Oral Herbal Therapies for Treating, Research Paper Example

Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease that requires ongoing treatment in order to minimize inflammation and other symptoms that are common for patients. The condition requires an evaluation of different types of treatments so that patients are able to receive effective care and comfort as best as possible. This joint disease contributes to gradual deterioration of cartilage that impacts bones and makes movement difficult for many patients; therefore, the disease requires one or more forms of treatment in order to alleviate symptoms as best as possible (Cameron & Chrubasik, 2014).

Herbal and other natural therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis require further examination in order to determine whether or not they are effective alternatives to traditional therapies such as pharmacological agents (Cameron & Chrubasik, 2014). Furthermore, it is necessary to evaluate other alternative therapies that may be effective in treating the condition and its complications. For example, capsaicin gel and s-adenosyl methionine have been effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis in some patients, thereby supporting the argument in favor of the use of alternative therapies in some cases (De Silva, El-Metwally, Ernst, Lewith, & Macfarlane, 2011). However, it is necessary to evaluate additional clinical trials in this area in order to determine the overall efficacy of these treatments and whether or not they have will have a lasting impact on patient outcomes for this population, due in large part to the limited number of clinical trials that have been conducted in this area (De Silva et.al, 2011).

The treatment of osteoarthritis must be closely evaluated in order to examine all possible methods that may be effective in alleviating its symptoms. Therefore, it is important to identify alternative therapies that may have a lasting impact on patients and on symptom management as they struggle with the progression of the disease over time. These factors will play a role in the type of treatment decisions that are made and the options that are available to treat patients in a comprehensive manner to manage the disease as effectively as possible.

References

Cameron, M., & Chrubasik, S. (2014). Oral herbal therapies for treating osteoarthritis (Review).

De Silva, V., El-Metwally, A., Ernst, E., Lewith, G., & Macfarlane, G. J. (2011). Evidence for the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines in the management of osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Rheumatology, 50(5), 911-920.