Assessment of safety and efficacy of Karallief® Easy ClimbTM, an herbal extract blend for supporting joint health: a double-blind,  placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial

Background: Osteoarthritis is common among the aging population worldwide. The current techniques to manage osteoarthritis focus on relieving pain and slowing the progression of the disease. Herbal or natural supplements have shown promise in achieving both these treatment goals. Two new proprietary herbal extract blends, Karallief® Easy ClimbTM (KEC) and herbal extracts with glucosamine (HEG), are combinations of several natural products shown to be effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The current study tested the efficacy and safety of KEC and HEG versus a placebo control.Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study. A total of 120 patients were divided into 3 groups and were given KEC, HEG and Placebo in the ratio 1:1:1. Treatment results were assessed using the 30 second chair stand test, WOMAC test, knee flexion test and joint space measurement using X-rays of the knee joint.Results: The study found that the herbal supplements HEG and KEC significantly reduced osteoarthritis-related knee pain and increased joint mobility and were safe to use during 120 days of treatment. Both supplements resulted in an improvement in the 30 second chair stand test results, WOMAC pain scores, knee flexion, and joint space width as measured by X-ray, as compared to the placebo.Conclusions: Natural supplements such as HEG and KEC improve knee osteoarthritis symptoms and can be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with osteoarthritis.

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Effect of Whole-Body Vibration on the Functional Responses of the Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis by the Electromyographic Profile of the Vastus Lateralis Muscles during the Five-Repetition Chair Stand Test: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10124302 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 4302

Author(s):

Eloá Moreira-Marconi ◽

Ygor Teixeira-Silva ◽

Alexandre Gonçalves de Meirelles ◽

Marcia Cristina Moura-Fernandes ◽

Patrícia Lopes-Souza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Crossover Trial ◽

Vastus Lateralis ◽

Whole Body Vibration ◽

Whole Body ◽

Functional Responses ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Body Vibration ◽

Chair Stand Test

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) can cause functional disability. Neuromuscular function is relevant in the development and progression of KOA. It can be evaluated by the analysis of the surface electromyography (sEMG), which has an important role in the understanding of KOA. Whole-body vibration (WBV) is an intervention suggested to treat KOA. The objective of this work was to verify the effectiveness of WBV on the functionality of lower limbs by the electromyographic profile of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscles during the five-repetition chair stand test (5CST) in patients with KOA. This was a two-period crossover trial study (8-week washout). Nineteen patients with KOA were allocated to the group submitted to WBV (WBVG), with peak-to-peak displacement of 2.5 to 7.5 mm, frequency from 5 to 14 Hz, and acceleration peak from 0.12 to 2.95 g, or to the control group (0 Hz) (2 days per week for 5 weeks). The 5CST and the sEMG of the VL during 5CST were evaluated before and after the interventions. Results: Significant differences in 5CST were evident only in WBVG (p = 0.018), showing a decrease of the execution time. The sEMG profile showed no significative difference. Therefore, only 10 sessions of WBV with comfortable posture can bring about improvement in functionality of KOA patients without alteration of the muscle excitation.

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Biomechanics performance in 30-s chair stand test in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis

International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics ◽

10.1504/ijhfe.2019.10026995 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 319

Author(s):

Francisco Xará Leite ◽

Paulo Roriz ◽

Leandro Machado ◽

Adélio Vilaça ◽

Vitor Ferreira

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Medial Knee ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Medial Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Chair Stand Test

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Intra and Inter Reliability of 30 Seconds Chair Stand Test as Self-test for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis.

Case Medical Research ◽

10.31525/ct1-nct03855813 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Chair Stand Test ◽

Self Test

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Gender differences in kinematics on the 30-s chair stand test in knee osteoarthritis

10.1201/9781003217152-8 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 30-33

Author(s):

Vitor Ferreira ◽

Leandro Machado ◽

Paulo Roriz

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Chair Stand Test

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Biomechanics performance in 30-s chair stand test in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis

International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics ◽

10.1504/ijhfe.2019.105359 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 319

Author(s):

Vitor Ferreira ◽

Leandro Machado ◽

Adélio Vilaça ◽

Francisco Xará Leite ◽

Paulo Roriz

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Medial Knee ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Medial Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Chair Stand Test

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An Investigation into the Effects of a Curcumin Extract (Curcugen®) on Osteoarthritis Pain of the Knee: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu14010041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 41

Author(s):

Adrian L. Lopresti ◽

Stephen J. Smith ◽

Shavon Jackson-Michel ◽

Timothy Fairchild

Keyword(s):

Outcome Measures ◽

Knee Pain ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Walk Test ◽

Timed Up And Go ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Placebo ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Pain Ratings

Curcumin, a phytochemical from the spice turmeric, has anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to have pain-relieving effects. In this 8-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 101 adults with knee osteoarthritis received either 500 mg twice daily of a standardised curcumin extract (Curcugen®) or placebo. Outcome measures included the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), knee pain ratings, Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score for Osteoarthritic Knees (JOA), PROMIS–29, and performance-based testing comprising the 40-m fast-paced walk test, 6-min walk test, timed up-and-go test, and 30-s chair stand test. Compared to the placebo, curcumin significantly reduced the KOOS knee pain score (p = 0.009) and numeric knee pain ratings (p = 0.001). Curcumin was also associated with greater improvements (p ≤ 0.05) than the placebo on the timed up-and-go test, 6-min walk test, and the JOA total score; but not the 30-s chair stand test or 40-m fast-paced walk test. Pain-relieving medication was reduced in 37% of participants on curcumin compared to 13% on placebo. The findings support the potential efficacy of curcumin for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee but studies of longer duration, varying treatment doses, differing curcumin extracts, and the use of other objective outcome measures will be helpful to expand on these findings.

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Incidence and multidimensional predictors of occasional and recurrent falls among Malaysian community‐dwelling older persons

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02103-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Theng Choon Ooi ◽

Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh ◽

Suzana Shahar ◽

Nor Fadilah Rajab ◽

Divya Vanoh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Incidence Rate ◽

Older Persons ◽

Test Score ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Chair Stand ◽

Stand Test ◽

Chair Stand Test ◽

Recurrent Falls ◽

History Of

Abstract Background Falls incidence rate and comprehensive data on factors that predict occasional and repeated falls from large population-based studies are scarce. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of falls and identify predictors of occasional and recurrent falls. This was done in the social, medical, physical, nutritional, biochemical, cognitive dimensions among community-dwelling older Malaysians. Methods Data from 1,763 Malaysian community-dwelling older persons aged ≥ 60 years were obtained from the LRGS-TUA longitudinal study. Participants were categorized into three groups according to the presence of a single fall (occasional fallers), ≥two falls (recurrent fallers), or absence of falls (non-fallers) at an 18-month follow-up. Results Three hundred and nine (17.53 %) participants reported fall occurrences at an 18-month follow-up, of whom 85 (27.51 %) had two or more falls. The incidence rate for occasional and recurrent falls was 8.47 and 3.21 per 100 person-years, respectively. Following multifactorial adjustments, being female (OR: 1.57; 95 % CI: 1.04–2.36), being single (OR: 5.31; 95 % CI: 3.36–37.48), having history of fall (OR: 1.86; 95 % CI: 1.19–2.92) higher depression scale score (OR: 1.10; 95 % CI: 1.02–1.20), lower hemoglobin levels (OR: 0.90; 95 % CI: 0.81-1.00) and lower chair stand test score (OR: 0.93; 95 % CI: 0.87-1.00) remained independent predictors of occasional falls. While, having history of falls (OR: 2.74; 95 % CI: 1.45–5.19), being a stroke survivor (OR: 8.57; 95 % CI: 2.12–34.65), higher percentage of body fat (OR: 1.04; 95 % CI: 1.01–1.08) and lower chair stand test score (OR: 0.87; 95 % CI: 0.77–0.97) appeared as recurrent falls predictors. Conclusions Having history of falls and lower muscle strength were predictors for both occasional and recurrent falls among Malaysian community-dwelling older persons. Modifying these predictors may be beneficial in falls prevention and management strategies among older persons.

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