The results of a  study led by Robin Christensen of the Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen was presented at the 2007 World Congress on Osteoarthritis. The paper titled “Applying the Herbal Therapy Rose-hips in Osteoarthritis Patients” showed joint pain and arthritis can be relieved with rosehips. The study lasted three months and involved three-hundred patients who used various pain-relieving medications. Researchers found rosehips were nearly three times more effective than standard paracetamol at relieving pain in patients with joint and arthritis pain. Moreover, rosehips proved to be almost 40 percent more effective than glucosamine in relieving pain.

Several other studies have also shown rosehips help osteoarthritis sufferers. Three other studies found a standardized powder, produced by Hyben Vital of Denmark and made from rosehips, improved function and reduced pain in osteoarthritis sufferers. Swiss studies found rosehips switches off genes responsible for producing proteins and enzymes implicated in inflammatory joint destruction, and rosehips switches on genes that produced collagen and cartilage. This is exciting news for joint, arthritis, and osteoarthritis sufferers as rosehips can be purchased over-the-counter and does not have the nasty side effects traditionally seen with prescription medications.