By Dr. Sean Wells, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, Cert DN
Could Combining Supplements Help Your Knee Arthritis? Many physical therapists and even our own clients know the standard supplement for arthritis has been glucosamine. But what if you combined other supplements together: could you get a bigger impact and would it be safe? A new study is out that looks at combining supplements and their effects on physical therapy-specific measures like pain, range of motion (ROM), and function in those with knee arthritis.
The recent article published by Mineretti et al in the open-access journal Cureus focused on chondro-protective supplements. These compounds protect the cartilage of a joint. There were 51 subjects in all, divided into three groups:
- The first group received a control (sugar pill).
- The second group took a combined supplement called Syalox, which contains 300 mg of hyaluronic acid combined with 100 mg of boswellia.
- The third group received glucosamine chondroitin sulfate and curcumin.
Results from the study showed that combining supplements like hyaluronic acid, boswellia, glucosamine, and curcumin had significant benefits for knee arthritis patients. The combination supplements improved pain and functionality, with a 25-degree increase in range of motion. This demonstrates a meaningful and clinically significant improvement in daily activities such as walking and climbing stairs.
By incorporating these supplements into your physical therapy plan, including dry needling and other PT techniques, you can maximize range of motion, strength, and function.
If you or a loved one is struggling with arthritis, give us a call, and we can get you started on our arthritis treatment protocol today! Call us at: 904-568-1156
