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Shots or Pills for Sore Knees?

In comparison, injections eased knee pain due to arthritis better than anti-inflammatory pills.

What works best to relieve symptoms of knee arthritis, pills or shots?

A new meta analysis of 137 randomized clinical trials with a total of 33,243 participants concluded that injections trump oral medications.

Hyaluronic Acid

Surprisingly, the most efficacious treatment was injected hyaluronic acid. This natural compound is found in connective tissues. Although it has been used to treat osteoarthritis, it has not been considered a first-line approach. These results may change that.

The least efficacious treatment was acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. Celebrex was also less helpful than injections.

The authors conclude that shots into the knee joint are better than oral NSAID medications for alleviating arthritis pain.

[Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 6, 2015]

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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