Supplement analysis backed by scientific evidence · PT

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Limited evidenceJoints & skin

Devil's Claw

Devil's claw shows a real but small and low-confidence signal for short-term low back pain at 50-100 mg harpagoside per day. Osteoarthritis evidence comes mainly from active-comparator trials without placebo arms, so it remains unproven.

What the science says

  • Short-term low back pain Limited evidence

    The 2014 Cochrane review of herbal medicine for low back pain concluded that daily doses standardised to 50 or 100 mg harpagoside may beat placebo for short-term pain and may reduce rescue analgesic use — but this came from just two trials totalling 315 participants, rated low-quality evidence.

  • Hip and knee osteoarthritis Limited evidence

    A 4-month multicentre trial in 122 patients found powdered Harpagophytum (2610 mg/day) comparable to diacerein 100 mg/day for pain and function, with fewer adverse events. There was no placebo arm, and diacerein itself has weak efficacy, so this shows non-inferiority to a modest comparator rather than proven benefit.

  • NSAID sparing Limited evidence

    One low-quality trial (n = 88) reported rough equivalence to rofecoxib 12.5 mg/day for back pain. That drug has since been withdrawn from the market, and no well-powered trial has tested devil's claw against a current NSAID.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseExtracts standardised to 50-100 mg harpagoside per day, which is roughly 600-2400 mg of extract or 2-2.6 g of powdered root daily, usually split into 2-3 doses. Trials ran 4-16 weeks; benefit, if any, builds over 2-4 weeks.
SafetyDiarrhoea and other gastrointestinal upset are the most frequent side effects (about 8% in trials). Devil's claw stimulates gastric acid secretion, so it is contraindicated in active peptic ulcer disease, gastritis and reflux; caution with gallstones because of its choleretic effect. Case reports describe raised INR in patients on warfarin, and animal data suggest effects on heart rate and blood pressure — use caution with antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives and anticoagulants. Avoid in pregnancy (oxytocic activity reported). Not banned in sport.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Nature's Answer, Devil's Claw Extract, Alcohol-Free, 1,000 mg, 1 fl oz (30 ml)

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