Painkillers containing acetaminophen are recommended for treating osteoarthritis of the knee, but French investigators report that a sugar pill is just as effective.Acetaminophen, known in many parts of the world as paracetamol, is the active ingredient in Tylenol and many other brands of medicine.Clinical trials have shown that acetaminophen reduces knee pain, but Dr. Maxime Dougados, of Rene Descartes University, Paris, and colleagues say these trials “have been relatively small, and variable daily doses of paracetamol have been used."The team conducted their own trial, reported in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. They examined the efficacy of paracetamol for treating osteoarthritis of the knee in 779 patients who had knee pain of at least 30 on a 100-point visual scale during physical activity.
