Curcumin for Knee Pain and Inflammation

Curcumin can help significantly reduce knee pain and inflammation. It has been shown to be more effective than NSAIDS like ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium, but without the GI side effects. The type of knee pain you have matters, as does making sure you get a curcumin supplement that actually absorbs well.

1. Does it actually work?

Yes. Curcumin has been shown to be very effective in both clinical studies and anecdotally. Here is a famous study showing that curcumin extract was as effective (and without side effects) as 800 mg of ibuprofen per day for patients with knee OA (osteoarthritis). The results compared pain for level walking and pain during walking up stairs. They also compared performance in terms of the time it took patients to walk 100 meters.

Here is a study showing curcumin is superior to the NSAID diclofenac sodium in treating rheumatoid arthritis, and again with less side effects.

Here is a very recent double blind study showing that curcumin was significantly more effective than placebo at reducing knee pain and improving knee function.

Important note:
Interestingly, while ibuprofen has stayed the same, curcumin supplements have been dramatically improving over the last several years by adding piperine (black pepper extract) to increase absorption by 2000%. Also, the better forms of curcumin provide a much higher concentration of the active ingredients (curcuminoids) as well as ensuring all 3 active ingredients are present: curcumin, dimethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Premium Curcumin

2. How does it work?

Curcumin works by lowering inflammation around the joint. When the inflammation and swelling subside, the pain goes away because there is no pressure on the surrounding pain receptors. The mobility of the knee joint improves as well.

Curcumin works to lower inflammation by deactivating NF-kB. It is a selective COX-2 inhibitor, which is a similar mechanism to NSAIDS. If you want to read about the very complex mechanism of curcumin action you should check out: STUDY

3. What kind of Knee Pain does it work with?

Curcumin supplementation helps lower pain and inflammation for patients with both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). It also helps to increase range of motion and improve performance.

Many people with chronic knee pain from age, ACL or MCL tears, or general knee sprains also report significant improvement in improved range of motion and less overall discomfort.

4. Which kind to get? Curcumin vs Turmeric. Why C3 Complex.

After over 2 years of research, we found that curcumin C3 complex with bioperine to be the most effective.

Curcumin C3 complex is unique because it contains high levels of all 3 active ingredients in turmeric: curcumin, dimethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. It also contains a patented form of black pepper extract called bioperine, which has been shown to increase the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.

5. What Dose do I need?

500 mg of curcumin plus 5 mg of bioperine twice daily. If you want to increase absorption even further, and also enjoy the anti inflammatory benefits of the omega 3’s DHA and EPA, you should consider combining it with our mercury free lemon flavored fish oil from Iceland.

Here is a link to the benefits of curcumin and fish oil together.