Nutritional supplements, heat and cold treatments, injections made from rooster combs, and magnets all make the list of new osteoarthritis treatments.
Experts say each has been tried with varying degrees of success.
However, they caution that most of the evidence that these therapies work is anecdotal, rather than scientific. W. Hayes Wilson, MD, chief of rheumatology at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and chairman of the Georgia chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, says he doesn't discount the new therapies, yet he says patients should not rule out traditional painkillers as a way to relief. Nearly 29.7 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that causes the breakdown of cartilage in the joints and leads to stiffness or pain. The newer alternative therapies are particularly welcomed by patients who dislike taking medication particularly for an extended time, as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are often indicated since osteoarthritis is a chronic disease. Both are normal constituents of the cartilage in the joints.