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Can TURMERIC help arthritis?
I've been told that taking Turmeric regularly can have an anti-infalammatory effect and can therefore help with arthritis of the knee.
Anybody found this to be correct? Anybody out there take Turmeric?
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perhaps worth checking it out in iPlayer
the key ingredient is curcumin which I believe is an anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger - it's found in many plants like cucumber, ginger, turmeric etc
Lutonian,
I know alot about arthritis of the knee.
The cause in 80% of patients is mechanical.
For example osteoarthritis of the medial tibiofemoral joint is largely secondary to the cyclic loading of a missed or neglected unstable tear of the medial meniscus. The degenerate change through cyclic loading causes the hyaline cartilage of the surface of the joint to split then fragment. The particles of hyaline cartilage are sequestered by the synovial lining of the joint. This lining acts like a phagocytic membrane to digest the fragments of cartilage. This removal of the particles of hyaline cartilage that have seperated from the surface of the joint is largely protective to prevent rapid wear through a process called third body wear. As part of the process of digestion of these particles there is an inflammation. Inflammation in the joint capsule involves heat, tenderness redness and swelling. An anti-inflammatory modifies this inflammation to reduce the pain of inflammation.
Tumeric has had recent press as a poor mans anti-inflammatory.
Rather than modulate the inflammation why not go back to the root cause of the degenerate change?
It is a bit like running with a stone in your shoe. You get pain. Then you get a blister on the sole of your foot where the stone is. Then the skin breaks down and you develop an ulcer. When you get the pain of inflammation from the blister you could have a currey and keep running if you want. Most of the cleaver runners take the stone out of their shoe instead.
Have a look at this You Tube clip on Knee arthroscopy Hoffa's fat pad impingement and meniscal tear and its treatment in this very happy patient. He had the curry after the keyhole surgery!
Hope this helps.
John Hardy
flyaway,
I am delighted you have decided to rise to the challenge of a debate. Debate is always healthy. Forgive me if the debate is long and protracted because I only dip into RW when I have the time. However, you are coming from a slight position of weakness because you have maintained anonimity in what is a very public debate.
My observations on the mechanical and inflammatory causes of osteoarthritis of the knee come from 25 years of training, reading the published literature and experience as a knee surgeon. Which bit of the science published on the function of synovial cells do you not understand?
Would you like me to explain the function of the type A synoviocytes?
Come out of hiding and I would be happy to spend time with you on this thread.
John Hardy
Thanks for the link John. Interesting stuff
Can the debate finish before Dr Who please, as I won't be around then.
As you were.