A randomized double-blind active-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of topical basil (Ocimum basilicum) oil in knee osteoarthritis

Study answer

What this study found

Topical basil oil improved knee osteoarthritis symptoms, but it did not differ significantly from diclofenac gel on the measured outcomes. In the basil oil group, VAS pain decreased from 61.05 ± 9.67 at baseline to 51.28 ± 10.12 at 2 weeks and 44.07 ± 11.87 at 4 weeks. Between-group comparisons showed no significant differences at 2 weeks (p = 0.619) or 4 weeks (p = 0.880), and other outcomes were also not different, including knee flexion angle, 8-m walking test, analgesic use, WOMAC pain, physical function, knee stiffness, and total WOMAC scores. The authors concluded that topical basil…

Study & population

Randomized, double-blind, active-controlled clinical trial in adults with knee osteoarthritis treated at an orthopedic clinic in Fasa, Iran.

Intervention

Topical basil oil (Ocimum basilicum) formulated with sesame oil was applied to the knee at 1.5 cc three times daily for 4 weeks.

Key limitation

The trial was small and single-center, with only 43 participants per active arm completing follow-up.

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Original abstract