Can injecting sugar ease knee pain?

Knee osteoarthritis occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wears down

An alternative medicine approach to joint pain that typically uses injections of sugar or sodium may be worth trying for knee osteoarthritis after traditional approaches fail, a recent review suggests.

Knee osteoarthritis, a leading cause of pain and disability in older adults, occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wears down. While it can’t be cured, physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medications are often prescribed to relieve pain and improve mobility.

Researchers examined data from 10 previous studies of what’s known as prolotherapy, which is often used for chronic back pain. Prolotherapy involves injecting a solution of natural irritants like sugar