10 Anti-inflammatory Herbs for Joint Support

Joint pain is a common ailment and often presents as either external or internal inflammation. Many people live with joint pain by enduring it or succumbing to medication. Under the right guidance however, one or more of these 10 anti-inflammatory herbs for joint support just might be able to naturally help.

Directly using these herbs could offer a more whole-body embrace rather than trying to assimilate to a foreign substance. This is not to say that herbal remedies do not pose side effects as they can, but they are believed to be less invasive.

Never self-dose without the supervision of a naturopathic doctor or professional herbalist and always inform your medical doctor before ingesting any herbal supplements.

Boswellia

You may have never heard of this herbal folk remedy but Boswellia aka Indian Frankincense, targets chronic inflammation. It may be good to try if your joints are often red and swollen.

Do not take with medication or if pregnant.

Turmeric

This orange supplement sometimes referred to by its active compound curcumin, is making the mainstream rounds as a real go-to, natural inflammatory killer.

“The Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine published a study in 2009 that showed the active ingredient in turmeric relieved pain and improved function in knee osteoarthritis equally to ibuprofen.”

Interacts with gallbladder and may slow clotting.

Luteolin in Peppermint, Rosemary, Chamomile

Found in peppermint, rosemary, and chamomile, luteolin has been linked to stopping damage to inflammatory cells and cell neurons.

Rodney Johnson, professor of animal sciences at the University of Illinois commented on a trial rodent study published in the Journal of Nutrition on luteolin’s effect,

“The neurons survived because the luteolin inhibited the production of neurotoxic inflammatory mediators,” (Natural News 10/8/10)

Luteolin is also found in carrots peppers, celery and olive oil.

Licorice 

Glycyrrhizin is a chemical found in licorice that also addresses inflammation on a cellular level. It does this by preventing the formation of enzymes responsible for beginning the inflammatory process.

Licorice can pose some health contraindications if taken without supervision.

Parsley

Think twice before you brush aside that garnish of parsley. It isn’t only a great breath freshener but it is also a, you guessed it, anti-inflammatory.

A study by Scientific Repository King Saud University reports that,

“The [parsley] extract exhibited significant protection against carrageenan [food additive]-induced inflammation…”

Ginger

Get this herbal remedy on your radar for its beneficial effect on inflamed muscles.

In a study of combined ginger research published in the April 2013 Journal of Preventative Medicine, it was reported that,

“They proved that daily consumption of raw and heat-treated ginger resulted in moderate-to-large reductions in muscle pain…As a result of anti-inflammatory effect of ginger, it can reduce muscle pain after intense physical activity.”

Cayenne

Yes, the pepper. Cayenne acts like an inflammatory nerve sponge when it is topically applied. It works by safely irritating the skin cells which causes the nerves that are firing the joint pain to become distracted. As a result, joint pain is temporarily reduced.

Some believe that as a result of the nerves being diverted, systemic stress decreases causing the muscles to relax and the joint to possibly begin healing.

White Willow

Technically, white willow is not an herb, it is tree bark. However, it would be remiss to neglect mentioning what has been called, “Nature’s aspirin”. This title is for good reason as white willow carries similar compounds as aspirin.

In a combined study published in Surgical Neurology International (2010) white willow’s effects were described as,

“The mechanism of action of white willow bark is similar to that of aspirin which is a nonselective inhibitor of COX-1 and COX-2, used to block inflammatory prostaglandins…Salicin from white willow bark is converted to salicylic acid by the liver and is considered to have fewer side effects than aspirin.”

When it comes to joint pain, Nature may have some relief after all. Talk to your medical and/or naturopathic doctor about the best course of action when using these 10 anti-inflammatory herbs for joint support.