Pycnogenol, in the form of a transdermal patch, improved osteoarthritis symptoms in new study

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An observational registry study recently published in Minerva Endocrinologica¹ found that the patented French pine bark extract Pycnogenol, in the form of a transdermal patch, relieved joint inflammation and discomfort associated with osteoarthritis. In the study, 64 individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the knee either applied the patch, containing 110 mg of Pycnogenol, on the area of pain twice daily for three weeks, or followed a standard management procedures (control). Subjects were allowed to use NSAIDs, or other pain killers as needed, to assess the reduction in the use of pain medications.

Following three weeks of treatment, results showed that subjects in the Pycnogenol group experienced significant improvements in pain and joint function. More specifically, subjects applying Pycnogenol to painful areas experienced a 51% improvement of pain scores, a 64% improvement in inflammation, a 33% improvement in knee function, a 66% improvement in swelling, and 42.4% of subjects reported no symptoms of osteoarthritis. By comparison, the control group only experienced a 19% improvement in pain, a 39.5% improvement in inflammation, a 16.3% improvement of knee function, a 50% improvement in swelling, and only 23.5% reported having no osteoarthritis symptoms.

The use of NSAIDs was also significantly lower in the Pycnogenol group, 37.5%, compared to 84.4% in the control group. Besides reduced inflammation in the knee, subjects experienced a significant reduction in inflammatory markers overall, which the researchers say indicates that Pycnogenol enters the bloodstream from the patch, targeting inflammatory pathways that lead to increased oxidative stress.

References:

1. Feragalli, B et al. “Pycnogenol: supplementary management of symptomatic osteoarthritis with a patch. An observational registry study.” Minerva Endocrinologica, vol. 44, no. 1 (2019): 97-101