Diet Changes for Knee Osteoarthritis Pain

Diet Interventions: Remitted and Evaluated as Complementary Treatments for Pain (DIRECTPain)

NIH-funded research University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11095963

This project looks at how different diets, like a low-carbohydrate plan, might help adults with knee osteoarthritis find relief from their pain.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Birmingham, United States)
Project IDNIH-11095963 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

The project aims to understand if specific diets can help reduce pain and inflammation for people with knee osteoarthritis, a common type of arthritis. We know that low-carbohydrate diets can sometimes lessen inflammation and pain, even without weight loss. This project will provide all meals to participants for six weeks to see how a low-carbohydrate diet compares to a standard healthy diet in reducing knee pain. Researchers will also consider individual differences in metabolism and lifestyle factors to better understand how diet affects pain.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 21 and older who experience chronic pain from knee osteoarthritis.

Not a fit: Patients whose pain is not related to knee osteoarthritis or who are unable to adhere to a specific diet plan may not receive benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could offer a safe and effective non-drug option for managing chronic knee osteoarthritis pain.

How similar studies have performed: While low-carbohydrate diets have shown promise in reducing inflammation and pain, this project specifically compares different diets in a broad population with knee osteoarthritis, making its findings valuable.

Where this research is happening

Birmingham, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.