Lee Swanson Research Update

Pycnogenol Helps Alleviate Osteoarthritis Symptoms in Knees

December 2007

"Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disorder and a major cause of pain and disability," wrote the authors of a new study that investigated "the potential effect of Pycnogenol, a flavonoids-rich dietary supplement, on the symptoms of knee OA." They found that Pycnogenol, an extract of French maritime pine bark, reduced the pain and stiffness associated with OA by about 40%.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 37 patients with OA who used Pycnogenol also indicated a 52% improvement in physical function.

"To our knowledge, this is the first randomized clinical trial to show the effectiveness of Pycnogenol, a dietary supplement with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, in alleviating the clinical symptoms of knee osteoarthritis," wrote the researchers, led by Ronald Ross Watson from the University of Arizona.

The study, published in the journal Nutrition Research, randomly assigned the volunteers (average age 48.2, average BMI 23.1 kg per sq. m) to receive either a daily dose of Pycnogenol (150 mg) or placebo for three months.

Using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index as a measure of arthritis symptoms, the researchers report that pain and physical function scores improved after 60 and 90 days of supplementation with the pine bark extract. No changes were observed in the placebo group.

Furthermore, after 90 days of Pycnogenol supplementation the WOMAC scores for self-reported pain, stiffness and physical function were reduced by 43%, 35% and 52%, respectively.

Nutrition Research27(11):692-697, 2007

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