Pain is characterized as an ailment that chronically plagues 10% of the world’s population.
This article summarizes the clinical research behind some of the most effective herbs for pain relief and management.
Table of Contents
Pain: An Overview
Pain is an uncomfortable feeling your body sends to your brain when something is wrong. Pain can be described in many different ways; common descriptors include steady throbbing, stabbing, aching, or pinching.
There are two different types of pain, acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain occurs quickly and goes away when it’s resolved.
Chronic pain is pain that has continued to occur for over three months and is usually the result of dysfunction within the body. Chronic pain is typically associated with high levels of inflammation (i.e. arthritis).
Over 100 million people in the US suffer from chronic pain syndrome and many of the conventional therapies are known to cause further problems, such as opioid addiction.
Other symptoms and issues that may arise from chronic pain include:
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Anger
- Depression
- Irritability
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
Researchers and healthcare practitioners are looking into natural painkillers, although many individuals look to consume pain-relieving herbs through supplements or herbal teas.
Common Types of Pain:
Pain often varies from person to person and can come in many different forms. Types of pain are grouped into categories based on the location and cause of the pain.
Categories include:
- Neuropathic
- Nociceptive (actual tissue injury)
- Musculoskeletal
- Inflammatory
- Psychogenic
- Mechanical (malignant expansion)
Some of the most common areas of chronic pain are located in the lower back, joints, feet and hands, and head (headaches).
Inflammation & Pain:
Inflammation is one of the main causes of chronic pain.
For example, arthritis, one of the most prevalent painful disorders, is caused by joint inflammation.
Although short-term inflammation supports the immune system’s response to physical trauma, chronic inflammation occurs due to the body’s inability to overcome an injury or heal itself. When there is persistent inflammation in an area, the tissue can harden or scar which causes considerable physical pain.
Symptoms of inflammation that cause pain include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Warmness
- Stiffness
- Immobility (due to stiffness)
Although there are non-addictive, pain-relieving pharmaceuticals for inflammatory pain, such as Tylenol and Motrin, people experience significant side effects from the long-term use of these medications.
Best Herbs for Pain:
Below are some of the top research-backed herbs for pain.
1. Devil’s Claw
Devil’s claw is one of the best-known herbs for pain management.
The active constituents in devil’s claw, iridoid glycosides, are thought to provide the pain-relieving effect.
There has been extensive research done on devil’s claw and its analgesic benefits to the body. These trials can be divided into three broad categories of low back, arthritis, and general musculoskeletal pain.
A. Low Back Pain
Devil’s claw is a particularly helpful herb for low back pain.
A clinical trial involving 130 individuals with chronic lower back pain saw a significant reduction in pain after taking 960mg of devil’s claw daily for 8 weeks. There were no major adverse events and it was well tolerated by participants.
Devil’s claw reduced overall pain scores in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving patients with radiating lower back pain. Participants took a dose of 4,500mg per day.
A comparative study showed that a dose of 4,500mg of devil’s claw had a similar pain-relieving effect on subjects with lower back pain as a standard NSAID.
In another comparative study, devil’s claw had similar analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects as a pharmaceutical drug called Vioxx®.
B. Arthritis Pain
A variety of studies demonstrated that devil’s claw is an effective herb for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.
A study showed that devil’s claw extract was able to help individuals with arthritis pain, reducing their ibuprofen intake. The analgesic effects were compared to that of ibuprofen.
A comparative study found that devil’s claw had similar analgesic effects as diacerein, an analgesic drug. Participants in the devil’s claw group used less rescue medication than those in the diacerein group. Fewer adverse events were reported in the devil’s claw group than in the diacerein group.
C. General Pain
Along with reducing low back and arthritis-related pain, devil’s claw also helps reduce general pain and inflammation throughout the body.
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