There are three main natural ingredients available to help combat joint pain and the pain caused by arthritis. These three are Devil's Claw, Glucosamine and Boswellia.
Devil's Claw is indigenous to the Kalahari Desert in Africa. Because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties the herb is now used throughout the world to treat joint pain and arthritic pain throughout the body. Scientific analysis shows that the most significant active ingredients in Devil's Claw are monoterpine, harpagoside, glycoside, beta-sitosterol, procumbine and stigmasterol.
Clinical research has shown the effectiveness of Devil's Claw in treating joint conditions like osteoarthritis, fibrositis, rheumatic arthritis and small joint disease (Lecompte & Costa, 1992). Devil's Claw has also been found very effective in the treatment of pain in the lower back (Chrubasik, 1996).
In a 1981 study it was found that Devil's Claw significantly reduced the serum cholestol and uric acid levels. Devi's Claw has also been found to be effectivein stimulating the body's natural lymphatic node system thus enhancing its resistance against ill health.
Glucosamine is produced naturally in the body and is found in relatively high concentrations in the joints and connective tissues where its main function is to repair cartilage and maintain joint mobility. Glucosamine Sulphate is one of the best form of glucosamine supplement available and it has been shown that between 90 percent and 98 percent is readily absorbed into the body.
Because of it's healing properties and the fact there a few reports of side effects Glucosamine has been approved for the treatment of arthritis pain and other joint and muscular pain in more than eighty countries throughout the world. Research has shown glucosamine's ability to both decrease pain and reduce inflammation whilst also allowing an increase in the range of motion in the joints, helping to repair aging and damaged joints throughout the body.
Recent studies have indicated that glucosamine may be at least as if not more effective than the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin and ibuprofen but without the harmful side-effects connected with these medicines. While NSAIDS provide effective pain relief for arthritis and other joint pain they can also reduce the production of cartilage in the body. In doing so this obviously worsens the condition in the long run and so increases the dependence on the drugs. Not only does glucosamine relieve pain but it also reduces inflammation, repairing the cartilage damage rather than just masking pain.
For thousands of years Boswellia has been used as a natural anti-inflamatory. Extracts of the gum of this tree, which is mainly found in India, have long been used to relieve joint pain and inflammation. Modern scientific research has confirmed that boswellic acids contained within the herb are able to stop the formation of leukotrienes, the immune cells responsible for inflammation. With regular use blood supply to the joints is also maintained allowing for soft tissue to be nourished and viable.
Scientific research has shown that boswellia has the ability to inhibit the inflammatory mediators in the body, reducing pain and inflammation without irritating or ulcerating the lining of the stomach. Boswellia has also seen to be highly effective in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
To sum up then we can see that nature has given us powerful remedies for joint pain and the pain of arthritis. Glucosamine, Devil's Claw and Boswellia have been shown to be able to reduce pain and inflammation within the body's joints but without the side effects of drugs. There are a number of products on the market today which contain a combination of all three of these natural ingredients and which have been rigourously tested and has been proven to treat arthritis and joint pain naturally and effectively.