Search Joint Pain

Aniseed Myrtle (Backhousia anisata)

Like lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle contains very complex antipathogenic compounds that counteract the buildup of harmful substances in joints. In addition, research has revealed that certain ingredients in this herb serve as a revitalizing tonic and mood stimulant. 

Aniseed myrtle also has effective—and completely safe—anesthetizing properties that can ease discomfort. 

Boswellia

Boswellia is an extract from a tree that grows in the dry, hilly areas of India. The gummy resin has been used traditionally in Indian herbal medicine to maintain healthy joints, lung function, and bowl health for many centuries. Studies have shown that boswellic acids exert an anti-inflammatory action, much like NSAIDs.

Bromelain

Bromelain is a collection of protein digesting enzymes found in pineapple. It breaks down prostaglandins and is another good option for promoting overall joint comfort and relief.

Capsaicin

The phytochemical in peppers that makes them hot. Used topically for the relief of arthritic joint pain.

Cat’s Claw (see Uña de gato)

Celadrin

Celadrin is a natural nutritional supplement comprised of cetylated fatty acids that is believed to promote joint health. 

According to a double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled clinical trial of Celadrin, researchers examined the impact of a 68-day oral administration of Celadrin on 64 participants who were experiencing joint and mobility challenges. The placebo and 

Celadrin groups were evaluated at 30 and 68 days, including physician assessments and knee range of motion. 

Results after 68 days indicated that participants treated with Celadrin exhibited healthy joint mobility, flexibility, and function compared to those given the placebo. Further, Celadrin participants reported significant improvement in distances they were able to walk and exhibited no side effects. 

Celadrin cream with menthol is available over-the-counter, and some companies are working on formulas that include Celadrin with other joint-supporting ingredients.

Chondroitin Sulfate

Chondroitin sulfate works with glucosamine to lubricate joints and make tendons and ligaments more elastic. A 1998 investigation of 42 people who suffered from osteoarthritis of the knee reported reduced pain and increased mobility with 800 mg of this compound daily. The placebo group, meanwhile, experienced no relief of symptoms.

Danish Rose Hip

Danish rose hip powder has been studied in numerous clinical trials, and results indicate that it is effective at reducing the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis and can also help block the autoimmune reactions that trigger rheumatoid arthritis. 

Another important aspect of Danish rose hip powder is that its anti-inflammatory action can promote your overall good health and help protect you from other health conditions. Specifically, human trials of the powder showed that it dramatically lowered levels of C-reactive protein, one of the main risk factors implicated in cardiovascular problems. 

Equally important is what Danish rose hip powder doesn’t do. It doesn’t have dangerous side effects associated with conventional pain medications. And, it doesn’t interfere with the body’s blood clotting mechanisms.

DMSO

DMSO can reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain. It can also speed the healing process, preserve tissue, and relieve acute pain from a sports injury in as little as 5 to 30 minutes. DMSO is applied directly to the skin. You can apply it with your fingers or a cotton ball or swab. Most authorities suggest dabbing DMSO onto an area, but rubbing it on has been shown to improve the absorption time by up to 50 percent. 

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

EFAs have been shown to balance prostaglandins provides relief from pain and inflammation. EFAs also improve your circulation, speeding the removal of inflammation's byproducts and bringing other nutrients to the site more readily.

EFAs can be consumed in supplements or through diet (fish, nuts, seeds, flax oil), but almost everyone needs to supplement because it's difficult to get adequate levels from diet alone. 

Feverfew

Feverfew comes from the plant Chrysanthemum parthenium and has been around for centuries. It has been used by traditional herbalists to help ease everyday aches and pains. It relieves pain by inhibiting prostaglandin production. Feverfew is also known to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger, the common cooking spice, supports a normal inflammatory response. A wide range of dosages of powdered ginger root have helped support joint movement and reduce discomfort. 

Glucosamine Sulfate

Glucosamine sulfate is a natural substance found in your joints. It stimulates the manufacture of the chains of sugars, amino acids, and sulfur that make up the GAG layer, which is critical to joint movement, and helps to restore the gel-like nature of cartilage.

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora)

The oil from the leaves of lemon myrtle appears to have powerful “antipathogenic” qualities that enable it to get to the root of some joint problems.

Lubriflex

Lubriflex contains a proprietary blend of two Chinese herbal extracts, acacia and Chinese skullcap. A human study showed that the combination of these two herbs targeted 5-LO, a little-known enzyme highly involved with inflammation and the pain that accompanies it. The combination also worked on the better-known COX-2 enzyme, but without the side effects of COX-2-inhibiting drugs. The dosage used in the study was 250 mg, twice daily, which is what you’ll find in Lubriflex. 

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral necessary to produce hyaluronic acid. Proper levels of hyaluronic acid are essential for the maintenance and repair of connective tissue throughout the body. 

Mountain Pepper (Tasmania lanceolata)

Mountain pepper grows in the highlands of Tasmania and the sub-alpine rocky soils of Australia’s southern mountains on the mainland. This herb induces calm and eases swelling. 

MSM

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a naturally occurring compound shown to relieve arthritic and other types of musculoskeletal pain by packing sulfur into your body. The healing effects of sulfur have been recognized for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks used sulfur-rich mineral hot springs for therapeutic purposes and, to this day, health-seekers around the world flock to similar springs to indulge in their mineral-laden waters. 

Sulfur is a major ingredient of several amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins in the body. These proteins serve as the structural materials for muscles, bones, cartilage, connective tissue, and other body tissues.

You can get small amounts of MSM from food, and it is most abundant in meat, milk, seafood, vegetables, fruit, and nuts.

Niacinamide (a form of niacin or vitamin B3)

Numerous tests have been conducted that suggest amazing therapeutic effects of niacinamide in the treatment of osteoarthritis and impaired joint mobility.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, like fish oil and crushed flaxseed, have been shown to balance
prostaglandins, which some research suggests may help decrease joint stiffness, and in turn, improve joint function. More specifically, results from a recent controlled clinical trial showed that women taking fish oil supplements experienced improved joint function.

Rutin

Rutin is a bioflavonoid found in peppers and citrus fruits. It has been used traditionally to help strengthen capillary walls and to protect joint tissues from oxidative stress and normal aging. Herbalists also believe it helps to promote nutrient and oxygen delivery to body tissues. 

SAM-e

Short for S-adenosylmethionine and pronounced “sammy,” SAMe is helpful in alleviating everyday aches and pains. SAM-e is a natural substance found in every living cell, but like many other beneficial substances in our bodies, it becomes less abundant as we age. 

Shark Cartilage

Shark cartilage is a good source of chondroitin. Shark cartilage derives its nutrition and oxygen from the tissues that surround it, and contains proteins that inhibit blood vessel growth. Since arthritis depends upon the generation of new blood vessels, shark cartilage offers a unique therapeutic principle: anti-angiogenesis (it blocks the proliferation of new blood vessels). It is this property that also makes it an intriguing therapy for cancer.

Sea Cucumber Extract

An invertebrate marine animal extract used for the relief of arthritis pain.

Thundergod Vine (Tripterygium wilfordii), or T2

Thundergod is an herb grown in southern China and has been beneficial in treating rheumatoid arthritis. T2 is not well-known in the U.S. and is difficult to find. 

Turmeric

Turmeric is the fragrant yellow spice found in curry, has many of the same effects as aspirin without its blood-thinning properties. It has a terrific ability to squelch the activity of free radicals, which is important because any type of inflammation is a firestorm of free radical activity. In fact, turmeric is eight times more powerful than vitamin E in this capacity. 

Univestin

Univestin is a proprietary blend of two standardized herbal extracts that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine—Scutellaria baicalensis and Acacia catechu. Univestin eases joint pain and discomfort by helping to maintain the main aspects of the natural inflammatory response. This herbal extract is safe and well-tolerated. 

Uña de Gato

Uña de gato, also known as cat's claw, contains more than 40 compounds, several of which act to reduce inflammation. Cat's claw activates your immune system, so if you've had an organ or tissue transplant you should not use this herb.

White Willow Bark

White willow bark has been used medicinally for more than 20 centuries. The ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans all used willow bark to alleviate pain, ease labor pains, and reduce inflammation, fever, and hemorrhaging. Its first recorded modern use was in England in the late 1700s, and by the mid- to late-1800s, scientists had discovered its active ingredient, salicin.

Toward the end of the 1800s, Scottish physician Dr. Thomas MacLagan used salicin to treat rheumatism with tremendous results. As he reported in the Lancet, “In not one case of acute rheumatism have I found salicin fail to produce a speedy cure of the disease.” Finally, by the late 1890s, a German company (Bayer) created a synthetic form of salicin in the laboratory called acetylsalicylic acid, which was then marketed under the brand name Aspirin. 

Unlike aspirin, white willow bark doesn’t cause ulcers, gastrointestinal or stomach bleeding, and other serious side effects commonly associated with aspirin and other commonly used anti-inflammatory medications. In fact, no toxic side effects have been reported.

Wild Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Similar to lemon and aniseed myrtle, wild rosella inhibits joint discomfort with its antipathogenic properties by neutralizing toxins. In addition, it appears to have fairly strong antioxidant properties and is a good source of vitamin C. 

Aborigines have used this common herb for centuries and described it as a powerful pain reliever and overall tonic. In recent years, researchers at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences in Damman, Saudi Arabia, and at the Chung Shan Medical and Dental College in Taiwan have been analyzing its soothing and antioxidant properties. Early results have been quite promising. 

Yucca

Yucca is an herb traditionally used by Southwestern Indians. It contains saponins, compounds that interfere with prostaglandins.