The efficacy of curcumin in relieving osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#curcumin #humans #osteoarthritis-knee #randomized-controlled-trials-as-topic #pain-measurement

The efficacy of curcumin in relieving osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses

Bideshki et al., 2024 | Phytother Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

Bideshki Mohammad Vesal, Jourabchi-Ghadim Neda, ... Zarezadeh Meysam. The efficacy of curcumin in relieving osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses. Phytother Res. 2024-Jun;38(6):2875-2891. doi:10.1002/ptr.8153

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent degenerative joint diseases. Several meta-analyses have shown that curcumin could improve the function of the knee and alleviate pain in OA, while some meta-analyses demonstrate controversial results. Hence, we assessed curcumin's effects on knee OA in an umbrella meta-analysis. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases were employed to find English-language meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of curcumin supplementation on OA outcomes up to September 2023. The visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) pain, function, and stiffness scales were analyzed. Effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were utilized to obtain the overall effect size. A random-effects model was applied to perform the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was determined by I2 statistics and the Cochrane Q-test. The pooled effect of the 11 included meta-analyses showed that curcumin could significantly decrease the VAS score (weighted mean difference [WMD] and standardized mean difference [SMD]), WOMAC-total (SMD and WMD), WOMAC-Function (SMD and WMD), WOMAC-Pain (SMD), and WOMAC-Stiffness scores (SMD) (p ≤ 0.001, ≤0.001, ≤0.001, 0.007, ≤0.001, 0.002, ≤0.001, ≤0.001, respectively). The results strongly support curcuminoid supplementation in relieving pain, improving joint mobility and stiffness, and shortening medication usage of OA patients.

Key Findings

The results strongly support curcuminoid supplementation in relieving pain, improving joint mobility and stiffness, and shortening medication usage of OA patients.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Curcumin
  • Humans
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Pain Measurement
  • Osteoarthritis

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: curcumin-oa

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09