The Effect of Herbal Treatment on Arthritis

 

Mills S., Jacoby R., Chacksfield M., Willoughby M. 1996. Effect of a proprietary herbal medicine on the relief of chronic arthritic pain: a double-blind study. Rheumatology (Oxford) 35(8):874–878. [accessed 2019 Apr 18]. https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/35/9/874/1782566

 

Focusing on the use of herbal treatment for arthritis and other related afflictions, a study was used to support this notion. The research questioned whether the use of OTC herbal medicine Reumalex eradicates the pain symptoms of arthritic patients. The use of herbal medication recently is an increasing trend. Physicians need to know the impact of these herbal drugs. Reumalex is a licensed herbal medicine that has for many years been sold OTC for the alleviation of arthritic pain. Willow bark was the traditional treatment for inflammatory diseases that led scientists to the discovery of the salicylates and aspirin. All the ingredients in this formulation are in low doses, as is appropriate for OTC treatments, so a dramatic effect was not expected. There were no other significant changes in any other measures nor in the use of other self-prescribed analgesics. 72 out 300 initial recruits finished the trial. There was a greater, but also not statistically significant, improvement in mood scores among those taking Reumalex than placebo. In conclusion, there was a small but statistically significant improvement in pain symptoms. Symptom improvement during the trial was small. There was also almost no perceptible placebo effect in any measure apart from those of tension and mood.

Reliability was established because it was supported by Gerard House Limited and Dr. Nicola Crichton, formerly of the Department of Mathematical Statistics and Operational Research at the University of Exeter, for help with study design. The source is objective. The authors’ goals in this study are about informing people about the potential avenue of therapeutic herbal medicine as opposed to manufactured drugs. This article will be used in the literature review to support that herbal treatments are a far more effective method for treating arthritis, osteoarthritis and back pain when compared to manufactured counterparts.

 

Niizawa A., Kogure T., Fujinaga H., Takahashi K., Shimada Y., Terasawa K. 2000. Clinical and immunomodulatory effect of fun-boi, an herbal medicine, in rheumatoid arthritis.JCR 6(8):244–249. [accessed 2019 Apr 18]

 

Another study investigated the use of different herbal treatment. The researchers questioned the effects of Fun-boi, an herbal medication, and its overall efficacy of improving arthritis symptoms by using collagen-induced arthritis mouse models.  Crude preparations of Fun-boi (Stephania tetrandra), a traditional antirheumatic herb, have been reported to have immunomodulatory effects on both cell-mediated and humoral immunity in vitro (in glass), but little is known about the mode of action in vivo (in cells). Whereas bovine type 2 collagen immunization of DBA/1J mice caused a significant redistribution of CD3/CD8 lymphocytes from blood or lymph nodes, Fun-boi therapy caused considerable normalization of the CD3/CD8 lymphocytes from blood or lymph nodes but did not affect the CD4 or CD4/CD40L lymphocyte subsets. These results demonstrate that Fun-boi therapy exerts therapeutic effects in CIA mice, possibly by causing immunomodulatory effects at specific sites.

This is a reliable source because it came from a peer-reviewed database. Several authors worked on this study. The cause is an external source because the authors do not seem particularly partial to the topic and the authors provided a holistic view of the problem. This article will be used in the literature review to support further the notion that herbal treatments are an effective treatment for an array of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. It also shapes the literature review in that it provides another viable source of herbal medicine that works or has the potential to work.

 

Willich S., Rossnagel K., Roll S., Wagner A., Mune O., Erlendson J., Kharazmi A., Sörensen H., Winther K. 2010. Rose hip herbal remedy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis – a randomized controlled trial. Phytomedicine 17():87–93. [accessed 2019 Apr 28]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19818588

 

The researchers decided to investigate if the standardized rose-hip (Rosa canina) powder can help to reduce the symptoms common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The methods the researchers chose to employ a double-blind controlled trial. The subjects were assigned to their treatment groups (rose-hip powder 5 grams daily or a 5-gram placebo) for 6 months at two clinics in Berlin and Copenhagen. To assess whether there were symptoms reduction following treatment, subjects had to complete a Health Assessment Questionnaire at six months. Intake of pain medication was not different between the groups. Their results showed a total of 89 patients in the rose-hip experimental group improved in their symptoms; however, the HAQ Patient Pain Scale showed no statistically significant difference between both groups. The researchers concluded that in addition to regular pain medication, rheumatoid arthritis might benefit from treatment with rosehip powder.

As for the article’s credibility, the article comes from a peer-reviewed source. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are all correct. This is a reliable article because the cause is not biased. However, the authors’ did note that the trial was not large or well powered enough. This specific article will be used in the literature review to support that herbal treatments are an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The authors’ goals in writing the article were to find out whether there are new therapeutic approaches for rheumatoid arthritis with clinical effectiveness.

 

Rein E, Kharazmi A, Winther K. 2004. A herbal remedy, Hyben Vital (stand. powder of a subspecies of Rosa canina fruits), reduces pain and improves general well being in patients with osteoarthritis—a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Phytomedicine 11(8):383–391. [accessed 2019 Apr 28]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15330493

 

The researchers chose to investigate whether the use of Hyben Vital will minimize the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis patients. In the experiment, 112 patients with osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to two groups: 5 grams of Hyben Vital daily or 5 grams of a placebo daily. Each treatment was administered for a duration of 3 months. The patients assessed and recorded their changes with a 5 point categorical scale in joint pain, stiffness and other symptoms over each treatment period in their diaries. Group A (placebo first) showed significantly more improvement from Hyben Vital than from placebo. When patients, based on reduction in joint pain, were divided into responders and non-responders, the first three months of active treatment showed a response rate of a 66% compared to that of placebo group which had a response rate of 36%. Reduction in pain sensation was evaluated on yes/no basis and results showed there was a significant reduction in pain from active treatment. Preference of treatment was in favor of aggressive treatment, and diary recordings on pain, general wellbeing, mood, and sleeping quality were all statistically significant in favor of active treatment.

After review, this article can be deemed credible because many of their conclusions were supported by previous research, it came from a peer-reviewed source and grammar/punctuation/spelling were all correct. The cause is not biased. However, the researchers did note that there were unintended consequences and unwanted effects because of the study. For example, acid regurgitation occurred in one patient during active treatment with the Hyben Vital. This article will be used in the literature review to support that herbal therapies are not resistant to side effects but can still be effective treatments for arthritis.