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Review
. 2017 Jan;22(1):156-165.
doi: 10.1177/2156587216636747. Epub 2016 Mar 14.

Efficacy of Curcuma for Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Kimberly Perkins  1 , William Sahy  1 , Robert D Beckett  2
Affiliations
Review

Efficacy of Curcuma for Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Kimberly Perkins et al. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: curcuma; dietary supplements; osteoarthritis; turmeric.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Studies that were identified through title and abstract review during the literature search, reasons for exclusion, and the ultimate number of studies included in the review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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