A group of researchers conducted a study in 2005 on the medicinal plant Cat's Claw. Cat's claw is said to have certain healing properties for use against a variety of diseases, providing long-term symptomatic relief and eliminating discomfort.
In the study, the researchers wanted to determine how a mineral supplement called Sierrasil performed alone and in combination with the medicinal plant cat's claw (Uncaria guianensis) in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
For this purpose, a total of 107 patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee were divided into four groups. This was done as part of a randomized study, i.e. the patients were randomly assigned to one of the groups. In addition, this was a double-blind study; none of the study participants or physicians knew which of the participants received which active ingredient and who received the placebo.
The first group received high-dose Sierrasil in the form of 3 g per day, while the second group was treated with a low-dose Sierrasil (2 g/day). The third group was given 2 g of Sierrasil per day in combination with 100 mg of cat's claw extract per day, and the last group received a placebo. This medication was administered to the patients for a period of 8 weeks.
The success of the different therapies was measured using two units of measurement. Primary efficacy variables were the so-called WOMAC scores. Secondary variables were the visual analog score (VAS). Pain, consumption of emergency medication (paracetamol), and tolerability of the agents were recorded. For safety, patients' vital signs were regularly observed as well as laboratory tests of certain values.
The observation period ended with 91 of 107 patients completing the protocol. An improvement in WOMAC and VAS scores (p < 0.001) was observed in all study participants from the four groups after 8 weeks. In all three groups receiving Sierrasil, the magnitude of benefit was greater than placebo (WOMAC Total 38-43% vs. 27%). No significant benefit was seen in those treated with placebo at 4 weeks (11% decrease in WOMAC Total).
After only 1-2 weeks, the scores of study participants taking the drug Sierrasil alone and that in combination with the herb cat's claw improved. This suggests that cat's claw is a good treatment option for osteoarthritis. However, further studies are needed to determine the full potential of the natural remedy.
Citation
- Miller MJ, Mehta K, Kunte S, Raut V, Gala J, Dhumale R, Shukla A, Tupalli H, Parikh H, Bobrowski P, Chaudhary J. Early relief of osteoarthritis symptoms with a natural mineral supplement and a herbomineral combination: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN38432711]. J Inflamm (Lond). 2005 Oct 21;2:11. doi: 10.1186/1476-9255-2-11. PMID: 16242032; PMCID: PMC1276811.
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