Is Osteoarthritis Pain Reduced With Rose Hips?

Osteoarthritis, or OA, is the most common form of arthritis in the United States. "The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy" reports that osteoarthritis is nearly universal in 80-year-olds, but only about half of all people affected by OA actually have pain or reduced range of motion. If you have symptomatic osteoarthritis, you have probably already tried over-the-counter painkillers, prescription medications or alternative remedies. Although they haven't been proved to relieve OA symptoms, rosehips have caught the attention of some arthritis sufferers. Of course, you should consult your doctor before trying to treat your symptoms with rosehips.

Arthritis is Inflammation

By definition, arthritis is inflammation within a joint. Over time, inflammation may change the way a joint looks -- it can become swollen or deformed -- but not everyone with similar-appearing arthritis has the same symptoms. You may have more or less pain than a neighbor whose joints look the same as yours, underscoring the fact that inflammation is a complex process. Most treatments for arthritis are designed to address the underlying inflammation that causes pain.

Anti-Inflammatory Treatments

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, are the most commonly used drugs for treating OA. Aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and various prescription agents are in this class. Many herbal remedies, such as rosehips, contain substances that act like NSAIDs. For example, a 2008 study from "Phytotherapy Research" demonstrated that certain fatty acids in rosehips inhibit the same inflammation-promoting enzymes that NSAIDs do.

Rosehips for Osteoarthritis

Although they have not been approved in the United States for treating arthritis, rosehips have been shown to provide pain relief for some OA sufferers. One 2007 European review showed that rosehips were "moderately effective" for reducing pain in OA patients, and a 2008 study in "Osteoarthritis and Cartilage" demonstrated that test subjects who took rosehip powder were twice as likely to experience pain reduction as those who took a placebo. Rosehips have also been shown to provide relief for some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, although this condition differs from OA in many respects.

Precautions

Although rosehips have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in some studies, and some patients with osteoarthritis have experienced improvement in their symptoms after taking rosehips, this herbal remedy has not been approved for treating any joint condition. If you have OA and you think rosehips might help you, talk with your doctor.