Fish oil

Does fish oil help joint pain?

Updated 4 Nov 2026

Short answer

A little, in some people. In osteoarthritis, a 2023 review of 9 trials and 2,070 patients found less pain and better joint function, a small effect.[1] Yet a 2-year trial of 202 people found no extra benefit from 4.5 g a day compared with 0.45 g, and the low dose did better for pain.[2]

In rheumatoid arthritis, a 2024 review of 23 trials found a small, non-significant fall in pain, with very low to low certainty.[3] Another review of 18 trials found fewer tender joints but no significant change in disease scores.[4] Older trials showed lower use of anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs), but this may reflect weak blinding of the trials.[5][3] People with rheumatoid arthritis should not change prescribed medicines without asking their doctor.[6]

Sources (6)

  1. Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation for patients with osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis. Deng W, Yi Z, Yin E, Lu R, You H, Yuan X J Orthop Surg Res, 2023. PMID 37226250
  2. Fish oil in knee osteoarthritis: a randomised clinical trial of low dose versus high dose. Hill CL, March LM, Aitken D, Lester SE, Battersby R, Hynes K, et al. Ann Rheum Dis, 2016. PMID 26353789
  3. Efficacy of n-3 fatty acid supplementation on rheumatoid arthritis' disease activity indicators: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Gkiouras K, Grammatikopoulou MG, Myrogiannis I, Papamitsou T, Rigopoulou EI, Sakkas LI, et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2024. PMID 35900212
  4. Effects of omega-3 supplementation on lipid metabolism, inflammation, and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Wang W, Xu Y, Zhou J, Zang Y Clin Rheumatol, 2024. PMID 38922552
  5. Effects of fish oil supplementation on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug requirement in patients with mild rheumatoid arthritis--a double-blind placebo controlled study. Lau CS, Morley KD, Belch JJ Br J Rheumatol, 1993. PMID 8220938
  6. Omega-3 Supplements: What You Need To Know. NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, 2024. www.nccih.nih.gov

More about fish oil

What is fish oil?Does fish oil reduce inflammation?How much EPA and DHA is in a fish oil capsule?Is eating fish better than taking fish oil?What is fish oil used for?Should fish oil be taken with food?

For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.