Joints insights
Peer-reviewed joints research, translated into plain English.
Does stem cell therapy work for back pain? Only before-and-after data
Stem cell therapy for back pain has been measured in 283 people across eight studies, all of whom got the injection, with no untreated group to compare.
Does PRP work for tennis elbow? The placebo trials disagree
Does PRP work for tennis elbow? Pooled trials found no advantage over the injections it was compared with, while a four-arm trial favoured it at two years.
Does red light therapy work for joint pain? Short-term relief only
Trials of red light therapy for joint pain report short-term relief, usually stronger with invisible near-infrared light, and none of them measured cartilage.
Does stem cell therapy work for knees? Modest relief, uncertain repair
A Cochrane review of 25 randomised trials found stem cell therapy eased knee pain slightly, and that not one trial checked whether cartilage changed.
Do PRP injections work for knee osteoarthritis? Only against other injections
PRP injections beat gel and steroid shots for knee osteoarthritis pain, but trials using a saltwater comparison found no gain, and no regrown cartilage.