As the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis is on the rise according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). For this reason, scientists are seeking non-traditional medication to help ease the pain and reduce the amount of traditional medication taken. The CDC estimates osteoarthritis affects 34 percent of all adults over the age of 65.

A new study reveals that pycnogenol, which is the bark extract from the French maritime pine tree, reduced overall knee osteoarthritis symptoms by 20.9 percent and lowered pain by 40.3 percent. This study investigated what happens to joint symptoms after treatment with pycnogenol is terminated and the results show that no relapse occurred after two weeks. In this study, pycnogenol acts as potent anti-inflammatory and the lasting effects indicate that pycnogenol may help the joints to recover.