Q. I have bursitus in my hip. A friend said that she thought you once published a home remedy that helped.
A. Another reader recently took us to task for not recommending bromelain for bursitis: “This has worked for many people we know. In just a couple days the pain is gone. Those who continued to take it for a week after that got rid of their bursitis.”
The enzyme bromelain is extracted from pineapple. Many animal studies have shown that it has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. A clinical trial on people with painful arthritic hips found that bromelain (under the brand name Phlogenzym) was just as effective as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac (Voltaren) (Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, Jan-Feb 2006).
