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Preliminary research from a study conducted at Miami Research Associates suggests that a dietary supplement derived from chickens may ease pain associated with mild knee arthritis. The pain relief comes from the high concentration of hyaluronic acid (HA) found in the supplement. HA, found naturally in the body, cushions and lubricates the joints. Severe cases of arthritis are sometimes treated with injections of HA directly into the knee, which improves elasticity in the synovial fluid that bathes the joint. For milder knee arthritis, researchers are working to develop an oral dose of HA. The dose used in this study was derived from chicken combs. In an 8-week long study that followed 20 adults age 40 and over with mild knee arthritis, a total of 10 arthritis patients took a daily 80 mg oral dose of the HA supplement and experienced greater relief from knee pain and greater improvement in physical function, compared with the 10 patients who received a placebo. HA supplements in combination with physical therapy and/or NSAIDs may prove to be an effective treatment for knee arthritis. Injectable HA is still more effective for severe cases of knee arthritis, although the oral dose does appear to be absorbable and usable by the body.

Read the full text of this article on reutershealth.com