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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Two new studies look at what helps and what does not when it comes to painful knee osteoarthritis. The first study reveals massage is beneficial for patients with the condition. The second study reveals smoking can actually make the pain worse.
Researchers at Yale Prevention Research Center and at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey wanted to know the therapeutic potential of Swedish massage for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. They compared two groups of patients with the condition. One group received massage therapy every week for eight weeks. The other group only started massage after eight weeks. Both groups were encouraged to continue regular medication and treatments.
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Patients in the massage group reported significant improvements in measures of pain, stiffness, and functional ability compared to the other group.
Massage has no adverse side effects and can be used with other conventional treatments, according to researchers.
Researchers from Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn., looked into the effects of smoking on knee osteoarthritis. They report while smokers with osteoarthritis are often younger and thinner, their pain and disease tend to be worse. Smokers are twice as likely to have significant cartilage loss compared to non-smokers.
The results of this study suggest smoking may alter pain thresholds, according to authors. Toxins from tobacco smoke may also contribute to cartilage loss.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2006;166:2533-2538; Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2007;66:18-22
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