Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Fu's Subcutaneous Needling for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain
Published on: March 24, 2023
Symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis: what are the facts?
1Rheumatology Department, Cochin Teaching Hospital, School of Medicine, Paris-Descartes University, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France. m.doug@cch.aphp.fr
Abstract:
The term "symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis" (SySADOA) was coined more than a decade ago to designate medications and/or nutritional supplements used to alleviate the manifestations of osteoarthritis in the long-term. Their efficacy has always been a focus of considerable skepticism. However, a critical reappraisal of the available data, which include results of carefully designed clinical trials conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practice guidelines, strongly suggests a therapeutic effect. The effects of SySADOA need to be determined based, in particular, on treatment objectives (symptom relief, decreased use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and other conventional agents, decreased radiographic progression, and decreased use of joint replacement surgery). In addition, the characteristics of the patients who are most likely to benefit from SySADOA need to be identified.
Related Concept Videos
Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: Therapeutic Uses
Centrally acting drugs are classified into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs such as baclofen, diazepam, and tizanidine inhibit spinal motor neurons and decrease muscle tone. Spasmolytic drugs are administered for severe and chronic spasms due to multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, and spinal cord and muscle injuries. However,...
Classification of Skeletal Muscle Relaxants
Peripherally acting skeletal muscle relaxants interfere with the neurotransmission at the neuromuscular end plate to induce paralysis during...
Peripherally and Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants: A Comparison
Centrally acting muscle relaxants can be further divided into spasmolytic and antispasmodic drugs. Spasmolytic drugs,...
Antiasthma Drugs: Leukotriene Modifiers
Leukotriene modifiers work through two distinct mechanisms:
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Spasmolytic Agents: Chemical Classification
A major class of centrally acting spasmolytics is the α2-agonist, such as tizanidine. These drugs bind to α2-adrenoceptors, inhibiting the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. They also promote...