5. Willow bark has been proven to help with pain relief
Willow bark helps to alleviate osteoarthritis pain
A study was conducted to investigate the therapeutic potential of willow bark extract in treating osteoarthritis. The clinical trial, lasting two weeks, was done in a double-blind, randomized controlled manner and examined the effects of a willow bark extract equivalent to 240 mg salicin/day against a placebo.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE DOI: 10.1002/ptr.981
The primary measure of success in this study was the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index which evaluated the pain levels of participants.
To assess the impact of the treatment, secondary measures were taken into consideration. These included evaluating stiffness and physical functioning through WOMAC, daily pain and physical function visual analog scales, and patient and researcher’s overall assessment.
78 people took part in the trial and it was found that there was a difference that was statistically significant between the group who received the active treatment and those who had taken a placebo when evaluating the WOMAC pain dimension.
After two weeks of active treatment, the WOMAC pain score decreased by 14% from its original level, while the placebo group only improved by 2%. This suggests that willow bark extract is moderately effective in relieving osteoarthritis pain and was tolerated well.
Inflame & Pain Relief
- Healthy Response to Inflammation
- Occasional Pain & Discomfort Relief
- Healthy Immune System Response
- Youthful Joint Mobility & Flexibility
- Healthy Brain & Digestive Function
Willow bark could help alleviate chronic back pain
Another study was conducted to determine if willow bark extract can be an effective remedy for lower back pain.
210 people suffering from chronic low back pain were recruited by researchers. All the participants reported a pain level of 5 or above on a 10-point visual analog scale.
This study involved participants randomly receiving one of three treatments: 120 mg, 240 mg of willow bark extract, or a placebo. Tramadol was used as the rescue medication and the trial was carried out over 4 weeks in a blind manner.
The main result of the study was to measure how many patients were free from pain for at least five days during the last week without using tramadol.
A larger number of participants in the placebo group needed to take tramadol during the study. The findings suggest that willow bark extract could offer a safe and viable solution to people suffering from low back pain.