updated: 1-19-2019
Background on devil’s claw plant
Devils claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) is a small desert plant that is native to southern Africa. This plant grows close to the ground and produces purple corolla-shaped flowers. Historically, devils claw was used as an African folk remedy. Natives living in the Kalahari Desert dried and chopped up the roots to treat pain, inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis. Eventually, in the early 1800’s, colonists introduced the plant to Europe. It soon became popular in Germany and France to use devils claw plant for pain and osteoarthritis related issues. This African herb is now reported to alleviate joint pain in humans, dogs and horses.
The common name ‘devils claw’ is a reference to the dramatic hooks that cover the dried seed pod (see picture). These hooks function like Velcro; they allow the seed pod to stick to the fur of animals. Once the seed pod is stuck to the fur of a passing animal, the seeds then hitch a ride on the animal and get a chance to germinate in new territory. Smart plant!
In this article, we explore the biology behind the use of devils claw.
At the end of this page, we review factors to consider when choosing a devils claw supplement.
plant photo: Henri Pidoux at French Wikipedia. / seed photo: Roger Culos CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Devil’s claw plant (left). Dried seed pod displaying sharp, branching claws (right).
Devils claw plant for pain
Devils claw is currently used in response to back pain and osteoarthritis. Multiple clinical studies suggest devils claw’s effectiveness in response to these pain related health problems (Gagnier, 2006; Gobel, 2001; Leblan, 2000; Wegener, 2003; Chrubasik, 2003).
As a result, the German Commission E (the German equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has approved devils claw as a non-prescription medicine. This, in turn, has made devils claw a popular herbal supplement in Europe.
Back pain is a common problem. As much as 35% of the population suffer some form of back pain (Gagnier, 2006). A summary of published clinical data suggests that daily doses of devils claw may be sufficient to alleviate pain in the lower back (Chrubasik, 1999; Gagnier, 2006; Gobel, 2001, Chrubasik, 2003).
Furthermore, trial results performed on adults suffering from acute or chronic non-specific back pain suggest daily use of devils claw may be as effective as traditional pain medications, such as NSAIDS (Gagnier, 2006).
Devils claw and arthritis
Devils claw has also performed well in clinical trials for osteoarthritis (Dougados, 2001; Leblan, 2000; Mahomed, 2004; Wegener, 2003).
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, occurs when the protective cartilage covering the ends of your bones begins to wear down. Osteoarthritis usually worsens over time and, unfortunately, there is no cure available. That said, devils claw is one option to help manage the pain and lack of mobility.
A 4-month study of osteoarthritic patients revealed devils claw was as effective at reducing pain and discomfort as the traditionally prescribed medication, diacerhein (Leblan, 2000). Additionally, the patients in the devils claw treatment group reported less need to supplement their osteoarthritis medication with additional anti-inflammatory or painkiller drugs (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, NSAIDS, ext.)
By lowering dependence on these traditional painkillers, the use of devils claw may also reduce the liver and stomach issues, which are common with habitual use of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. More studies are necessary to further evaluate devils claws’ efficacy and long term effects.
How does devil’s claw work?
The active ingredient in devil’s claw is called harpagide. This chemical is an iridoid glycoside and is likely responsible for the plant’s anti-inflammatory effects. Work in mouse cells shows that harpagides can reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines in macrophage cells. These inflammatory cytokines include IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α (Lim, 2014). Macrophage cells are cells in our immune system that help our body identify trauma or tissue damage.
Another line of research demonstrates how an extract of the devil’s claw plant can prevent the inflammatory gene expression pathway by blocking a transcription factor called AP-1. This activator protein (AP-1) would normally positively regulate inflammatory genes (COX-2 and TNF-α). Therefore, by repressing AP-1, you could shut down this pathway and reduce inflammation (Fiebich, 2012).
Devil’s claw and Vioxx
An intriguing report was published in 2003. This publication suggests devils claw was as effective as Vioxx in terms of easing lower back pain (Chrubasik, 2003).
Vioxx (rofecoxib) gained worldwide popularity as a commonly prescribed pain medication. Merck marketed this drug. Over 80,000 patients were prescribed Vioxx at some point. Vioxx is a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) that inhibits COX-2. COX-2 is a gene that promotes the synthesis of a series of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are hormone-like lipids that are responsible for pain and inflammation in our body. Therefore, if you take a drug that shuts down COX-2, then you reduce the pain and inflammation in your body. Vioxx was a big hit, right up until September, 2004. That’s when Merck had to remove it from the marketplace. Vioxx had the unfortunate side effect of causing occasional heart attacks and strokes in long term users. This story serves as a good reminder to be cautious of the side effects of any and all medications, including medicinal plants…
Devil’s claw for horses and dogs
As animals age, they can experience arthritis in their joints. Horses and dogs are especially susceptible to this unfortunate condition. It’s not fun to watch your dog struggle to stand up from their afternoon nap. Lameness, pain and stiffness settle into animal’s joints.
Time waits for no man, nor dog, nor horse . . . medication can help though.
NSAIDS, corticosteroids, glucosamine or therapeutic herbs are all options. Talk to your veterinarian to hear their opinion.
In terms of plant based options, we’ve heard practitioners discuss the benefits of: turmeric, boswellia, ginger and devil’s claw.
As discussed above, the active ingredients in devil’s claw (harpagides) are reported to alleviate the pain of osteoarthritis. Some horse and dog owners claim that devil’s claw is a better alternative to cortisone and NSAIDS. Efficacy seems to depend on the manner that this African herb is grown and harvested. Ideally, the devil’s claw plant is harvested in a manner that optimizes the amount of harpagides present in the plant material. The age of the plant and the time of the year harvested can all effect this crucial factor. As with all herbal supplements, try to choose a devil’s claw product that quantifies the concentration of active ingredients.
Sidenote: If you are a horse owner and contemplating adding devil’s claw to your horse’s diet, be aware of the following warnings.
- Do not feed devil’s claw to pregnant mares. It may complicate the birthing process.
- Devil’s claw is currently a banned substance in some equestrian disciplines, such as dressage.
Devil’s claw reviews: factors to look for in a quality devils claw supplement.
When looking at devils claw brands, you want to be certain that your supplement lists ‘Harpagophytum procumbens’ on the label. This is the correct species of devil’s claw plant. Furthermore, the bottle should provide a specific milligram (mg.) amount for the plant material.
Most importantly, you should avoid using devils claw if you are pregnant or are currently suffering from diabetes, gall stones or stomach ulcers.
At EthnoHerbalist, we are committed to helping you avoid any company that may mislabel or sell a fraudulent herbal supplement. All of the companies mentioned below (Solaray, Nature’s Way and Herb Pharm) conduct multiple verification steps to ensure the identity and purity of the herbal plant in each bottle.
Bookmark this page! We will continually update this article with new health reports and clinical data exploring the use of devils claw for pain and related issues.
Nature’s Way Devil’s Claw Root, 90 Capsules
Nature’s Way was founded in 1968 by Tom Murdock. Tom was searching for a way to improve his wife’s health. By 1969, Tom had 8 herbal remedies on the market. Now 40 years later, Nature’s Way is the preeminent brand of quality dietary supplements.
We are fond of them because they were the first major U.S. dietary supplement company to be certified as an organic processor. They’ve also been awarded many accolades for manufacturing and product testing.
Nature’s Way Devils Claw capsule contains 480 mg. of devils claw tuber root.
Herb Pharm Devil’s Claw Extract
Herb Pharm is a favorite company for many herbalists. They’re located in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon. This is just down the road from my undergraduate institution, Southern Oregon University. These folks have been producing high quality plant extracts for 35 years and have earned a devout following, due to the high quality of their herb manufacturing.
At EthnoHerbalist, we support Herb Pharm because of their commitment to potency and purity. They use HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography) to verify the contents of each batch of plant extracts. You can read more about the meticulous steps these folks take to ensure that they get the cleanest and most active form of plant in each bottle.
Herb Pharm prepares their Devil’s Claw extract from the tubers of Harpagophytum procumbens. These Devils Claw plants were sustainably grown in their native habitat of Southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert. To optimize extraction of potent plant bio-chemicals, Herb Pharm harvests and extracts only the secondary storage tubers, not the primary central root.
This product is a plant extract, meaning the active compounds of the plant have been pulled from the plant with a solvent. This is the reason this Devils Claw plant product is in a liquid tincture form.
Devil’s Claw Root, raw plant material, 1 lb.
Starwest botanicals began in 1975 as a small retail herb shop in northern California. They’ve grown rapidly in the past 40 years. They are now one of the largest organic herb suppliers in the United States. Personally, I buy from Starwest when I want to buy raw plant material. You get a high quality, potent herb for a reasonable price. Raw plant material is ideal if you want to prepare your own concoctions (tea, tinctures, infusions, decoctions, ext…)
Here, they are selling a 1 pound bag of ‘wildcrafted’ devils claw herb. The material is derived from the firm root of Harpagophytum procumbens. Wild crafted means the plant has been gathered from the wild. I have purchased this bag before. The plant material arrives chopped up, so it’s ready for a tea or a tincture.
Please read our other medicinal plant reviews…
Citations
Axmann, Sonja, et al. “Pharmacokinetics of harpagoside in horses after intragastric administration of a Devil’s claw testimonials (Harpagophytum procumbens) extract.” Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics (2019).
Chrubasik S et al. “Effectiveness of Harpagophytum extract WS 1531 in the treatment of exacerbation of low back pain: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.” European Journal of Anaesthesiology. 16.2: (1999) 118-29.
Chrubasik, S., et al. “A randomized double‐blind pilot study comparing Doloteffin® and Vioxx® in the treatment of low back pain.” Rheumatology 42.1 (2003): 141-148.
Dougados M et al. “Evaluation of the structure-modifying effects of diacerein in hip osteoarthritis: ECHODIAH, a three-year, placebo-controlled trial.” Arthritis and Rheumatism. 44.11: (2001)2539-47.
Fiebich BL, Muñoz E, Rose T, Weiss G, McGregor GP. Molecular targets of the antiinflammatory Harpagophytum procumbens (devil’s claw): inhibition of TNFα and COX-2 gene expression by preventing activation of AP-1. Phytother Re. 2012 Jun;26(6):806-11.
Gagnier JJ et al. “Herbal medicine for low back pain.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 19.2:(2006) CD004504.
Gobel H et al. “Effects of Harpagophytum procumbens LI 174 solaray devil’s claw on sensory, motor and vascular muscle in the treatment of unspecific back pain.” Schmerz. 15.1:10-8. 2001.
Leblan D et al. “Harpagophytum procumbens in the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis. Four-month results of a prospective, multicenter, double-blind trial versus diacerhein.” Joint Bone Spine. 67.5 (2000):462-7.
Lim DW, Kim JG, Han D, Kim YT. Analgesic effect of Harpagophytum procumbens on postoperative and neuropathic pain in rats. Molecules. 2014 Jan 16;19(1):1060-8.
Mahomed IM and Ojewole JA. “Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties of Harpagophytum procumbens, devil’s claw reviews herb secondary root aqueous extract.” Phytotherapy Research. 18.12 (2004):982-9.
Wegener T and Lupke NP. “Treatment of patients with arthritis of hip or knee with an aqueous extract of devil’s claw amazon.”Phytotherapy Research. 17.10 (2003):1165-72.