TOPLINE:

Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who applied a topical curcumin gel to their painful knee every other day reported modest reductions in knee pain over 28 days, and many reported feeling improved, with no serious adverse events but no gains in physical function.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers in Australia conducted a randomized, double-blind controlled trial (February-June 2025) in 60 adults aged 45-75 years with knee OA to assess whether a topical curcumin gel (VAS-101) reduced knee pain.
• Patients were randomly assigned, with 30 receiving 0.1 mL of the curcumin gel (mean age, 61.10 years; 17 female) and 30 receiving a matching placebo (mean age, 62.46 years; 20 female), each applied and rubbed every other day to the more painful knee.
• The primary outcome was the change in patient-reported pain score from baseline to day 28 in the pain subscale of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Scores ranged from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating lesser pain.
• In a post hoc analysis, patients with a change of more than 15.4 points in the pain score were classified as having achieved a minimal clinically important difference.
• Other assessments included changes in daily numeric pain rating, performance-based tests, and use of rescue medication. Gel tolerability and adverse events were also monitored.

TAKEAWAY:

• Patients who used the curcumin gel reported greater improvement in scores on the KOOS pain subscale over 28 days than those who used the placebo (mean increase, 9.09 vs 3.97 points). The between-group difference was significant (beta, 5.12; P = .041) and represented a moderate effect (Cohen d, 0.62).
• Mean daily pain ratings declined by 0.65 points in patients who used the curcumin gel (P < .001), but the change was not significant in those who used the placebo. More patients who received the curcumin gel reported feeling improved (P = .019).
• A minimal clinically important difference was achieved by 32.1% of patients who used the curcumin gel and 13.3% of those who used the placebo, but this difference was not statistically significant.
• The groups showed no significant differences in performance-based function tests or in the use of rescue medications. No serious adverse events occurred, and expected yellow skin staining resolved 2-3 days after treatment was stopped.

IN PRACTICE:

“Given VAS-101’s pain-relieving effects, its use for other acute or chronic pain conditions, such as delayed-onset muscle soreness, acute injuries, back pain, or other OA conditions, may be useful,” the authors of the study wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Adrian L. Lopresti, PhD, Clinical Research Australia, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia. It was published online on April 01, 2026, in Frontiers in Pain Research.

LIMITATIONS:

Researchers included only 60 participants, which limited statistical power. The study lacked long-term follow-up to assess durability, adherence, or safety. No changes in functional outcomes could be attributed to short follow-up duration.

DISCLOSURES:

The study received funding and the curcumin gel from Vascarta Inc. Lopresti reported receiving honoraria from nutraceutical companies. Another author besides Lopresti reported being an employee of Clinical Research Australia, and another reported receiving honoraria and funding from pharmaceutical companies, including nutraceutical companies.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.