Do tablets help people with osteoarthritis to walk
Full reference: Sveaas, SH, Smedslund, G, Walsh, DA, Dagfinrud, H. Effects of analgesics on self-reported physical function and walking ability in people with hip or knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis Physical Therapy (in press, September 2023).
Osteoarthritis of the hip or knee are major causes of disability, largely due to the pain that they cause. People often use medicines to try to relieve their pain. One of the main aims of management is to improve physical function, such as walking or standing. Several research studies have compared medicines to inactive tablets (placebos) to show that they relieve pain. Some research also looked at physical function, but not all studies gave the same answer. We systematically reviewed all the published clinical trials of pain medicines and physical function. We used the statistical technique of meta-analysis to find out whether, overall, taking pain medicines improves physical function.
We analysed data from 33 studies. We found low to moderate quality evidence for small beneficial effects of paracetamol, anti-inflammatory medicines, or opioids on self-reported physical function. There was moderate quality evidence for a small effect of anti-inflammatory medicines on pain during walking.
We conclude that pain-relieving medicines may improve physical function by reducing pain during exercise and walking. However, the benefits are small. More effective `pain killers’ than those that are currently available, and combining pain relieving medicines with exercise therapies, might better help people with hip or knee osteoarthritis to improve their physical function.