Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with Ayurveda – A randomized controlled trial

Osteoarthritis of the knee (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by pain and limited mobility. This study investigates the efficacy of Ayurvedic treatment compared to conventional therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Method

In this multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial, 151 participants were recruited and assigned to either Ayurvedic or conventional therapy. The treatment duration was 12 weeks, with a total of 15 treatment sessions. The Ayurvedic treatment included:

Manual therapies and massages, adapted to individual needs

Nutritional counseling based on Ayurvedic principles

Yogaraja Guggulu and Ashvagandha to relieve joint pain

Yoga exercises for knee joints

Daily self-massage

Conventional therapy was based on physiotherapy, muscle strengthening, weight reduction and, if necessary, pain medication.

Results

The results showed significant improvements in the Ayurvedic group compared to conventional therapy:

WOMAC index: improvement of 61 points in the Ayurvedic group compared to 32 points in the conventional group.

Pain relief: Decrease in pain intensity by 12.8 points in the Ayurveda group compared to 6.7 points in the conventional group.

Functional improvement: Reduction of functional limitations by 42 points in the Ayurveda group compared to 22 points in the conventional group.

Rescue medication: 19% of Ayurveda patients required pain medication compared to 81% of the conventional group.

Ayurvedic treatment showed a significantly greater improvement in the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee compared to conventional therapy. The effects were sustained for up to 12 months after the end of treatment. Future studies are needed to further investigate the long-term effects and specific components of Ayurvedic treatment.