Curcumin and boswellia for effective pain relief

Your patients look to you for much-needed help whether they suffer from acute pain such as pulled muscles and strains from work, working out or projects around the home, or dealing with chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

But between their regular adjustments, they may also need pain relief that doesn’t pose a risk to their overall health. Fortunately, there are supplemental nutrients that can dramatically improve your patients’ quality of life, including curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) and boswellia (Boswellia serrata). Both work through a multitude of pathways individually and work synergistically when recommended together.^1-7

However, choosing the right form of curcumin for pain relief is critical, especially because many of your patients may consider turmeric and curcumin the same thing. This is understandable, because turmeric is the source of the compound curcumin and the two are frequently labeled in such a way as to capitalize on that confusion. But taken as a powdered supplement, it only supplies about 2% of inflammation-fighting curcumin per dosage. And even standardized 95% curcumin extracts are difficult to absorb, so if your patients have tried standard curcumin in the past and haven’t seen results, it’s no surprise. To be readily absorbed and truly effective, the compound requires enhancement.

In this case, the best enhancement comes from turmeric essential oil. In other words, from the same plant that the curcumin itself is sourced from. This combination improves absorption up to seven times, increases blood retention time and provides turmerones for additional anti-inflammatory action.⁸ This particular curcumin (BCM-95) has been the choice of researchers in more than 90 published studies.

Curcumin is a foundational nutrient for pain relief because it reduces COX-2 activity without harming the liver or stomach lining or causing issues with addiction. Clinical research shows it can match or outperform prescription medication.

In one case, a 500-mg dosage twice daily of this enhanced curcumin was compared to diclofenac sodium and also explored how well the botanical and drug would work in combination.

In the Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) patient assessment, the group taking curcumin alone saw the most reduction in disease symptoms, followed by those using the combination therapy of curcumin with diclofenac sodium. The group using diclofenac sodium alone scored last. In both curcumin groups, there were no dropouts due to adverse effects, but in the diclofenac sodium group, 14% withdrew because of them. So aside from symptom reduction, there is apparently a protective effect from the curcumin which seems to moderate any side effects seen from the drug when the two are used in combination.³

But while curcumin is incredibly effective on its own, it also partners well with boswellia. In an osteoarthritis clinical study, a combination of the two outperformed celecoxib in relieving pain, walking distance and joint line tenderness scores. In the curcumin/boswellia group, 64% improved dramatically versus only 29% in the drug group. Those in the curcumin/boswellia group fared so well that they switched from their previously described “moderate to severe arthritis” down to “mild to moderate arthritis.”⁴

Another osteoarthritis clinical study found a combination of the same curcumin and boswellia improved pain scores, including morning stiffness, joint discomfort and overall severity, according to the WOMAC index, in just 12 weeks.⁵

Like curcumin, choosing the right boswellia to recommend is key. In boswellia extracts, the compound acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) is a primary driver that stops 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inflammation. This aspect of the botanical alone can potentially make it an especially valuable natural medicine for many inflammatory diseases, including respiratory and digestive conditions—aside from stopping acute and chronic muscle and joint pain.^6,7

But unstandardized boswellia may contain very little helpful AKBA, and it will very likely include damaging, pro-inflammatory beta-boswellic acid. The best boswellia for fighting inflammation is a specialized extract that greatly reduces that inflammatory compound and naturally boosts AKBA levels to at least 10% of the extract.

Curcumin and boswellia plus black sesame seed oil

In addition to Curcumin and boswellia for effective pain relief, sesame seed oil has anti-inflammatory actions recognized in Ayurvedic practice and in scientific and clinical research. For instance, scientific research shows the botanical’s compounds reduce the activity of TNF-a, an inflammatory cytokine recognized as a prime culprit behind the joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).⁹

Scientific studies show sesame seed compounds can help increase type II collagen and prostaglandins and prevent the breakdown of beneficial fatty acids that keep joints healthy, so it could help prevent the structural joint damage seen in cases of osteoarthritis.^10-12

Other clinical research has reported sesame seed supplementation alone reduced inflammatory markers, decreased pain scores and relieved symptoms for patients with knee osteoarthritis.^13,14

Aside from providing anti-inflammatory actions, research indicates emulsifying curcumin and boswellia in black sesame seed oil helps these fat-soluble herbs absorb in the intestines and from there, disperse into the bloodstream for optimal pain-fighting ability.

For acute pain relief, a combination of curcumin, boswellia and black sesame seed oil was shown to be as fast-acting and effective as over-the-counter acetaminophen, but without the negative effects of the drug.¹⁵

In a clinical study, this combination relieved pain in the same amount of time as acetaminophen on the very first day of use, averaging about one hour in both the herbal treatment group and the control acetaminophen group. By day seven of the study, it was clear curcumin, boswellia and black sesame seed oil were equal to the task of relieving acute pain, reducing it by an average of 72%. In fact, the results regarding the relief of pain intensity and magnitude were so close as to be negligible in their differences.¹⁵

Results show the combination of curcumin, boswellia and black sesame seed oil is an excellent recommendation for your patients dealing with acute pain compared to acetaminophen. Even though acetaminophen is available everywhere, it isn’t necessarily safe, and it can be highly toxic. Emergency calls to poison control centers are frequently due to unintentional poisoning from the drug, including acetaminophen overdose or buildup.¹⁶

Additionally, this clinical study found the combination of curcumin, boswellia and black sesame seed oil was 8.5 times better than acetaminophen at reducing the emotional distress and unpleasantness associated with pain.¹⁵ Acetaminophen is known for its empathy-blocking actions and has been called a ‘social analgesic’ by some researchers for that very reason. When you consider more than 600 medicines include acetaminophen, that creates a frightening picture.^17-21

Curcumin, by contrast, has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression, and working in concert with the other two botanicals in this clinical study, very likely addressed both psychological and physical aspects of pain.^15,22

Curcumin and boswellia with DLPA and nattokinase

Patients with chronic conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis could also greatly benefit from a combination of curcumin, boswellia, DLPA (a combination of d- and l-phenylalanine) and nattokinase.

DLPA addresses cognitive aspects of pain; d-phenylalanine appears to block enkephalinase, which would otherwise break down the brain’s natural analgesic enkaphalins, while l-phenylalanine improves mood-elevating chemicals in the brain, including dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine.^23-26

Nattokinase is an enzyme that increases microcirculation and can help nutrients like curcumin and boswellia move through the bloodstream to more effectively reach the sites of pain where they are most needed.^27,28

Curcumin and boswellia combinations can work wonders for your patients

To say pain is one of the major reasons for patient visits is obvious. But what might not be obvious to your patients is that there are effective choices that stop their pain without causing risks to their health. Curcumin and boswellia for effective pain relief combined with black sesame seed oil or with synergistic ingredients like DLPA and nattokinase can be part of a protocol for acute or chronic conditions and used safely, every day.

TERRY LEMEROND is a natural health expert with more than 55 years of experience. He is the president and founder of EuroPharma, the parent company of EuroMedica, and has formulated more than 500 products to help people live healthier lives. A much sought-after speaker and accomplished author, Lemerond shares his wealth of experience and knowledge in health and nutrition through social media, newsletters, podcasts, webinars and personal speaking engagements. His books include Seven Keys to Vibrant Health, Seven Keys to Unlimited Personal Achievement, 50+ Natural Health Secrets Proven to Change Your Life and Discovering Your Best Health – How to Improve Your Health at Any Age. Lemerond’s weekly radio program, Terry Talks Nutrition, airs locally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8:00 a.m. CST, and is available online through his educational website at TerryTalksNutrition.com. His continual dedication, energy and zeal are part of his ongoing mission: to improve the health of America. He can be contacted at info@euromedicausa.com.

References

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