Back to Nature: 3 Herbs Help Alleviate Back Pain

After years of fiddling with allopathic medicine to ease back pain, scientists have now found that nature comes to help - again.

Researchers including Joel Gagnier, ND, of Canadas Provincial Medical Centre in Windsor, Ontario reviewed 10 studies with a total of 1,567 adults suffering from acute, sub acute or chronic lumber pain. Gagnier and colleagues confirmed the studies methods and results, and put out their findings in The Cochrane Library.

What They Found

Devils claw

The analysis showed that daily oral administration of 50 or 100 milligrams of devils claw appeared to reduce back pain more than placebos, which are nothing but sugar pills given to a group in place of the real medication to figure out if the effect observed is due to the power of suggestion or the actual effect of the medicine.

White willow bark

Daily oral doses of 120 or 240 milligrams of white willow barks active ingredient, salicin also appeared to have a positive effect on back pain.

Cayenne

Tested as a plaster applied to the skin, it, too, had a seemingly encouraging effect on back pain. These plasters equaled but did not surpass results for a homeopathic gel.

Study Quality

Gagnier and colleagues call the evidence for devils claw strong as compared to moderate for white willow bark and cayenne plasters.

The review, however, expresses concern about the quality of some studies. The team also found possible disagreement of interest in six of the studies which may have biased those studies results.

All studies were short, enduring up to six weeks, so long-term results are unavailable. Gagnier and his team suggest that additional high-quality studies are required, while noting that herbal medicines may vary in preparation and content.

SOURCES: Gagnier, J. The Cochrane Library, 2006

Related Links:

Back Pain Facts?

There are several causes of back pain: mechanical causes, eg lumbar disc disorders; degenerative conditions, eg degenerative disc disease; inflammatory conditions, eg ankylosing spondylitis; infective causes, eg osteomyelitis; neoplastic causes, eg primary benign or malignant tumours; metabolic bone disease, eg osteoporosis; referred pain, eg from duodenal ulcer; psychogenic pain - originating in the mind rather than the body.

Back pain is one of humanity's most frequent complaints and does not usually reflect any underlying disease. However, anyone with back pain that does not improve after a few days should first consult a Physician, as back pain can sometimes indicate significant and serious conditions which might not otherwise be diagnosed. Back pain is very rarely a sign of a serious medical problem. It is however important that the treatable medical causes are identified early on.

Back pain affects 50 to 80 percent of people in the U.S. at some point in their lives. In any given year, 10 percent of adults experience back pain or other symptoms, such as limited mobility or stiffness. Each year, Americans spend an estimated $24 billion on treatments for back pain - not including missed time from work nor the emotional costs of enduring pain and not being able to participate in daily activities. Imagine what it would be like to have problems working, golfing or enjoying playtime with children!

Back pain can be mildly uncomfortable, excruciating or anywhere in between. It can start slowly, sometimes a result of poor posture, or come on suddenly because of injury. If your question is not answered here, please contact one of our information specialists. Back pain can last for a few short days or can linger for weeks, months and even years. Arthritis is a common form of back pain. The earlier arthritis is diagnosed, the more steps can be taken to reduce disability in the future. Other factors that aggravate back pain include suffering from stress, not getting enough sleep, being overweight, having poor posture or not being physically fit.

Back pain should not be considered a normal part of aging; it is a chronic condition that calls for similar lifestyle changes as diseases like arthritis and diabetes do.