Natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain relief

Abstract

The use of both over-the-counter and prescription nonsteroidal medications is frequently recommended in a typical neurosurgical practice. But persistent long-term use safety concerns must be considered when prescribing these medications for chronic and degenerative pain conditions. This article is a literature review of the biochemical pathways of inflammatory pain, the potentially serious side effects of nonsteroidal drugs and commonly used and clinically studied natural alternative anti-inflammatory supplements. Although nonsteroidal medications can be effective, herbs and dietary supplements may offer a safer, and often an effective, alternative treatment for pain relief, especially for long-term use.

Co-analgesic therapy for arthroscopic supraspinatus tendon repair pain using a dietary supplement containing Boswellia serrata and Curcuma longa: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled study

“…Plant and herbal medications have been providing effective pain relief for hundreds of years and are becoming increasingly popular due to their relatively few side effects [22]. This study assessed the analgesic properties of a DS administered to patients subjected to arthroscopic SSP repair, whose persistent postoperative pain can compromise functional recovery.…”

“…The significantly lower pain scores recorded at 1 week and the lower scores found at 2 weeks in the group receiving TendisulfurÒ enhanced rehabilitation, minimized complications, and increased compliance. The ingredients of this nutraceutical preparation have documented analgesic and trophic effects on tendons, muscles, ligaments, and cartilage [22,23,[39][40][41][42][43]. MSM is the first oxidized metabolite of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), which seems to have antiinflammatory and chemopreventive properties and to inhibit prostacyclin (PGI2) synthesis and free radical scavenging activity [43][44][45][46].…”

“…However, side effects are significant [17][18][19] and may include delayed muscle regeneration and impaired ligament, tendon, and cartilage healing [20,21]. These disadvantages have prompted research into natural compounds, such as herbal remedies, that can reduce postoperative pain and inflammation [22,23]. Many natural compounds act by inhibiting inflammatory pathways in a similar way to antiinflammatory drugs [16,22].…”

“…These disadvantages have prompted research into natural compounds, such as herbal remedies, that can reduce postoperative pain and inflammation [22,23]. Many natural compounds act by inhibiting inflammatory pathways in a similar way to antiinflammatory drugs [16,22]. This study was devised to assess the analgesic effect of a dietary supplement (DS) containing Boswelliaserrata and Curcumalonga (Tendisulfur Ò , LaborestSpA, Nerviano, Italy) in a population of subjects with full-thickness SSP tendon tear treated by arthroscopy.…”

Formulated hexane fraction of Costus afer leaves balm suppressed xylene induced topical inflammation in rat model

“…However, the use of these drugs has been associated with severe side effects including ulceration, hemorrhage, gastric tissue damage, delay in muscle regeneration, and death [5,6]. Furthermore, data from the National Kidney Foundation estimated that 10% of the kidney failures are positively correlated with the abuse of NSAIDs per year [7].…”