Have you read the below study on Meriva®? While medication use does not directly fall under the scope of a physical therapist’s practice, it’s important to remember, we often have patients asking us about certain drugs or homeopathic remedies they should or could be taking. Due to the side effects of NSAIDS many patients are not able to use traditional pharmacological methods to fully control the pain of OA. This article discusses alternative and natural anti-inflammatory agents that a patient can take. If your patient is complaining of OA pain and side effects from their current drug regime, you can pass this along for them to discuss with their physician.
Abstract
In a previous three-month study of Meriva®, a proprietary curcumin-phosphatidylcholine phytosome complex, decreased joint pain and improvement in joint function were observed in 50 osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Since OA is a chronic condition requiring prolonged treatment, the long-term efficacy and safety of Meriva were investigated in a longer (eight months) study involving 100 OA patients. The clinical end points (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities [WOMAC] score, Karnofsky Performance Scale Index, and treadmill walking performance) were complemented by the evaluation of a series of inflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-1b, IL-6, soluble CD40 ligand [sCD40L], soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM)-1, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]). This represents the most ambitious attempt, to date, to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of curcumin as an anti-inflammatory agent. Significant improvements of both the clinical and biochemical end points were observed for Meriva compared to the control group. This, coupled with an excellent tolerability, suggests that Meriva is worth considering for the long-term complementary management of osteoarthritis.
(Altern Med Rev2010;15(4):337-344)
Article shared by NAIOMT Instructor Stacy Soappman, PT, DSc, COMT, FAAOMPT
Join Stacy and other NAIOMT faculty and mentors for one of these upcoming manual therapy courses.
naiomt.me 