Nutraceuticals and oral supplements

Oral nutritional supplements represent a wide spectrum of compounds either as single agents or in combinations. Anecdotal evidence for a pain-modifying effect of those products remains mixed. If nutraceuticals and/or herbal supplements are made part of a treatment plan, the Task Force suggests mindfulness towards product quality control, potential drug interactions with other medications (e.g., some over-the-counter joint products and herbal mixtures contain aspirin and some may contain herbs such as St. John’s Wort that interfere with serotonin release or reuptake), and avoidance of ingredients derived from endangered species. In the future, evidence for the pain-modifying effect of cannabinoids and/or their commercial drug derivatives may become evident.
