If you suffer with osteoarthritis in your hands, here’s some good news from FACTS (Finger osteoArthritis Chondroitin Treatment Study).  Researchers report that daily supplementation with chondroitin sulfate is both safe and effective in reducing hand pain and improving function in hand osteoarthritis.

In the six-month placebo-controlled, double-blind study, the 80 patients who took 800 mg daily of chondroitin had significantly greater reduction in hand pain compared with 82 patients who took placebo. There’s more good news: chondroitin also was significantly better at improving morning stiffness. Patients who took chondroitin did not, however, see a significant improvement in grip strength compared with placebo. Read more »»

Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are launching a groundbreaking new project to investigate the benefits of broccoli in the fight against osteoarthritis.

Initial laboratory research at UEA has found that a compound in broccoli called sulforaphane blocks the enzymes that cause joint destruction in osteoarthritis – the most common form of arthritis.

Broccoli has previously been associated with reduced cancer risk but this is the first major study into its effects on joint health.

With funding from both Arthritis Research UK and the Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC), the £650,000 project will explore how sulforaphane may act to slow or prevent the development of osteoarthritis. It will prepare the way for the first patient trials and could lead to safe new ways of preventing and treating this painful disease. Read more »»

As reported in the LA Times this morning, a recent study found that flip-flops and flat shoes relieved arthritic knees whereas clogs and stability shoes actually put more stress on knees.

In a study that evaluated the force or “load” on arthritic knees while wearing clogs, athletic shoes with stability features, flat walking shoes, flip-flops, and going barefoot, the flat and flexible shoes won out, says study lead author Najia Shakoor, MD, an associate professor of internal medicine at Rush Medical College and an attending physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Read more »»