Paracetamol is not more effective than placebo against osteoarthritis pain

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) Paracetamol did not show any clinically relevant efficacy in the most comprehensive analysis of pain relievers among patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis to date. In contrast, the medicine diclofenac is more effective than many newer pain relievers on the market. This is the result of a large-scale meta-analysis by Bernese researchers. Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease worldwide. In Switzerland, 20 percent of the population over the age of 60 is affected. The disease leads to pain, function restrictions of the joints, reduced physical activity and also to an increased mortality risk. The treatment of pain follows a step-wise approach in which the drug paracetamol as well as the class of so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) play a central role.