Arthritis

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in four adults in the U.S. suffer from arthritis. Homeopathic physicians have been successfully treating patients with arthritis for more than 200 years. A number of international researchers have also formally investigated the homeopathic treatment of patients with this problem.

Here, we review a small sample of those studies.

In an older study of patients with fibrositis, researchers found that homeopathic remedies were more effective than placebo. (P. Fisher, A. Greenwood, E.C. Huskisson, et al.: Effect of Homoeopathic Treatment on Fibrositis , British Medical Journal, August 5, 1989, 299:365-66).

In another study, homeopathic medicines were shown to be more effective than acetaminophen. In this double-blind study, the research team sought to determine the relative efficacy of homeopathic medicines compared to acetaminophen for treating pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) among 65 patients. Results of the study documented better pain relief in the homeopathic group (55% achieved measured relief from homeopathy compared to 38% from acetaminophen); however, the superiority of this treatment, compared with the acetaminophen group, did not reach statistical significance. The investigators conclude that homeopathic medicines for pain in OA patients appear to be safe and at least as effective as acetaminophen and are without its potential adverse effects, including compromise to both liver and kidney function. (C. N. Shealy, MD, R.P. Thomlinson, V. Borgmeyer: Osteoarthritic Pain: A Comparison of Homeopathy and Acetaminophen , American Journal of Pain Management, 1998;8:89-91)

In a randomized controlled trial comparing topical piroxicam gel (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)) with a homeopathic gel in osteoarthritis of the knee, one hundred and eighty-four out-patients with radiographically confirmed symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee were entered into a pragmatic, randomized, double-blind controlled trial and treated with 1 gram of gel three times daily for 4 weeks. The research team found that the homeopathic gel was at least as effective and as well tolerated as the NSAID gel. (Van Haselen RA, Fisher PA. A randomized controlled trial comparing topical piroxicam gel with a homeopathic gel in osteoarthritis of the knee. Rheumatology, 2000, Jul, 39, 7, 714-9.)

Another study published in the journal Advances in Therapy examined the use of Arnica gel in osteoarthritis of the knee. Here, an open multicenter trial investigated the safety and efficacy of an Arnica montana gel, applied twice daily, in 26 men and 53 women with mild to moderate osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. After 3 and 6 weeks, significant decreases in median total scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were evident in the intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations (both P < .0001). Scores on the pain, stiffness, and function subscales also showed significant reductions at these time points. The overall local adverse-event rate of 7.6% included only one allergic reaction. Sixty-nine patients (87%) rated the tolerability of the gel as “good” or “fairly good,” and 76% would use it again. (Kneusel O, Weber M, Suter A. Arnica montana Gel in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: an open, multicenter clinical trial. Advanced Therapies, 2002, Sep-Oct, 19, 5, 209-18.)

In 2006, a study was published in the journal Explore that examined the molecular and clinical effect of the homeopathic anti-arthritic preparation Zeel. The research team reviewed in-vitro studies showing Zeel-mediated inhibition of the pathways involving the enzymes cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, and also the 5-lipoxygenase pathways, affecting levels of both eicosanoids and leukotrienes. They concluded that Zeel may reduce the main two classes of molecules responsible for arthritic pain and inflammation. (Anderson, K. (2006). “A complex homeopathic preparation for the treatment of osteoarthritis.” Explore 2(3): 234.)

Another earlier study found that Zeel is as effective as the COX 2 inhibitors celecoxib and rofecoxib and is significantly better tolerated for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. (Birnesser H, Klein P, Weiser M. A Modern Homeopathic Mediation Works as well as COX2 Inhibitors for Treating Osteoarthritis of the Knee. Der Allgemeinarzt 2003; 25(4): 261-264.)

A large French study found that patients with musculoskeletal disorders seen by homeopathic physicians showed a similar clinical progression compared to those receiving conventional care despite using fewer NSAIDs. NSAID-related adverse events were also significantly reduced with no loss of therapeutic opportunity. (Rossignol M, Begaud B, Engel P, et al. Impact of physician preferences for homeopathic or conventional medicines on patients with musculoskeletal disorders: results from the EPI3-MSD cohort. Pharmacopepidemiol Drug 2012 Saf2012;21:1093-101.)

Indian researchers recently published a double-blind, randomized controlled trial comparing individualized homeopathic medicine versus placebo in knee and hip osteoarthritis pain management. The team found that individualized homeopathic treatment can improve the pain in the knee and hip of patients with osteoarthritis while also improving patient quality of life. (Khadim, A., et al., Individualised homoeopathic medicine versus placebo in the pain management of knee and hip osteoarthritis: A double-blind, randomised controlled trial. Indian Journal of Research in Homeopathy.  Vol. 17. Issue 3. 2023)

A similar trial in 2023 found that the action of individualized homeopathic medicines were superior to that of placebos in treating knee osteoarthritis. (Bhattacharyya SS., et al, Individualized Homeopathic Medicines in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Feasibility Trial. Homeopathy. 2023)

The overall conclusion of these studies is that homeopathic medicines offer distinct advantages in the treatment of arthritis without the downsides of conventional medications.