Comparison of the effect of topical use of Nigella Sativa oil and diclofenac gel on osteoarthritis pain in older people: A randomized, double-blind, clinical trial

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases in the elderly. Herbal remedies create pain relief with appropriate clinical effects and less toxicity. We aimed to investigate the effect of Nigella sativa oil compared with diclofenac gel on the reduction of osteoarthritis pain in older people. This was a double-blind clinical trial. Samples were 52 men and women aged 60–80 years. They were selected using a convenience method, that were randomly assigned into Nigella sativa oil and diclofenac gel groups. The topical application of Nigella sativa oil and diclofenac gel was performed twice a day in the morning and night for 21 days. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaire was used for data collection about pain before the use of drugs, in the tenth day and the twenty-first day of the intervention. Paired t-test showed that both interventions improved pain in the subjects (P < 0.05). However, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test showed that pain on the 21 st day after the intervention was significantly lower in the Nigella sativa oil group compared with that of the diclofenac gel group (P = 0.04). Also, the results of this study showed that Nigella sativa oil had a better pain relief effect than diclofenac gel. The mean pain scores in the Nigella sativa oil and diclofenac gel groups before the intervention were 75 ± 16.29 and 57.66 ± 19.66, respectively. Also, pain on the 21 st day after the intervention was 38.88 ± 17.84 and 50.33 ± 20.38, respectively. In general, Nigella sativa oil was more effective than diclofenac gel on osteoarthritis pain.