Supplements Fail to Relieve Joint Pain in Study

Joint pain and swelling in postmenopausal women is common, and some studies have suggested that low vitamin D and calcium levels may be one cause. But a randomized clinical trial found that vitamin D and calcium supplements are no better than a placebo for relieving joint problems.

Researchers studied 1,911 women, half taking 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 units of vitamin D daily, the other half taking a placebo. The two groups had similar rates of joint pain and joint swelling, about 73 percent and 34 percent respectively. The groups were also similar in rates of smoking, physical activity, body mass index and other factors. The analysis is posted online in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

After two years, 74.6 percent of the supplement group had joint pain, and so did 75.1 percent of the placebo group. Joint swelling was reported by 34.6 percent of those who took supplements and 32.4 percent of those who took the placebo. Both are statistically insignificant differences.

If calcium and vitamin D supplements are ineffective, what does work? The lead author, Dr. Rowan T. Chlebowski, a medical oncologist at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, is not hopeful. “I think over-the-counter pain relievers are the solution,” he said. But, he added, “We’re wearing down over time, and there’s not much to be done about it.”