Has anyone taken Devil's Claw and found it to work for osteoarthritis and joint pain and stiffness! I modified diet and trying desperately to lose weight and taking Vitamin and limbrel pain is still bad! Started Devil's Claw yesterday and have notice less soarness but pain will it take a while for this to be effective? Any suggestions or comments would be helpful!
Hi Daphine. I took devil's claw for a while but it firstly didnt seem to make much difference to pain levels and secondly it caused me quite nasty diarrhoea, so I stopped taking it. I have read comments from others however that they've found it helpful without any side effects, so I guess I was just unlucky. I'm now taking a supplement containing Bromelain (which I believe is an extract from pineapples) which my physio told me about. Only been taking it for a short while so a bit early to judge its effectiveness - here's hoping.
Thanks for the response I am taking Two Probiotic tablets to check the diarrhea twice a day if needed so far once daily seems to work! Limbrel 500mg twice a day causes gas, bloating and diarrhea too. Not too effective for pain. Vitamin C was suppose to check the pain too, seen difference just trying everything, exercise if I can tolerate early morning before I get up! Ice is suppose to be better for inflammation, anyone tried ice off and on during day?
Have you tried turmeric, it is an ant-inflamatory. I just use the powder and not the overpriced capsules that are advertised.
Why not try Devil's Claw ointment - it works for some, and no side effects.
Thanks will try.
i may try the powder using tea twice a day! Thanks
You can actually buy tea bags with it in them called pukka turmeric gold
I just mix turmeric with some milk and put it on my cereal or mix it in milk and drink it.
Another thing that is excellent for inflammatory pain is ginger. The fresh root not powder or stem ginger. Grate it and mix it with hand cream and rub into affected joints, or grate it, soak in boiling water and add a little lemon, and sugar if wanted, and drink like tea. You can buy ginger tea too, sometimes flavoured with other things. All good.
Thanks I tried the ginger root a cousin recommended chewing on it but it is too hot! But I both tea and I mix it with lemon. Thanks again.
I had not heard of rubbing it in, I do grate it and make a tea from it.
A friend in America rubs peanut oil into his joints with good effect.
oh yes, raw ginger is almost as bad as chillies 
I dont particularly like the flavour of ginger, eg the tea, so I make a paste to rub onto my thumbs, takes a couple of hours but really takes the inflammation down. Better than swallowing lots of toxic painkillers etc. Good luck
Thanks I will try the rubbing it on aching joints!
not heard of using peanut oil before, guess its worth a try - I use groundnut oil sometimes in cooking so always have some lurking around. I'll try anything once as long as it's not toxic or too expensive.
It seems to be a an American thing as peanut oil is used more there. My friends family having been using it for fifty years down the generations.
The pukka three ginger is delicious but i doubt you are getting much of the substances which will help with inflamamtion. I drink pukka, but I also drink a cup of ginger tea every evening made with the fresh gingerroot - fortunately I like it! I drink this for polymyalgia, not OA.
Do you liquidise the ginger root or grate it? I bought a liquidiser but first use burnt out the motor:-)
I was off all such things for over a year as I was on Warfarin but now have freedom for garlic, green tea, ginger, turmeric and cranberries.
The warfarin was also a cause of pain in my weight bearing joints..
Hand grater. Let the tea steep until it's cool enough to drink, which for me is about fifteen minutes, although I often forget and it's cold by the time I actually drink it. Wouldn't leave it for less than fifteen minutes, though. I am lucky to have a source of fresh ginger grown in Ontario. It is so fresh, the juice runs down my fingers as I grate it. Ginger man taking summer off from the market, however, so I'll have to get some of the much travelled stuff from China for a while.
I drink it and every thing else hot!
Talking of hot have you tried Capsaicin cream on your joints it is made from chili peppers.We can get it on prescription i the UK.
So far I haven't needed anything. I've taken glucosamine for many years (1000 mg twice a day) and I think it must have helped me, although studies say it doesn't work.