In the two-year study, 146 patients with osteoarthritis were either given vitamin D daily or a placebo and had no idea which supplement they were taking. The results seemed to suggest that taking a vitamin D supplement did not offer clear pain relief and nor was there any evidence of vitamin D slowing down the loss of cartilage in the joints.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is caused by the cartilage or tissue surrounding the joints wearing away, allowing the bones to rub against each other and to grow into the space left by the cartilage. The condition is often referred to as wear-and-tear arthritis because it generally affects older people.
The Boston research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and concluded that there was no evidence to support patients with osteoarthritis taking vitamin D supplements to alleviate pain or curb the thinning of cartilage. The team did concede that taking the supplements in higher doses may have the effect they were testing for but they have no evidence to support that view and concluded that further research is required.
However, it is agreed that the effects of vitamin D levels in the blood differs from individual to individual and as vitamin D does have other health benefits, some patients with osteoarthritis may be inclined still to take it in supplement form.
Osteoarthritis is usually treated with medication, over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol and with steroids. Many patients use supplements known to contain anti-inflammatory properties as a natural aid in dealing with their symptoms and finding pain relief without taking drugs.