Joint Pain Paracetamol does not help with osteoarthritis

Joint pain: Paracetamol does not help against osteoarthritis
Around five million Germans have osteoarthritis. Most hands, knees and hips are affected by the painful joint disease. Many patients resort to acetaminophen to make the symptoms more bearable. In a new study it has now been found that you can not relieve arthritis pain with this remedy.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease
According to the German Arthrose-Hilfe in Frankfurt, osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease. Around five million people in Germany are affected. The pain caused by joint wear and tear is often unbearable. Although osteoarthritis may be the better choice in many cases, patients tend to be sparing and take painkillers. Common here is the handle to paracetamol. The low-cost and over-the-counter drug is considered to be well tolerated and is used to treat numerous ailments such as headaches or fever. However, it does not work against the pain of osteoarthritis patients, as researchers in Switzerland have now discovered.

Painkillers do not seem to be effective. Image: underdogstudios - fotolia

Paracetamol does not relieve the symptoms in osteoarthritis patients
According to a study by scientists at the University of Bern, the suffering of osteoarthritis patients can not be relieved with the painkiller acetaminophen. As the published in the journal "The Lancet" Meta-study shows, help the commonly prescribed drug for joint disease neither to fight the pain nor to improve the physical capabilities of patients. The study compared 22 treatment options for osteoarthritis: different dosages of paracetamol and seven anti-inflammatory drugs. Data from nearly 60,000 patients from studies published between 1980 and 2015 were evaluated.

Most effective remedy because of side effects no longer take
According to the researchers, so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most effective. These could not be prescribed for a long time because of their side effects. "Because of this, paracetamol is often preferred to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to deal with long-term pain," said study author Sven Trelle from the University of Bern in a statement from the news agency AFP. "Our results show that regardless of dosage, paracetamol is not effective in relieving arthritis-induced pain."

Treatment options for osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis causes inflammation of the joints that can swell, hurt, and lose their mobility. Almost ten percent of men and 18 percent of women over the age of 60 are affected by the disease. In the acute case, it's about knowing what's really helping those affected. Health experts often advise on pain medications or heat or cold applications. But naturopathy relieves osteoarthritis pain and stiffness. These include, among others, devil's claw and nettle extract. In addition, osteoarthritis treatment options of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and methods such as acupuncture, cupping, or Qi Gong are. The diet also plays an important role. You should not eat meat and cheese in case of arthrosis. Last but not least, those affected will usually lose weight, especially if they are overweight or obese. (Ad)