Alternative Therapies for Osteoarthritis: What's Really Effective?
Alternative Therapies for Osteoarthritis: What's Really Effective?
Experts look at the pros and cons of alternative arthritis therapies.
Many alternative remedies -- such as copper bracelets or magnets -- may not have much, if any, scientific evidence to back them up or disprove them. Indeed, Kerry Ludlam, a spokeswoman for the Arthritis Foundation, reports that there is a lack of research both for and against the usefulness of alternative therapies.
"There's a void of information," she says. Since many of the alternative therapies cited for the relief of arthritis are considered harmless (other than perhaps to your pocketbook), many doctors say that if you want to try them, go ahead.
Pisetsky agrees."There is no clear evidence that copper bracelets work, so at best they are unproven remedies, but they are not that expensive and so they can be tried," Pisetsky says.
The real issue is if you turn to unproven alternative remedies for your arthritis in place conventional therapies with proven track records, Pisetsky says.
Before reaching for supplements or putting on a copper bracelet, find out what is causing your joint pain, he says. "Try conventional therapies first, but at the end of the day, if you decide to give an alternative remedy a try, do it intelligently,” he says.
"We don't want to have people go out and miss useful therapy because they think these alternatives don't have side effects."
Alternative Treatments for Arthritis
Experts look at the pros and cons of alternative arthritis therapies.
First, Do No Harm
Many alternative remedies -- such as copper bracelets or magnets -- may not have much, if any, scientific evidence to back them up or disprove them. Indeed, Kerry Ludlam, a spokeswoman for the Arthritis Foundation, reports that there is a lack of research both for and against the usefulness of alternative therapies.
"There's a void of information," she says. Since many of the alternative therapies cited for the relief of arthritis are considered harmless (other than perhaps to your pocketbook), many doctors say that if you want to try them, go ahead.
Pisetsky agrees."There is no clear evidence that copper bracelets work, so at best they are unproven remedies, but they are not that expensive and so they can be tried," Pisetsky says.
Alternative Medicine and Arthritis: The Bottom Line
The real issue is if you turn to unproven alternative remedies for your arthritis in place conventional therapies with proven track records, Pisetsky says.
Before reaching for supplements or putting on a copper bracelet, find out what is causing your joint pain, he says. "Try conventional therapies first, but at the end of the day, if you decide to give an alternative remedy a try, do it intelligently,” he says.
"We don't want to have people go out and miss useful therapy because they think these alternatives don't have side effects."
