Possibly harmful remedies include DMSO, lasers, large doses of vitamins, snake venom, drugs with hidden or unknown ingredients. Unknown remedies include bee venom, biofeedback, special diets, fish oil, vaccines, yucca. The effects and safety of many unproven remedies are unknown. Many have not been studied. For instance, many of the special diets you read about for arthritis are unproven because their effects and safety have not been studied.
Some treatments are new or experimental, which means they are still being studied.
For example, scientists are looking at the effects of some anti-cancer drugs, such as interferon, on certain types of arthritis. They are also studying drugs used in organ transplants, such as cyclosporine. These studies weigh the benefits of new treatments in controlling arthritis against the risk of possible damage to other parts of the body. Many aspects of arthritis can encourage people to try unproven remedies. Arthritis is chronic, which means it may affect you for the rest of your life.