For information on use of glucosamine and chondroitin,.

Some CAMs for which there is at least limited evidence of benefit for symptom relief in osteoarthritis include:

Diacerein was shown in one well-conducted 3-year study to reduce progression of hip joint space narrowing compared to placebo. No benefit was seen for symptom relief in these patients with osteoarthritis of the hip. A smaller study among patients with osteoarthritis of the knee failed to show any symptomatic or structural benefit.

A Cochrane review of herbal therapy for treating osteoarthritis was only able to evaluate randomised controlled trials. Two studies of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables were consistent in their findings of long-term symptomatic relief that was particularly evident in patients with chronic, stable hip osteoarthritis. Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables were also found to potentially reduce NSAID use. Other studies were thought to be promising, but due to the small number of studies and variability in their quality, there was insufficient evidence for reliable assessment of efficacy to be made.