The Effect of Melilotous Officinalis Oil on the Physical Function of Older Adults With Mild to Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common diseases among older people that although does not directly lead to mortality, is one the leading causes of disability in older people. A variety of medical and surgical treatments are available based on the severity of OA that usually are costly with possible harsh side effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Melilotous Officinalis oil on the physical function of older adults with mild to moderate primary knee osteoarthritis. Methods & Materials The participants were 61(35 women, 26 men) older adults aged >= 60 years (Mean +/- SD: 78 +/- 7.79, range: 63-94, median: 81 y), residing in one nursing home who were clinically diagnosed with mild to moderate osteoarthritis based on grade 1-3 Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading scale by an orthopedist. Then, based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the participants were randomly assigned to one intervention group (n=34) who received of Melilotous Officinalis oil and one control group (n=27) who used Diclofenac Sodium Gel. The participants' data including their demographic information, the severity of OA based on WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), and pain intensity based on Visual Analogous Scale (VAS) were collected at baseline, Two weeks, and four weeks after starting the intervention. The collected data were entered in SPSS version 23 and analyzed. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control group in terms of sociodemographic variables at baseline. The physical function of the participants improved significantly in both the intervention group and control group (F-2,F-58=20.4, P<0.001). However, the effect size was considerably higher in the intervention group (0.88) compared to the control group (0.36). No special adverse effect was reported during the study. Conclusion Melilotous Officinalis oil can improve function more than Diclofenac gel in older people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, using Melilotous Officinalis oil is suggested for improving the physical function of people with osteoarthritis. Future studies are recommended to study to determine the exact dose of Melilotous Officinalis oil and its mechanisms of action on the physical function.