Miracle Cure for Arthritis – Should You Believe in It? Complete Guide

Some reminders about osteoarthritis and joint pain in humans

Osteoarthritis is a very common rheumatic disease. It can affect any joint where there is synovial fluid. Most often (in order):

• knee,
• hip,
• spine,
• hand and fingers (see also: difficulty bending fingers in the morning?),
• shoulders,
• elbows,
• ankle.

Knee osteoarthritis is the most common. Although more than 80% of people over 80 years old may have knee osteoarthritis, some people may have knee osteoarthritis without joint pain or discomfort.

Overall, about 40 to 80% of people with osteoarthritis experience pain or discomfort, while for others, the disease is asymptomatic.

The characteristics of osteoarthritis include:

• damage to the articular cartilage and subchondral bone,
• presence of osteophytes,
• narrowing of the joint space,
• subchondral sclerosis, subchondral cysts, or chondrocalcinosis.

These are the somewhat complicated words you may find on your X-ray report. But this is of little importance in choosing the most appropriate treatment.

The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are:

• intermittent pain associated with joint use, which can become chronic and occur at rest and during the night;
• typical joint stiffness that can cause difficulty in moving after a period of rest;
• knee cracking or deep crepitus during joint movements;
• limited range of motion;
• swelling of the affected joint.

Osteoarthritis often leads to difficulty walking, climbing stairs, and doing household chores in people aged 50 and older.

But some people with osteoarthritis may not necessarily experience increasing pain over time, regardless of the activities they undertake.

The list of often proposed miracle cures for osteoarthritis

There is truly an almost endless list of so-called natural remedies or grandmother’s remedies suggested for relieving osteoarthritis pain, and even repairing and curing cartilage.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of miracle remedies (or grandmother’s recipes) often suggested for relieving or curing osteoarthritis:

• herbal tea;
• green clay poultice;
• tiger balm;
• essential oil;
• CBD oil for osteoarthritis;
• Chinese remedy;
• dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin or devil’s claw;
• alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and osteopathy;
• homeopathic treatment;
• creams, gels, and lotions containing ingredients such as capsaicin, arnica, and peppermint oil;
• antioxidant-rich diet or anti-inflammatory foods;
• platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

A common feature of all these often suggested solutions: they are very easy to implement. They require little to no effort; it’s about swallowing something or applying/getting something applied (product, manual therapy) on the painful joint, and that’s it.

Hence the name “miracle” remedy: a miracle where they would provide maximum effectiveness with minimal effort and risk of side effects… Something, of course, that we are all attracted to, but which should nevertheless arouse our critical thinking.

My goal with this article is to help you sort through: is it reasonable to expect effectiveness from these various remedies for osteoarthritis? Which ones are most likely to work?

How to know if something proposed as a miracle remedy for osteoarthritis really works?

I will now examine the different methods available to determine the effectiveness of a treatment, whether it be a medication or a “natural” solution.

Testimonials

Testimonials are often the first thing we come across, whether through word of mouth, on television, or on the Internet. However, there are several issues with testimonials.

Firstly, it’s difficult to know if the person used other treatments alongside or before using the miracle remedy in question. Additionally, we don’t know if the person’s issues and expectations were similar to ours.

Osteoarthritis symptoms are not constant and can vary from day to day. Therefore, it’s challenging to determine based on a single testimonial whether the treatment was truly effective for a specific symptom, or if the pain or other symptom simply fluctuated or naturally regressed.

Furthermore, there is a selection bias in testimonials:

• Companies selling a product or solution will highlight positive testimonials more (the same goes for intermediaries who earn money by referring to these products),
• while highly satisfied or dissatisfied patients are more likely to testify than those who were indifferent to the natural remedy.

How to decide to give more weight to positive testimony rather than negative?

For all these reasons, I personally try to give limited importance to testimonials, whether for remedies against osteoarthritis or anything else.

Opinions of professionals and experts

Some people spend dozens of hours each week helping those suffering from osteoarthritis, whether they are physiotherapists, doctors, surgeons, or other healthcare professionals.

Others work in research laboratories to study the physiology of osteoarthritis or the progression of symptoms in people with osteoarthritis.

These professionals have therefore acquired a certain expertise in this field.

It is reasonable to think that their opinion is probably more reliable than that of an average person, who is less likely to encounter people with osteoarthritis.

However, it is important to ensure that:

• they are truly experts specifically in osteoarthritis,
• and that they do not express views discredited by the majority of other experts in the field.

If one has limited confidence in a few testimonials or the words of a single expert, what can one turn to? Scientific publications are there to address this limitation.

Scientific Studies on Osteoarthritis

Fortunately, there are a tremendous number of scientific publications on osteoarthritis. To date, there are over 150,000!

With over 10,000 new studies published each year, many of which focus on treatments and natural remedies.

Because yes, even “natural” treatments are studied and subject to scientific evaluations and publications.

The publication system also has its limitations and flaws. However, with scientific publications, their authors are required to at least:

• dedicate a lot of time to think about the subject;
• formulate hypotheses;
• assess whether they hold up against our knowledge in biology and other fields;
• submit their findings to other experts who can point out weaknesses.

I will now present the results of studies’ syntheses published specifically on osteoarthritis. And I will give you my opinion as a physiotherapist on the “remedies” most likely to be effective against certain symptoms.

What do studies say about osteoarthritis and these miracle cures?

When there are many studies on a subject, research teams conduct what are called “systematic reviews” or “meta-analyses.” They select the highest-quality studies and draw conclusions on treatments with the best benefit-risk ratio.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international association particularly skilled at this. It is known for being extremely rigorous in its approach.

In October 2022, it published a synthesis precisely on the subject that interests us: the effectiveness of everything often labeled as a “miracle cure”!

Why did Cochrane take an interest in “miracle cures” for osteoarthritis?

Cochrane started from the observation of international recommendations on osteoarthritis management. They state that the main effective non-pharmacological solution is physical exercise (I will come back to this).

Cochrane also notes that people bothered by their osteoarthritis are often advised to use other things to alleviate their symptoms, in addition to exercise.

Therefore, it sought to find out if all the other solutions often suggested for knee and hip osteoarthritis really bring something more than just physical exercise alone.

Are there many studies on “miracle cures” for osteoarthritis?

Yes, there are indeed many studies on what is often labeled as a “miracle cure.” Here is a (non-exhaustive!) list of those tested specifically against osteoarthritis:

• dietary interventions: dietary supplements, diets, consumption of certain foods; numerous manual therapies;
• herbal supplements in capsule form, herbal teas;
• pelotherapy (application of medicinal mud); applications of creams, balms, poultices;
• homeopathy;
• bandages, kinesiotaping;
• whole-body vibrations;
• CBD;
• essential oils; etc., etc.

However, some studies are very poorly conducted, and nothing credible can be drawn from them. Cochrane has therefore selected those of better quality (although they are not perfect).

In total, the results of 60 studies were analyzed, involving more than 6,500 people suffering from osteoarthritis.

Which “miracle cures” are more effective for osteoarthritis, beyond a placebo effect?

The Cochrane research team compared the evolution of pain in two groups of people with osteoarthritis:

• those who exercised and also took a “miracle cure”;
• those who exercised and also took a placebo (when possible), or nothing.

The pain before and after treatment for these two groups was similar. It had decreased slightly after treatment, but in the same proportions whether there was a placebo, a “miracle cure,” or nothing else.

And what about other discomforts related to osteoarthritis? Three other things were sufficiently studied to say something about them:

• structural changes in the joint measured by X-ray: did the cartilage, the joint change?
• Capabilities: can people do certain things better?
• Quality of life: are people more satisfied with their daily lives?

And again, the same result: “miracle cures” do not bring anything more significantly, on average. In the days, weeks, and 6 months following treatments.

On the other hand, 13% of the studies (8/60) reported adverse effects (but they do not seem more frequent when there are natural treatments in addition to exercise alone).

Should we be disappointed by these results? Does this mean that there is absolutely nothing to be done about osteoarthritis, that we are condemned to let things evolve this way?

Not in my opinion.

So now I’ll give you my more personal opinion: how I interpret the results of these studies, and what you can do concretely to maximize your chances of feeling better.

The 60 best-done studies on miracle cures for osteoarthritis (other than physical exercise) show no significant effect on pain, joint function, discomfort, or quality of life.

My opinion as a physiotherapist on miracle cures for osteoarthritis

Passive natural solutions for osteoarthritis, such as applying poultices or consuming foods rich in antioxidants, are not effective beyond what one might expect from a placebo.

However, there is still an effective “natural” solution! It’s physical exercise. It’s even the best natural anti-inflammatory for osteoarthritis.

So that’s what I recommend as a priority to my patients. But let’s see:

• what type of exercise;
• how often, how intense; and what specific results to expect.
• Does it really hurt less?
• Can it preserve cartilage a bit?

What type of physical exercise?

Here are the positive types of physical exercise for osteoarthritis:

• Functional and aerobic training sessions (walking, cycling);
• Muscle strengthening; With simple exercises lying down or standing without equipment, such as squats, sit-to-stand, elastic bands, or sometimes weights or weight machines;
• Individually supervised or provided during a class (it can also be done independently if you feel competent);
• Or Tai Chi / Qigong (which are actually a specific type of muscle strengthening exercises, simply put!).

In principle, walking alone on flat ground at a gentle pace without getting out of breath, or stationary biking “without pushing too hard” are not sufficient against osteoarthritis if they do not involve a minimum sensation of effort and breathlessness, continuously.

The goal is to perform exercises, movements that slightly challenge the muscles and the heart.

The amount of exercise is also important:

• Sessions of 20 to 60 minutes;
• 2 to 3 times a week (or 1 to 5 times);
• For 1 to 6 months.

What effects on pain and cartilage?

Here are the concrete results obtained by individuals who regularly engage in physical exercise compared to those who do not.

Symptom	People who exercised	People who did not exercise
Pain	0 (no pain)	100 (maximum pain)
	32/100	44/100
Functional capacity	0 (maximum capacity)	100 (no capacity)
	28/100	38/100
Quality of life	0 (worst possible)	100 (best possible)
	47/100	43/100
Side effects	Increase in knee, hip, or back pain reported in 8 studies out of 60 (but not in all participants)	None reported

By engaging in regular physical exercise, you will likely experience (slightly) less pain, better functional abilities, and improved quality of life compared to if you did not exercise.

As you can see, we are talking about a modest effect. Essentially, an improvement of 10% (provided you are not among the rare individuals for whom it increases pain). It may seem like a small benefit, I admit.

But it is the best option we have to offer today. By far, physical exercise is the number one intervention (natural or otherwise) in terms of effectiveness. For other interventions, at best, even weaker effects should be expected.

How does physical exercise benefit?

In individuals with osteoarthritis, improving muscle strength is one of the main objectives of exercise, as weakness is common.

A strength training regimen at a sufficient dosage can address muscle weakness by improving muscle mass and/or recruitment. Pain should be taken into account and may present an obstacle leading to underdosing.

Improving lower limb strength can:

• Reduce stress on the knee, hip, and ankle
• Alleviate pain
• Enhance physical fitness
• Decrease the load rate on the joint or localized stress on the articular cartilage.

Poor physical fitness is another deficiency reported in individuals with osteoarthritis.

Aerobic exercise (e.g., walking, cycling) at a sufficient intensity increases oxidative enzymes and muscle capillarization, thereby enhancing peak oxygen uptake. Greater oxygen uptake is inversely related to morbidity and mortality and makes every daily task easier (in terms of effort).

Thus, improved physical fitness can enhance quality of life by enabling a broader range of daily tasks, thereby improving physical function.

Physical exercise also benefits other components of physical and mental health: you achieve multiple benefits with one action.

Conclusion: What can be done effectively against osteoarthritis?

Here’s what I tell my patients today who are looking for a miracle cure for osteoarthritis:

The miracle cure that is most likely to provide you with an improvement in your pain and make your daily movements easier is exercise.

Take the time, at least 3 times a week, to engage in physical activity for 20 to 30 minutes that leaves you slightly breathless and engages your legs. Of course, adapt the activity according to your desires and abilities.

Do it progressively, so that it does not increase the pain (or very slightly, if it improves within a few hours).

Don’t expect a phenomenal improvement.

But pain can also fade on its own, or never worsen, no matter what you do! And you can benefit from the other health benefits of exercise on physical and mental health.

In general, my patients often ask me for my opinion on ointments to apply or on herbs or dietary supplements available in pharmacies. Depending on how they formulate their question, I respond to them more or less detailed.

I tell them that I completely understand why they would want to turn to this type of solution, as it is very easy to implement. But to date, we cannot expect effectiveness to prevent osteoarthritis from worsening. And if there is any effect on pain, it will be weak, and probably more related to the placebo effect.

Of course, the final decision belongs to the person who is bothered by their osteoarthritis (you!), based on the information that resonates most with you!

And I know that by writing a simple article on the subject, no matter how detailed it may be, you will not stop considering a miracle solution for osteoarthritis. Our brain is too fond of this type of solution, even if deep down we are convinced it does not exist!

I simply wanted to expose you to this information at least once, so that you can make use of it as you see fit!