Give arthritis the devil

It seems there's always something new emerging for arthritis treatment, especially some sort of expensive pharmaceutical drug with potentially dangerous side effects. So when a cheap, safe, traditional herbal therapy makes the news, it's worth a closer look.

A double-blind study examined the effects of the herb devil's claw on osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. In the study, 122 people with osteoarthritis were given either devil's claw supplements or diacerhein, a prescription "super drug," for four months. Researchers found that both were equally effective in relieving arthritis pain. Furthermore, significantly fewer people in the devil's claw group needed to take additional pain relieving drugs.

Although this doesn't seem to be headline news, it is significant that the herbal remedy held its own in symptom relief and exceeded the long-term relief of an expensive drug. 

Devil's claw supplements are available from health food stores and even some pharmacies. Follow the dosage recommendation for the brand you choose. While no major side effects appear to be associated with devil's claw, it may interfere with the action of blood thinning drugs like Coumadin; if you are currently taking such medications, you should not begin treatment with devil's claw.