Update on complementary and alternative medicines for arthritis

Arthritis will affect most of us at some point in our lives, with up to 80% of people over the age of 70 years experiencing its effects. It is, therefore, appealing to hear of various nutritional or ‘natural’ therapies that may improve its symptoms or prevent its development, and such claims are often seen as headlines in the general media. Unfortunately, strong scientific evidence for most of these claims is lacking. This review looks at the current evidence available for the more popular of the complementary and alternative medicines marketed for the treatment of patients with arthritis.