SAMe Relieves Arthritic Pain

Category: Aging , Conditions of the Bone , Dietary Supplements

The randomized double-blind, cross-over study, published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2004, vol. 5, no, 1), found that supplementary SAMe is as effective as the drug, Celebrex, in relieving arthritic knee pain. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, administered a daily dose of 1,200mg of SAMEe or 200mg of Celebrex for 16 weeks to participants with osteoarthritis of the knees. Sixty-one osteoarthritic participants were enrolled in this study and 56 completed it. The scientists tested pain, functional health, mood status, isometric joint function tests, and side effects.

Researchers found that after one month of treatment, the Celebrex participants showed more reduction in pain that the SAMe group. However, after two months of treatment, there was no significant difference between both groups. "SAMe has a slower onset of action but is as effective as celecoxib in the management of symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Longer studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of SAMe and the optimal dose to be used," the study authors conclude.

Posted by Kristopher Foster on January 30, 2006 11:59 AM