Devil's Claw

Devil’s claw harpagophytum procumbens is a perennial shrub that grows wild in the desert countries of Southern Africa, most notably in the Kalahari sands of Namibia. After heavy rain it develops luscious leaves and beautiful red-violet trumpet-shaped flowers.

The herb takes its common name from its large thorny seedpods, which are a hazard for animals when they become entangled in their fur – its botanical name is derived from the Greek ‘harpago’ meaning a ‘grappling hook’.

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
Devils claw has a long history of traditional medicinal use in native African medicine. It was used in remedies to treat pain, digestive complaints, migraine, fever and allergic reactions. But it is only recently that we in the UK have started to appreciate the health enhancing potential of this strange looking South African herb.

HOW IS IT USED?
Studies now show that devil’s claw extract can help a wide variety of joint conditions. Recent research particularly indicates it use for neck, shoulder and lower back pain. It’s not known exactly how devil’s claw works, but its tubers have a number of active chemical compounds that have been studied extensively by scientists. One of the most important are harpagosides, which research shows have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. More research is needed though before the exact effects of the compounds can be explained.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I TAKE?
You need to take at least 600mg (standardised extract) of devils’ claw with food twice a day. And you need to be patient as it can be up to three weeks before you see benefits. You can take devil’s claw take on an ongoing basis if you need to.

IS IT FOR ME?

Devil’s claw can help:

•  Lower back pain
•  Painful joints caused by rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
•  General muscular aches and pains.

Devil’s claw is found in FlexiHerb - A traditional herbal medicinal product used for thr relief of backache, rheumatic or muscular pain and general aches and pains in the muscles and joints based on traditional use only.