Sulfur supplement can help relieve arthritis pain

• A sulfur supplement called MSM offers "modest" pain relief from knee osteoarthritis, a small study suggests.
• MSM -- methylsulfonylmethane -- is a popular supplement for which a number of health claims are made.
• Now there's a bit more evidence, thanks to a pilot study presented at this week's meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians in Phoenix.
• Study leader Leslie Axelrod, ND, of the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz., has already been prescribing MSM to patients with arthritis.
• After a washout period to make sure there were no lingering effects from other drugs, half the patients took 6 grams per day of MSM for 12 weeks.
• The other 25 patients got an identical-looking placebo.
• * Improvements in knee stiffness and overall symptoms favored the MSM group but were not significant.
• "These findings suggest MSM may be considered for short-term use in osteoarthritis," Axelrod and colleagues write in their research abstract.
• The Arthritis Foundation says it's unlikely this small study will change its 1999 statement on MSM.
• "At this time, MSM is classified by the Arthritis Foundation as an unproven remedy," the statement reads.
• But Stephen Lindsey, MD, chief of rheumatology at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation Baton Rouge, says MSM is safe enough for patients to give it a try.
• "I feel pretty good that MSM does no harm, but it is a pretty modest agent," Lindsey tells WebMD.
• Lindsey agrees with the Arthritis Foundation that any arthritis patient using any supplement -- including MSM -- should tell their doctor what they are taking.
• And he agrees with Axelrod that lifestyle changes -- weight control, modest exercise, and good diet -- are at least as important to arthritis treatment as any drug or supplement a person can take.