| Disease | THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF A HERBOMINERAL FORMULATION CONTAINING ROOTS OF WITHANIA SOMNIFERA, THE STEM OF BOSWELLIA SERRATA, RHIZOMES OF CURCUMA LONGA AND A ZINC COMPLEX(ARTICULIN-F) WAS EVALUATED IN A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND,PLACEBO-
CONTROLLED, CROSS-OVER STUDY IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS. AFTER A ONE MONTH SINGLE BLIND RUN-IN PERIOD, 42 PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO RECEIVE EITHER A DRUG TREATMENT OR A MATCHING PLACEBO FOR A PERIOD OF
3 MONTHS. AFTER A 15 DAY WASH-OUT PERIOD THE PATIENTS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE OTHER TREATMENT FOR A FURTHER PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS. CLINICAL EFFICACY WAS EVALUATED EVERY TWO WEEKS ON THE BASIS OF SEVERITY OF PAIN, MORNING STIFFNESS, RITCHIE
ARTICULAR INDEX, JOINT SCORE, DISABILITY SCORE AND GRIP STRENGTH. OTHER PARAMETERS LIKE ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE AND RADIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION WERE CARRIED OUT ON A MONTHLY BASIS. TREATMENT WITH THE HERBOMINERAL FORMULATION PRODUCED
A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN SEVERITY OF PAIN AND DISABILITY SCORE. RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, HOWEVER, DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN BOTH THE GROUPS. SIDE EFFECTS OBSERVED WITH THIS FORMULATION DID NOT NECESSITATE WITHDRAWAL OF TREATMENT. |