|
Nettle sting effective for treatment of osteoarthritis
pain
Nettle sting as a treatment for osteoarthritis pain has a long
history of traditional use, but few clinical studies have investigated
the effectiveness of this practice. This small, placebo-controlled
study showed that daily application of fresh stinging nettle leaf
(Urtica dioica) was significantly more effective than placebo
in relieving osteoarthritis pain at the base of the thumb. For
the study, 27 people applied stinging nettle leaf to the painful
area once daily for one week. After a five-week washout period,
the treatment was repeated using placebo (Lamium album,
or white deadnettle, which looks similar to stinging nettle but
does not sting). Patients and physicians were both unaware of
the treatment order; patients were told that the researchers were
investigating two different types of nettle and that they might
experience a harmless stinging sensation. According to the results,
reductions in pain and disability scores were significantly greater
with nettle treatment than with placebo. The investigators concluded,
"The stinging nettle is a freely available plant and its
sting seems a safe treatment for musculoskeletal pain." Randall
C, Randall H, Dobbs F, et al. Randomized controlled trial of nettle
sting for treatment of base-of thumb pain. Journal of the Royal
Society of Medicine 2000; 93:305-309.
|
