Analysis of Pre and Post VAS Data

The data provided were fed into an excel sheet, and the following parameters were evaluated:
The average
The variance
The standard deviation
Also, the difference between the two sets of data, the mean difference, standard deviation and the variance of the difference. The below illustrates the calculated results.

The average values obtained from the two sets of analysis are equal. The pre-VAS data have an average value of 7.1 whereas the average for the post-VAS figures is 3.3. There are ten observations for both the pre and post-VAS results. The degrees of freedom (df) equals nine while the t Stat has a value of 6.219210.
The P value for a two tail test is 0.000155. This number is less than 0.05. This means that the null hypothesis used in analyzing the data in the excel software is not valid. The pain reduced significantly after applying the turmeric for four months.

Part BcMeaning of the Results

The analysis shows that after the supply of the turmeric was made, the average reduction in pain after four months was 3.8. This is further supported by the P value of the results which was way less than the confidence level of 0.05. This also means that the null hypothesis which is often the assumption in statistical analysis will be rejected. Therefore, the application of the therapy was relevant to cure the pain.

The underlying Mechanism of Pain Reliever

This study showed that the patients were relieved of pain to a large extent after using the herb turmeric. Claims have it that the herb reduces pain, stiffness, and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as treating bursitis (Walji, 2014). Most of the recent studies have shown that the herb turmeric has anti-inflammatory features which modify how the immune system responses to various conditions (Walji, 2014). Another study conducted revealed that curcumin element of the herb has both anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties which help in minimizing the effects of OA and RA. A case study conducted in the year 2006 proved that the herb is good at preventing and reducing inflammation of the joints. Besides, a clinical trial carried out in 2010 among 100 patients showed that turmeric is capable of producing long term relief of the pain (Teschke, 2010). The mechanism behind the functionality of turmeric is the fact that it has compound curcumin which has antioxidant properties that are capable of protecting the body against radical molecules which can destroy the body tissues and cells (Mathew et al., 2012). The study and the trial both have the element of pain reduction when the herb is used.

Comparison and Contrast of the Results of Other Studies

Curcumin in inflammatory disease research (Taylor & Leonard, 2011).
This study showed similarities with the current study that we have in this case. Both turmeric and curcumin are useful in reducing inflammation in joints. In fact, the curcumin is the active agent that enables turmeric to achieve the antioxidant properties. However, the research showed that turmeric is not only useful for reducing inflammation but also work well as a pain reliever (Taylor & Leonard, 2011).
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidants dietary supplements for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) research (Mary Chavez PharmD, 2010).
In this study, sixteen studies were conducted. All the studies showed that for treating RA, turmeric is used along with vitamins, omega-3, ginger and other supplements. Therefore, turmeric is common in this study and the one under our analysis. However, it is not clear which combination of supplements is the best for reducing inflammation (Mary Chavez PharmD, 2010).
Anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, the constituent of Curcuma longa: a review of clinical and preclinical research (Bar-Sela et al., 2010)
In both studies, curcumin is the primary element for treating inflammation. However, this research went a notch higher to determine the effect of curcumin in cancer treatment.
Significance of Turmeric as a Way of treating Rheumatoid Arthritis
Claims have it that the herb reduces pain, stiffness, and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Turmeric helps in minimizing the inflammatory effects of RA. Rheumatoid Arthritis attacks the immune system which results in inflammation. The inflammation of the body parts may lead to a release of COX2 enzyme which is responsible for the development of inflammatory cytokines. Studies have shown that continuous application of turmeric will eventually lower the concentration of the enzyme. The Curcumin compound in the herb is responsible for this effect. Other research conducted also show that the curcumin has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic features.

Possible Research Issues in the Study

Potential inconsistencies in the data collected. The use of Visual Analogue Scale may not accurately give the relative pain from one respondent to the other. It does not provide a common ground for checking the level of pain. Instead, it relies entirely on the response of the participant. Such a technique is prone to exaggerations and therefore inaccuracies in the collected data. The use of a digital meter which does not rely on the participants’ response would serve as a potential means of eliminating the possible inconsistencies.
Non-uniformities in the pain response of the participants. Though the general trend showed a decline in the pain experienced by the participants, individual cases didn’t show any sign of improvement after the four months of using the turmeric. For example, the pain scale of respondent “9” didn’t show any improvement. It remained constant at 5. Therefore, the use of the herb turmeric is not a guaranteed method of treating the pain. More research has to be conducted to find out the possible causes of such cases.
Conclusion
It is therefore clear that turmeric herb has a high capability of reducing the effects of OA and RA and other pain resulting from inflammation. This is supported by the analysis of the data that we have as well as other research studies that have been conducted.

References

Walji, H. (2014). Arthritis-A Guide to Natural Treatments. Kima Global Publishers.
Teschke, R. (2010). Kava hepatotoxicity–a clinical review. Ann Hepatol, 9(3), 251-265.
Mathew, A., Fukuda, T., Nagaoka, Y., Hasumura, T., Morimoto, H., Yoshida, Y., ... & Kumar, D. S. (2012). Curcumin loaded-PLGA nano particles conjugated with Tet-1 peptide for potential use in Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One, 7(3), e32616.
Taylor, R. A., & Leonard, M. C. (2011). Curcumin for inflammatory bowel disease: a review of human studies. Alternative Medicine Review, 16(2), 152.
Mary Chavez PharmD, F. A. A. C. P. (2010). Antioxidants and antiinflammatory dietary supplements for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 16(2), 32.
Bar-Sela, G., Epelbaum, R., & Schaffer, M. (2010). Curcumin as an anti-cancer agent: a review of the gap between core and clinical applications. Current medicinal chemistry, 17(3), 190-197.