."
Dr Peter Fisher, clinical director of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, said the report focused on tablets and preparations applied to the skin, missing out therapies such as acupuncture and osteopathy.
"I think what really comes across in this report is how sorely under-researched this area is," he said.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7875192.stm)
A second similar article
by Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor (Telegraph)
Little evidence complementary medicines work for arthritis: research
Complementary medicines used by millions of arthritis sufferers have been called into question as research finds little evidence to support their use.
Two thirds of complementary medicines used for rheumatoid arthritis and one fifth of those used for osteoarthritis were found to have little or no effect based on available evidence, the Arthritis Research Campaign said.
There are around 400,000 people in the UK are living with rheumatoid arthritis which is where the body attacks itself and causes inflammation in the joints.
Around eight million people, mostly the elderly, have some degree of osteoarthritis, where the cartilage between the joints becomes damaged.
Experts from ARC looked at the evidence for commonly used complementary medicines from randomised controlled trials and gave each a score from one to five with five being the most effective at improving pain, general wellbeing and movement.
Almost half of people turn to complementary medicine at some point in their lives, spending over £450 million a year on acupuncture, chiropractic, homoeopathy, hypnotherapy, medical herbalism and osteopathy, the report said.
People with arthritis and similar conditions are particularly attracted to the medicines, with 60 per cent of sufferers admitting they have tried or use a variety of products.
Professor Alan Silman, the Arthritis Research Campaign's medical director, said: "Complementary medicines are widely used by people with arthritis as they seek to avoid taking potentially harmful drugs, preferring natural products. However, natural does not mean they are either safe – or effective. Many people spend hundreds of pounds on these products and they need to know that there is a strong chance of benefit."
For people with rheumatoid arthritis, the medicines researched scored poorly, with 13 out of 21 complementary medicines (62%) scoring just 1 point.
Fish body oil - which is derived from the tissues of fatty fish like sardines, sprat, salmon, and mackerel - scored a maximum 5 for effectiveness among people with rheumatoid arthritis.
It also received a "green light" for safety, according to the study.
For people with osteoarthritis, the therapies fared better, with only six out of 27 (22%) scoring 1 point.
A therapy called phytodolor and the nutritional supplement S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), both received a 4 for effectiveness.
Capsaicin gel, made from chilli peppers, proved the most effective, scoring the full 5 points.
Glucosamine - one of the most widely taken products - worked in some trials but not others.
The report found that the evidence is stronger for glucosamine sulphate (which scored 3) compared with glucosamine hydrochloride (which scored 1).
Only four products were assessed for fibromyalgia but none of them were highly effective, with three medicines scoring 2 out of 5, and the fourth scoring 1.
:: According to new research in the USA, middle-aged women who take multivitamin pills to guard against heart disease and cancer may be wasting their time.
The Women's Health Initiative, whose findings are published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, conducted the largest study of its kind among post-menopausal women and found that multivitamins have no effect on the risk of either killer illness - or the overall chances of dying.
Study leader Professor Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, who tested almost 162,000 women aged 50 to 79, said: "Based on our results, if you fall into the category of the women described here, and you do in fact have an adequate diet, there really is no reason to take a multivitamin."
Osteoarthritis:
Capsaicin gel - 5
Phytodolor - 4
SAMe - 4
Chondroitin - 3
Devil's claw - 3
Ginger - 3
Glucosamine sulphate - 3
Green-lipped mussel - 3
Indian frankincense - 3
Pine bark extracts - 3
Rosehip - 3
SKI 06X - 3
Articulin-F - 2
Cetylated fatty acids (CFAs) - 2
Chondroitin - 2
Collagen - 2
Duhuo Jisheng Wan (DJW) - 2
Gitadyl - 2
MSM - 2
Vitamins A,C,E (anti-oxidant vitamins) - 2
Vitamins D & B complex (non-anti-oxidant vitamins) - 2
Willow bark - 2
Eazmov - 1
Fish liver oil - 1
Glucosamine hydrochloride - 1
Homeopathy - 1
Reumalex - 1
Stinging nettle - 1
Rheumatoid arthritis:
Fish body oil - 5
Borage seed oil - 3
Evening primrose oil (EPO) - 3
Thunder god vine - 3
Biqi capsule - 2
Cannabis oral spray 2
Cat's claw - 2
SKI 06X - 2
Antler velvet - 1
Blackcurrant seed oil - 1
Collagen - 1
Eazmov - 1
Feverfew - 1
Flaxseed oil - 1
Green-lipped mussel - 1
Homeopathy - 1
Reumalex - 1
Selenium - 1
Tong luo kai bi - 1
Vitamins A,C,E (anti-oxidant vitamins) - 1
Willow bark - 1
Fibromyalgia:
Capsaicin gel - 2
Homeopathy - 2
SAMe - 2
Anthocyanidins - 1
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/alternativemedicine/4571134/Little-evidence-complementary-medicines-work-for-arthritis-research.html)
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