Longevity UniversityAsk the evidence

Does curcumin help joint pain?

Answered November 2, 202610 sources

EvidenceBModerateGood evidence in people with one real weakness. New studies could change the answer.

Yes, curcumin eased joint pain a modest amount in people with arthritis, mostly knee osteoarthritis, in trials lasting 4 to 36 weeks. The quality of many trials was low.

Who it's for
Adults with knee osteoarthritis; less is known for other arthritis types.
What to expect
Modest pain relief over 8 to 12 weeks, similar to common pain pills.
Watch out for
Mild side effects; most trials were short and many were low quality.
Curcumin lowered knee pain scores more than placebo

Each dot is the average pain score change versus placebo, and the line shows the range of likely values; dots left of zero mean less pain.

Curcumin lowered knee pain scores more than placebo
ResultEstimate95% rangeReading
Pain score, network of 23 studies−1.63−2.91 to −0.45Clear improvement
Pain score, 3 trials of arthritis−2.04−2.85 to −1.24Clear improvement

Sources 2 J Med Food, 2016; 4 J Ethnopharmacol, 2024

Figure 4. (A) Tender joint count; (B) Swollen joint count.

Figure 4 from Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of…, Front Immunol 2022. Licence: CC BY 4.0

Figure 5. WOMAC score-pain

Figure 5 from The efficacy and safety of Curcuma longa extract and curcumin supplements on…, Biosci Rep 2021. Licence: CC BY 4.0

What the studies show

  • A review that pooled 15 trials in 1,621 people with osteoarthritis found curcumin or turmeric extract beat a dummy pill (placebo A dummy treatment that looks like the real one, so people can't tell which they got.) on pain, stiffness and function. Side effects matched placebo. It suggested use for more than 12 weeks3.
  • A review of 29 trials in 2,396 people with five types of arthritis used doses of 120 to 1,500 mg for 4 to 36 weeks. It found less pain and inflammation, with no safety problems. The authors called the trials low quality and few1.
  • A review that pooled 23 trials in 2,175 people with knee osteoarthritis found curcumin cut pain scores by about 1.6 points more than placebo on a 10-point scale. The true effect could be anywhere from about 0.5 to 2.9 points. Curcumin users also needed less rescue pain medicine4.
  • A review of 8 trials found about 1,000 mg a day of curcumin lowered pain more than placebo, by about 2 points on a 10-point scale. Its authors said the trials were too few and too small to be definitive2.
  • A review of 11 earlier reviews agreed that curcumin reduced pain and stiffness in knee osteoarthritis5.
  • A trial of 70 people with knee osteoarthritis found 12 weeks of turmeric extract cut pain about 9 mm on a 100 mm scale more than placebo. That is a small effect, and the true effect could be near zero. It did not change swelling in the joint or cartilage on scans8.
  • A trial of 150 people found pain fell about 30 to 37 mm on a 100 mm scale with turmeric extract, against 8 mm with placebo, over 90 days10.
  • Against pain pills, curcumin matched diclofenac (an anti-inflammatory pain pill) for knee pain over 28 days in a trial of 139 people. It was open-label, so everyone knew what they took. Side effects were less common with curcumin (13% versus 38%)7. These review figures compare groups, so one person's gain depends on how bad their pain starts.

Key studies

StudyWhoWhat it found
Review of 15 trials, 202131,621 people with osteoarthritisLess pain than placebo; side effects similar
Review of 23 trials, 202442,175 people with knee osteoarthritisPain fell about 1.6 points more than placebo
Trial, 2020870 people with knee osteoarthritisPain fell 9 mm more than placebo over 12 weeks
Trial, 20197139 people with knee osteoarthritisSimilar pain relief to diclofenac, fewer side effects

Safety

Reviews found side effects similar to placebo1,3. In one trial, more product-related side effects occurred with a high dose than with placebo10. Curcumin had fewer side effects than diclofenac or similar pills3,4,7. Adding curcumin to pain pills did not raise side effects3.

What we don't know

  • Whether benefits last beyond a few months, since most trials ran 12 weeks or less.
  • Whether curcumin helps arthritis types other than knee osteoarthritis, and which dose or form works best.

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Written by AI from the studies listed, without review by a clinician, and graded with the GRADE method. It can be wrong, so check the studies it cites. Education, not medical advice.