Pycnogenol, bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, may help reduce overall knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms, according to a new study.

The researchers also examined what happens to joint symptoms after treatment with Pycnogenol is terminated and found that no relapse occurred after two weeks.

Pycnogenol acts as potent anti-inflammatory and the lasting effects found in this study suggest that it may help the joints to recover.

"The current study is in accordance with the two previous Pycnogenol studies for osteoarthritis. Again the pain is gradually decreasing during the course of three months treatment with Pycnogenol," said Dr. Peter Rohdewald, co-author of the study.

"This study again showed that patients required significantly less analgesic medication while supplementing with Pycnogenol, whereas this was not the case with the placebo-treated control group," Rohdewald added.

One hundred patients were included in the study and were randomly allocated to either a Pycnogenol or placebo group. Patients were supplemented with 150 mg Pycnogenol or placebo per day over a period of three months.

They were allowed to continue taking their NSAID or analgesics prescribed before the study but had to record every pill taken. The established Western Ontario McMaster questionnaire for joint function was employed to rate the pain level, and obtain measures of joint stiffness and to what extent the arthritis affects participation in daily activities.

Patients were investigated in two week intervals over the treatment period of three months and a final time two weeks after discontinuation of medication.