Herbal treatment for osteoarthritis: a pilot study investigating outcomes

Objective

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate patient outcomes following herbal treatment for osteoarthritis.

Materials and methods

Patients with osteoarthritis were recruited to the study and asked to attend appointments on four occasions. Treatment was given as a herbal formulation with topical treatment given to all patients and a sleep mixture given to those who needed it. Outcome was measured using the SF-36 Health Profile and MYMOP, completed at each visit. Add-on questions requested additional information.

Semi-structured interviews were carried out with some patients and practitioners.

Results

A total of 61 patients took part in the study, with 71% (44) attending all four appointments at the clinic (mean age 63 years; range: 38–89 years). Of the volunteers participating in the study, 90% reported that they had been suffering from osteoarthritis for more than 2 years.

A significant change was found over the 12 weeks of the study in two of the eight health domains measured by the SF-36. Mean score for bodily pain was found to improve between week 1 and week 12 (P < 0.01; Wilcoxon signed-rank, matched pairs test). A significant change was also found for general health, with improvement over the 12 weeks of the study (P < 0.05; Wilcoxon signed-rank, matched pairs test). Results also suggest improvements in mean MYMOP scores for symptom 1 and well-being over the 12 weeks of the trial (P < 0.01; Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test).

Conclusion

These preliminary results suggest that the herbal treatment for osteoarthritis provided during this study does appear to benefit patients.