Osteoarthritis: Pharmacology and clinical indications of selected botanicals

Knowledge concerning phyto-anti-inflammatory drugs (PAIDs) has increased tremendously during recent years. A number of high quality studies indicate that some proprietary herbal medicinal products from Harpagophytum procumbens and Salix species should be considered as alternatives for the treatment of osteoarthritis or low back pain due to the lower incidence of severe adverse events and lower cost compared to synthetic analgesics. For others, for example, products from Urtica dioica or Ribes nigrum, the resinous gum of Boswellia serrata and ginger, the clinical evidence of effectiveness needs to be demonstrated and for the avocado-soybean unsaponifiables the confirmatory study failed to show effectiveness.