Natural Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain

CARTHAGE, Mo.—Natural Eggshell Membrane (NEM®, from ESM Technologies) was found to be an effective and safe option for the treatment of pain and stiffness associated with knee osteoarthritis. According to a study published in Clinical Rheumatology, supplementation with 500 mg/d of NEM significantly reduced both joint pain and stiffness compared to placebo at 10, 30 and 60 days (2009; DOI: 10.1007/s10067-009-1173-4). NEM is a new novel dietary supplement that contains naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans and proteins essential for maintaining healthy articular cartilage and the surrounding synovium. The randomized, multicenter, double blind, placebo-controlled study, randomly assigned 67 patients to receive either oral 500 mg/d of NEM (n=34) or placebo (n=33) daily for eight weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in overall Western Ontario and McMasters Universities (WOMAC). Supplementation with NEM produced an absolute rate of response that was statistically significant (up to 26.6 percent) versus placebo at all time points for both pain and stiffness, but was not significantly improved for function and overall WOMAC scores, although trending toward improvement. Rapid responses were seen for mean pain subscores and mean stiffness subscores occurring after only 10 days of supplementation. There were no serious adverse events reported during the study and the treatment was reported to be well tolerated by study participants.