FRIDAY, August 1, (News Locale) - The benefits of Indian herbs in reliving painful conditions like osteoarthritis were once again confirmed in a new study. The study found an enriched version of Indian Frankincense to be useful in providing significant pain relief in osteoarthritis. 

The study by researchers at the University of California, Davis originally involved 75 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. However only 70 patients completed the study. The researchers used the herb Boswellia serrata (Indian Frankincense) for the study.

Boswellia serrata was enriched with 30 percent AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid). AKBA is an anti-inflammatory material that works by inhibiting the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme. The latter is very important in the regulation of the body's response to inflammation.

The patients were randomized to receive either 100 mg, 250 mg or a placebo everyday for 90 days. Pain in the patients was evaluated using visual analog scale, Lequesne's Functional Index, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index on 7, 30, 60 and 90 days.

Reporting in the July 29 edition of Arthritis Research & Therapy, the researchers said there was significant improvement in pain scores and physical function scores in patients with osteoarthritis. Furthermore patients who received 250 mg of the herbal preparation reported significant improvement in pain on day 7 itself.

"AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that B.serrata enriched with AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee," study leader Siba Raychaudhuri said in a released statement.

Osteoarthritis is one of the oldest and most common forms of arthritis that affects the weight bearing joints of the body like the knee and hip. Patients usually report pain, stiffness and limited movement in this condition. Existing medication relieve pain, but they do have side effects.

If the above study is true, then herbal preparation might be a better option for osteoarthritis sufferers.