Herbs and Herbal Constituents Active against Arthritis

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases of the universe and a major bone-joint related syndrome among the aged people. Arthritic patients are found all over the world and there are hundred types of arthritic conditions which can be classified under three major categories: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA) and gouty arthritis. The management and treatment of arthritis and conditions affecting the articular cartilage represent one of the most challenging problems. The main aim for the treatment of this disease is to reduce pain and to minimise the damages occur during the process. Physiotherapy, physical exercise and analgesics are often prescribed by the rheumatologists. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the first line of defence against arthritis. But the NSAIDS and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have certain side effects like GI tract irritation, inhibits PGI biosynthesis, defective platelet aggregation, etc. Since the available therapeutics has their own limitations, a worldwide demand for the alternative therapy against arthritis is warranted. Use of traditional medicine is expanding to a new dimension and herbs are still remaining a novel source of compounds from which new innovative drugs could be discovered. From the traditional and folk medicine, it is well known that different herbs and herbal extracts have been used for the treatment of arthritis but enough scientific evidence are lacking. In recent times, several herbal compounds have shown their effectiveness in experimental arthritis. The present review is an effort to establish the use of herbs and herbal constituents in the treatment of arthritis.