Omega-3, Curry Spice May Help With Spine Pain Relief

Recent research indicates that combining a popular omega-3 fatty acid with an ingredient of curry spice may offer millions of seniors some relief from cervical myelopathy and other spinal damage. Cervical myelopathy is the most common spine-related walking problem for people over 55, and it can lead to disabling neurological symptoms, such as difficulty walking, neck and arm pain, hand numbness and weakness of the limbs.

UCLA researchers said a diet with the two supplements preserved the walking ability in rats with spinal-cord injury. The findings suggest that the supplements help repair nerve cells and maintain neurological function after degenerative damage to the neck.

“Normal aging often narrows the spinal canal, putting pressure on the spinal cord and injuring tissue,” said principal investigator Dr. Langston Holly, associate professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “While surgery can relieve the pressure and prevent further injury, it can’t repair damage to the cells and nerve fibers. We wanted to explore whether dietary supplementation could help the spinal cord heal itself.”

What are these specific supplements? DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid shown to repair damage to cell membranes. Curcumin is a compound in turmeric, an Indian curry spice, and it is a strong antioxidant that previous studies have linked to tissue repair. Both reduce inflammation. “Our findings suggest that diet can help minimize disease-related changes and repair damage to the spinal cord,” Dr. Holly said.

To see more about the study, go to http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=561&action=detail&ref=1935.