Today we report exciting news for people suffering from arthritis. An all-natural plant extract has been shown to ease pain. And it does so as effectively as common drugs… without the risky side effects.
It comes from Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. She is a botanical medicine expert. She served on the White House Commission of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She teaches a course in natural medicine to physicians through Columbia University. And she is a Director at the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
For the last decade, she’s made it her mission to study the pain-relieving effects of this plant.
Dr. Low Dog has conducted her own studies on the use of this plant extract. And she has championed several others. She is also using this natural medicine with great success on her own patients.
“There have been three randomized controlled trials for acute back pain,” she says. “And eight trials for arthritis. Those studies found [it] was equal to NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors for pain relief.”
This natural extract is widely prescribed in Germany, where it is used to treat arthritis with great success. But it’s barely known here in the U.S. However, that is changing…
The University of Maryland Medical Center recently conducted a study on the effects of this all-natural pain reliever. The researchers studied 122 osteoarthritis patients who had knee and hip problems. The patients took a supplement with an extract of this herb. The researchers found that every subject enjoyed a statistically significant decrease in pain… and substantial improvement in movement.
The effects were so dramatic that most patients chose to give up their medication after the study.
It’s not just Dr. Low Dog’s research that’s so compelling. Plenty of other research supports this herb’s benefits.
So just what is this natural herb that works as well as a pain killer… without any of the risks?
It’s called Devil’s Claw. It’s a plant that’s found in the Kalahari Desert. For thousands of years, natives of southern Africa have used the dried roots to treat pain.
The Power behind the Claw
So how does Devil’s Claw work? The active ingredients are sugar-based compounds called harpagosides. They’re harvested from the root of the herb. These compounds bond with plasma to form a compound that cools inflammation.
Dozens of studies show that inflammation is the root cause of arthritic pain.
But how does this natural herb measure up to a man-made drug? One study published in Phytomedicine set out to investigate just that. The randomized, double-blind study compared the extract to an osteoarthritis drug. Patients got capsules containing Devil’s Claw or a drug called diacerhein.
Patients reported equal levels of relief from both options. But those taking Devil’s Claw experienced significantly fewer adverse side effects than those taking the drug. The Devil’s Claw patients also requested fewer complementary pain relievers.
How Much Do You Need?
Some studies have used up to 2,400 mg of Devil’s Claw per day, with no adverse effects (other than mild stomach upset).
Dr. Low Dog also recommends combining Devil’s Claw with bromelain – an enzyme that breaks down proteins – to treat severe pain. She notes that relief comes gradually. So you should give it at least a month to evaluate the full benefits.
Devil’s Claw is easy to add to your diet. It’s available as capsules, tea, and tincture. You can also find the whole root, chopped or powdered.
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