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Paracetamol was found ineffective in alleviating pain as a result of arthritis by a study carried out by Swiss researchers and published in The Lancet .

According to the study, paracetamol irrespective of the dosage, has no role in reducing pain nor improving bodily functions  in patients with osteoarthritis. This is a type of arthritis that causes stiffness and joint pain in patients which is common among aged people.

It was reported in said study carried out by Swiss researchers that the painkillers don't provide any relief to the patients or help improve their physical movements, however cause side effects with prolonged use, according to Mail Online.

Researchers also noted that diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID is the most effective drug for treating pain associated with arthritis. Diclofenac 150mg/day gives short-term relief to the patients however causes serious side effects with long term use. Paracetamol is one of the pills recommended for arthritis, in spite of being less effective, as they have milder side effects. 

"Our results suggest that paracetamol at any dose is not effective in managing pain in osteoarthritis, but that certain NSAIDs are effective and can be used intermittently without paracetamol," said Sven Trelle, one of the researchers from University of Bern in Switzerland, reported NDTV.

The researchers analyzed data from about 59,000 patients that were involved in 74 different trials from 1980 through 2015. The investigators are said to have compared 22 different treatments including seven NSAIDs and various doses of paracetamol with placebo.

"The majority of evidence still suggests paracetamol is a safe drug for most patients, but a number of recent studies - this included - do cast doubt on its effectiveness at treating osteoarthritis," said Dr Maureen Baker, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, noted Express.