Osteoarthritis (OA) has no cure but herbal remedies can help. The knee is a complex creation and when arthritis occurs in the knee it can affect cartilage, ligaments, underlying bone and even the lining of the joint. About 13% of women and 10% of men aged 60 years and older have symptomatic knee OA.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has been difficult to treat because of long-term side effects of standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Herbal anti-inflammatories have shown to be safe and effective to provide joint relief of knee pain. Herbal extracts of Boswellia, Ginger, and Turmeric in supplement form should be considered.

The highly regarded, active compound Curcumin, found in Turmeric, has both anti-inflammatory and bone-protective effects, and doctors wanted to see if it could reduce OA symptoms.

In a recent pilot study, 19 people with OA of the knee took 500 mg of a curcumin preparation three times per day while 21 similar people with knee OA took a placebo. After six weeks, those taking curcumin had much greater improvement in physical function and less pain, and reduced the need for Naproxen by 84 percent compared to 19 percent for placebo, without side effects.