Enrolling by invitationNo phase

Cabbage leaf compresses for knee osteoarthritis pain and daily function

Tests cabbage leaf compresses on pain and function in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Key facts

Who runs it: Inonu University
Where: Şirnak, TürkiyeSee the site
Trial code: NCT07318116
Registry title: Cabbage Leaf Application in Knee Osteoarthritis
Status: Enrolling by invitation
People taking part: 90 people, planned
Started: 10 Nov 2025
Planned end: 25 Feb 2026
Type of study: Interventional
Treatments tested: Cabbage leaf compress for knee pain
Record updated: 4 February 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with knee osteoarthritis and knee pain. It tests whether putting cabbage leaves on the knee helps pain, movement and quality of life.

Age: 18 to 80 years
Sex: All sexes
Disease stage: Knee osteoarthritis diagnosed by a doctor using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Knee pain from osteoarthritis for at least 6 months. Pain score of 4 or higher on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Earlier treatment: No steroid injections into the knee joint in the past six months. No knee surgery in the past year. No pain medicines during the cabbage leaf period.

Main reasons for not taking part

Allergy to cabbage or other herbal products
Infection, wounds, cellulitis, skin disease or blood vessel disease in the knee area
Inflammatory joint disease, or osteoarthritis caused by injury or infection
Asthma, liver or kidney disease
Pregnant or breastfeeding women

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 22 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

Experiencing knee pain due to osteoarthritis for at least 6 months
Diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis by a physician according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria
Having a pain score of 4 or higher on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Aged 18 years or older
No allergy to cabbage or other herbal products
Able to speak Turkish and having no communication difficulties
Volunteering to participate in the study

Who cannot take part

Those using pain-relieving medication during the cabbage leaf application period
Those who have received intra-articular steroid injections within the past six months
Those with a history of surgical operation on the application area (knee region) within the past year
Those with infection, wounds, cellulitis, or skin disease in the application area
Those with any peripheral vascular disease in the application area
Those with inflammatory joint disease
Those who developed knee osteoarthritis due to injury or infection
Those with asthma, liver, or kidney disease
Those with psychological or physical disorders
Those with poor mental status
Those who have experienced significant knee trauma within the past six months
Those with pain related to secondary arthritis (e.g., post-traumatic or inflammatory arthritis)
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
Those with physical disabilities in the lower extremities
Patients who do not agree to participate in the study will not be included in the sample

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

Are you between 18 and 80 years old?

Where in Türkiye

Şirnak State HospitalŞirnak, TürkiyeNo longer taking part

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Among non-pharmacological treatment methods, herbal therapies are widely used, and cabbage leaves are recognized for their analgesic and anti-edematous effects. Previous studies indicate that patients often use cabbage leaves for breast engorgement and joint pain, and their strong antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties have been demonstrated. This study aims to examine the effects of cabbage leaf application on pain, physical function, and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Read full original descriptionShow less

This research is designed as an experimental, mixed-method, randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest structure. It will be conducted at the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation outpatient clinic and inpatient units of Şırnak State Hospital between 01.08.2025 and 01.08.2026. A total of 90 patients will be included and randomly assigned to three groups of 30 participants: those receiving room-temperature cabbage leaf application (Experimental Group 1), those receiving traditionally prepared cabbage leaf application (Experimental Group 2), and those receiving no cabbage leaf application (Control Group).

Data will be collected using the Patient Information Form, A-VAS, WOMAC, and the Mini-OAKHQoL-TR Scale. Experimental groups will receive a daily 2-hour cabbage leaf application for 4 weeks, while the control group will receive routine care only. Measurements will be conducted at weeks 1 and 4.

Data will be analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Descriptive statistics will summarize the sample. Normality will be tested with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. For normally distributed data, independent t-test, paired t-test, ANOVA, and ANCOVA will be used; for non-normal data, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Friedman tests will be applied.

This study aims to contribute evidence supporting non-pharmacological interventions as alternative or complementary approaches in managing joint and knee pain. Such applications may help reduce healthcare costs, decrease hospitalization rates, improve accessibility, save time, and provide an economical therapeutic option within clinical practice.

The group in the trial

The effect of cabbage leaves on knee painTreatment being tested
The sequence order was generated by computer (Research Randomizer software, version 1.0.0). Unstratified block randomization with varying block sizes will be used to assign patients to three groups. Subsequently, a non-participating staff member will be asked to draw one number from an envelope containing numbers 1 to 90, each representing a patient. The group assignment of the drawn number will determine the patient's group. Using this method, patients will be randomly assigned to the groups. Patients who apply cabbage leaves kept at room temperature, as determined by the literature, will form Experimental Group 1; those who apply traditionally prepared cabbage leaves will form Experimental Group 2; and those who do not receive any cabbage leaf application will form the Control Group.
Treatment: Cabbage leaf compress for knee pain