Turmeric and osteoarthritis case presentation A healthy, 55-year-old man presents with a 1-year history of bilateral knee discomfort.
Turmeric and osteoarthritis case presentation A healthy, 55-year-old man presents with a 1-year history of bilateral knee discomfort. He mostly gets mild stiffness in the mornings, pain with stairs and pain after getting up from a seated position. He did have plain radiographs showing mild patellofemoral degenerative changes.
The patient has interest in alternative medicines due to his wife suffering a GI bleed from NSAIDs. His friend told him about turmeric. Which of the following options best describes turmeric?
Works to decrease COX-2, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes B. Works to increase 5-HT receptors C. Does not have a clear mechanism of action D.
Works to increase Na-K-2Cl receptors introduction Although many sports medicine providers do prefer to deal with sports injuries, a good portion of practices involve managing patients with osteoarthritis (OA) . There is a very high societal cost that comes with OA and the management can vary among providers and patient expectations and preferences may also be different. With no approved disease-modifying drugs available for knee OA, current pharmacological treatment options are limited to analgesics, intra-articular injectates such as corticosteroids, PRP, viscosupplementation, stem cells, and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
While these medications have only a mild-to-moderate effect size for pain relief, they are associated with gastrointestinal, renal, and cardiovascular complications and are often contraindicated in patients with comorbidities. The global demand for a safe and effective therapeutic option for OA have refocused the interest from conventional drugs to complementary and alternative medicines. This post serves to discuss the up to date data for using turmeric to treat osteoarthritis.
If you are experiencing symptoms that may be related to turmeric and osteoarthritis, it is important to see a sports medicine physician. Early evaluation and treatment typically lead to better outcomes. Do not ignore pain or symptoms that are limiting your activity.
*This article is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider.*
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