Devil's Claw for Osteoarthritis

New Study Shows African Herb Devil's Claw Reduces Osteoarthritis Pain

Research Shows Popular Herb Is As Effective and Safer Than Conventional Drug

Austin, TX (Oct, 17, 2000) – A new clinical study shows that a traditional African medicinal herb may reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis as effectively as some conventional drugs. In a randomized, double-blind, parallel group study conducted in France, the patients received either capsules containing the herb devil's claw or a pharmaceutical drug. Pain measurements of all patients indicated that those taking the herb and the drug experienced similar benefits. However, the study also showed that patients taking the herb experienced significantly fewer adverse side effects than those taking the drug.

The herb devil's claw and a pharmaceutical drug were tested on 122 patients from the ages of 30 to 79 who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. In order to "blind" the researchers from knowing if the patients were taking the herb or the drug, both groups of patients received either the herb or the drug, plus dummy pills that looked like the herb or the drug. In
this way, neither the patients nor the researchers knew who was receiving which until the study was completed.

Researchers noted that there were significantly more adverse effects caused by the drug diacerhein over the four-month period of the study. The main side effect was gastrointestinal distress, occurring more frequently in the diacerhein group than the devil's claw group.

Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), also known as "grapple plant" because of its claw-like dried seed pods, is an herb from the Kalahari desert region of southwestern Africa. The tubers from the plant have been used in traditional African medicine for a variety of disorders. Modern research in Europe has shown it reduces inflammation and pain in rheumatic conditions and can stimulate appetite.

Devil's claw is approved as a nonprescription medicine by the German Commission E, an expert panel of physicians and pharmacists who advise Germany's counterpart of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Approved uses of devil's claw include loss of appetite, digestive disorders, and "degenerative disorders of the locomotor system" (i.e., to treat pain and inflammation in the joints).

A relatively new drug in France and Italy, the drug diacerhein is for the treatment of degenerative joint conditions. It does not produce some of the same adverse side effects like bleeding of the stomach lining like some conventional analgesic drugs of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory class. It was chosen for this study because its mechanism of action was considered similar to devil's claw.

However, the use of diacerhein may be a potential weakness of this study. According to John Hicks, M.D., a board certified rheumatologist in Minaot, ND, and co-founder of the American College of Rheumatology, since devil's claw was compared to a drug that is not approved in the U.S., it may not impress physicians here as much as it might if it tested against an American arthritis drug. Regarding the potential benefits of devil's claw, he said, "It is certainly a herb I would like to see researched in a placebo-controlled study here in the U.S."

According to Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council, a nonprofit research and education organization, "At least two previous clinical trials on devil's claw have supported its use as an aid in treating lower back pain and rheumatic conditions. This study is significant in that it is the first to show the potential benefits of devil's claw for osteoarthritis." He added, "Although more research is warranted, this may be good news to people who suffer from osteoarthritis,
as well as their physicians, whose therapeutic choices have been fairly limited."

The clinical study was published in the current issue of Phytomedicine, a leading European journal dealing with scientific research on herbs and phytomedicinal products.

Founded in 1988 in Austin, Texas, the American Botanical Council is the leading independent non-profit research and education organization that educates the public on the responsible and scientific use of medicinal plants. Its quarterly journal HerbalGram has been published since 1983 as a reliable and authoritative source of herb and medicinal plant research,
regulatory and market issues, native plant conservation and other general interest aspects of herb use. Information for consumers and healthcare professionals about herbal medicine may be found on the organization's website www.herbalgram.org