An ancient Brazilian herb could help tackle crippling knee pain, research has suggested.
Osteoarthritis, as it is known medically, affects 10 million people in the UK, according to charity Arthritis UK. In the US, that number is 33 million.
Exercise, weight management and physiotherapy are common approaches recommended by doctors, but it is often not enough to manage pain and stiffness.
Yet current pain relief options are also limited, short term, and often have minimal benefit.
Now, in tests on mice, Brazilian researchers found the medicinal plant alternanthera littoralis — more commonly known as Joseph’s Coat — could help to reduce swelling and inflammation as well as pain and stiffness on the joints.
The native Brazilian species often grows in the country’s coastal regions and has typically been used to help treat certain bacterial, fungal and even parasitic infections.
Until now, a lack of evidence around complementary approaches has meant health professionals have not been able to recommend them.
But the scientists said that while further clinical tests were still vital to prove its benefits for arthritis, the study’s findings are encouraging for eventual human use.
Alternanthera littoralis – more commonly known as Joseph’s Coat – often grows in the Brazil’s coastal regions and has typically been used to help treat certain bacterial, fungal and even parasitic infections
Writing in the journal Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the researchers at the Federal University of Grande Dourados, said the alternanthera littoralis demonstrated ‘significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-arthritic effects’.
They added: ‘These results reinforce the traditional use of alternanthera littorali and underscore its potential as a safe and effective therapeutic candidate for the management of inflammatory conditions.’
Osteoarthritis — or wear and tear arthritis — occurs when the protective cartilage on the end of bones breaks down over time, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint as bone rubs against bone.
It is the most common form of arthritis in the US.
The knee is the joint most likely to be affected, accounting for just over half of all cases of the condition.
Surveys carried out by the charity Arthritis UK show a third of people with osteoarthritis experience severe pain every day.
In the study, scientists conduct phytochemical analyses of the plant to identify its bioactive compounds — the natural substances that aren’t essential nutrients but have significant effects on living organisms.
Then they evaluated the anti-inflammatory impact of these compounds in lab tests involving more than a dozen mice with arthritis.
Over a follow-up of 28 days, blood and urine samples were taken to assess the impact of the plant on their heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen and joints.
Osteoarthritis — or wear and tear arthritis — occurs when the protective cartilage on the end of bones breaks down over time, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint as bone rubs against bone
‘In the experimental models, we observed reduced edema [swelling], improved joint parameters, and modulation of inflammatory mediators, suggesting antioxidant and tissue-protective actions,’ the researchers said.
The findings also suggested that it could help protect joint tissue.
But, they added: ‘Although these results are promising, the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear and warrant further investigation to isolate and characterize the active compounds involved.
‘Despite the pharmacological benefits observed, a rigorous toxicological assessment is crucial prior to any therapeutic consideration.’
Currently, joint replacements can be considered for long term relief for those with very advanced osteoarthritis.
But waiting lists for these surgeries are often long and people face many years in pain.
The operations also require significant downtime and rehabilitation.
In recent years, experts have also recommended certain lifestyle swaps to help reduce the agony of knee pain.
While there is no magic diet for osteoarthritis, there is some evidence that the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish ‘have anti-inflammatory properties that may well be of benefit’, according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA).
Eating a Mediterranean diet might also help.
One 2016 British study found participants put on the plan not only lost weight but also slashed signs of inflammation and breakdown of cartilage in the body.
Their range of knee flexibility or hip rotation was found to have increased.
Mounting evidence even suggests weight-loss injections may ease the pain of osteoarthritis too.
