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Betsy's Article Library The herb boswellia serrata reduced pain and stiffness of the knee, and improved the ability to perform daily tasks in those with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, according to a new study. Researchers from the Government Medical College, Nagpur, India, compared the effects of boswellia serrata and the prescription medication valdecoxib (Bextra®) in 66 people, aged 40 to 70, with OA of the knee over a six-month period. Doctors gave 333 mg of boswellia serrata extract (BSE), three times per day, or 10 mg of Bextra once per day, for six months, and found that those who took Bextra improved in all measures within one month, but symptoms returned as soon as the drug treatment stopped. The BSE group took two months to improve, but the improvement lasted for one month after stopping treatment. Reference: Indian Journal of Pharmacology: 2007; Vol. 39, 27-9.
 Arnica gel relieved pain and improved physical function in those with osteoarthritis of the hand, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed 204 participants from 20 Swiss clinics whose X-ray results confirmed osteoarthritis of the fingers or hands and who had applied anti-inflammatory topical treatments of ibuprofen 5% gel or arnica gel (50 grams arnica 5% tincture per 100 grams gel) three times per day for three weeks. Participants left a 4 cm gel strip on the arthritic joints for an hour before washing hands. At the end of the study, those who had used arnica reported 26.6% less pain compared to 23.9% for the ibuprofen group. Topical anti-inflammatories avoid the internal side effects of taking oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Reference: Rheumatology International: 2007; Vol. 27, No. 6, 585-91. The articles on Betsy's website are reprinted courtesy of Retail Insights, Inc. Copyright 2007. | ||||||
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