Researchers Suggest Curcumin to Treat Tendonitis

Tendonitis is painful inflammation of one or more tendons. A tendon is a tough band of collagen-rich connective tissue that connects muscles to bones and enables them to handle force. This is similar to the idea of a shock absorber. Repetitive use, as occurs in many sports, can induce wear and tear to the point that tendons become inflamed and begin to accumulate progressive damage. A new study shows that curcumin can turn off inflammation in tendon cells by modulating the core inflammatory gene signal, NF-kappaB Protein complex that controls DNA transcription and is involved with cellular responses to stress, cytokines, free radicals, UV radiation, oxidized LDL, and infections. . The researchers believe their findings on curcumin “offer scientists an important new lead in the treatment of these painful conditions through nutrition. Curcumin, and chemically-modified versions of it, should be the subject of future investigations and should be used as complementary therapy to reduce the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the only drugs currently available for the treatment of tendonitis and various forms of arthritis.”

The study was done on human tenocytes, the carpenter cells within the tendon that produce the collagen structures that form the tendon. Curcumin was able to stop inflammation in such a way that it prevented the occurrence of the inflammatory signals that cause tissue matrix degradation. In other words, the longer there is ongoing inflammation in a tendon, the more likely increased tissue damage or deterioration will occur. It is clear that curcumin can help tenocytes work better, especially under conditions of inflammatory stress.

This means that curcumin is synergistic with other nutrients that support tendons. I have previously reported that bromelain helps stimulate the formation of new tenocytes, thereby increasing the number of tendon-building carpenters on duty. I have also reported that hyaluronic acid can help tendons glide more easily, reducing another key aspect of tendon pain and inflammation.

This information is helpful to any athlete, any person trying to achieve better fitness, or to any person trying to recover from an accident or injury involving tendons.