Devil’s Claw Supplement Good for Pain

Devil’s claw is a plant native to the Kalahari savanna of Southern Africa, the Namibian steppes, and Madagascar . It has been a part of the African culture for thousands of years. Devil’s claw is also known as Harpagophytum procumbens, Grapple Plant and Wood Spider.

Uses For Devil’s Claw

People in Africa began using devil’s claw to reduce fever, to ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis and other skin conditions. They also used it to help cure conditions of the gallbladder, pancreas, stomach and kidneys. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that devil’s claw was first used in Europe. The European people used it to help aid in their digestion as well as complaints of the liver, kidney, bile and bladder.

Fast forward to 2011 where devil’s claw is used to treat conditions causing inflammation and pain caused from back and neck pain, arthritis, and tendinitis. You can use devil’s claw topically to treat skin problems such as sores, ulcers, boils and skin lesions. Other uses include helping to settle an upset stomach, loss of appetite, headache, allergies and fever. Devil’s claw contains anti-inflammatory compounds, flavonoids and phytosterols.

Side-Effects

The good news is that there are few negative side-effects from using devil’s claw. Some of the known side effects are allergic reactions, upset stomach, a sensation of fullness, headache or ringing in the ears. Some people also experienced diarrhea after taking devil’s claw.

Devil’s claw comes in a variety of forms. You can brew yourself a hot cup of devil’s claw tea by using 1.5 to 4 grams of the root. You can safely drink this one to three times per day. Remember to strain the mixture before drinking.

If you prefer tablet or capsule forms, read theto make sure it says standardized extracts of devil’s claw with 2 to 3 percent iridoid glycosides. The dosage for tablets, capsuls or liquid drops is 3 times daily, taking amounts of the following:

A standardized dose of devil’s claw containing 50 to 100 mg harpagoside. Dried devil’s root powder or tuber, containing 100 to 250 mg. Capsule dosages containing dried root powder of 100 to 250 mg. Liquid extracts are 2 to 7 drops.

Combining with Other Drugs Precautions

Talk to your doctor if you are on medication to find out if there are any possible side-effects when combining devil’s claw. Some of the major medications that should not be mixed with devil’s claw are blood thinners because they may increase the risk of bleeding. Do not take devil’s claw if you are on Metformin, sulfonylureas or if you are on insulin or insulin analogs. Also included in the list are antacids, H2 antagonists, beta blockers, digoxin, anticoagulants, and cytochrome p450 enzymes. If you are pregnant, check with your doctor before using this herbal supplement.

Studies Reported from the University of Maryland Medical Center

The University of Maryland has results of several studies done on devil’s claw. One is a 4 month study with 122 people who suffered from knee and hip osteoarthritis. The results showed that those who took the devil’s claw supplement had less pain and improved functional ability with fewer side-effects than those who took pain reducing medications.

Another study involved 75 people with hip or knee arthritis. They were given a daily dose of 2,400 mg of devil’s claw for 12 weeks. This test proved there was a significant reduction in their pain. Out of the 75 people, only two complained about indigestion and a feeling of fullness.

Another study was done with 63 people suffering from mild to moderate back, neck and shoulder pain. This study lasted for 4 weeks, but the results showed that taking devil’s claw provided them with moderate relief. A different study of 197 people suffering from chronic low back pain, were divided into two equal groups. One half of the group took a daily dose of devil’s claw, while the other half were given a placebo. The results from those taking devil’s claw after one month, reported having less pain and needing fewer pain pills. The people taking the placebo needed more pain pills to help with the pain.

There was another study done with 73 people, where 38 of the patients were given devil’s claw and 35 were given COX-2 inhibitor also known as Celebrex. The study was conducted over a period of 54 weeks. The results showed that those taking devil’s claw had as much pain relief as those taking Celebrex.

According to a study published on fox news.com, 31 people were given doses of devils claw and 32 people were given a placebo. The dosage was given twice daily and the length of the study was over a four week period. The people who were taking devils claw had a slight to moderate reduction of muscular pain.

Sources:
University of Maryland Medical Center

http://Fox News: Devil’s Claw Root for Pain