Can antidepressant medication alleviate pain in patients with osteoarthritis?

A clinical trial published in Arthritis & Rheumatology recently examined whether duloxetine, a medication that is prescribed to treat depression and may also reduce chronic pain, can benefit patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis.

In the trial of patients experiencing chronic osteoarthritis-related pain in the hip or knee that did not go away with over-the-counter medications, 66 were randomized to duloxetine added to usual care and 66 were randomized to usual care alone.

The trial’s investigators found that duloxetine did not lessen pain at 3 months or 12 months.

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