Safely Banish Back Pain
June 2024 Issue

Safely Banish Back Pain

A clinical trial showed that two plant extracts significantly reduced back pain for 79% of patients in just 30 days.

By Michael Downey.

According to national survey data, 8.2% of American adults have chronic, severe back pain, and about 74.8% of those have difficulties with mobility.1

Many pain medications are associated with side effects, prompting people to seek alternative treatments.2-6

Scientists identified two plant-derived extracts that they believed could potentially reduce back pain without adverse effects.

When these extracts were combined, 79% of patients in a clinical study reported a significant reduction in back pain in just 30 days.7

These results suggest that taking these plant-derived ingredients together may deliver a drug-free improvement in back pain.

Back Pain is Widespread

Back pain can severely limit mobility and daily activities. It is the leading cause of work limitations worldwide.8

About 50%-80% of adults will experience at least one episode of back pain during their lifetime.Low back pain is most prevalent in those aged 75 years and older.8

Many people turn to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®), acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or high-dose aspirin to treat it.

But these medications can come with side effects, including increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and liver failure.9

Others turn to cortisone injections into their back that may work temporarily, but long term usage can contribute to progression of arthritis,10 osteoporosis,10 and cartilage damage.11

Searching for a safer option, scientists evaluated several plant-derived compounds.  Two extracts emerged as promising candidates for safe resolutions of back pain.

Chinese Chastetree and Ginger

Chinese chastetree is a flowering shrub that grows in parts of Asia and the Middle East. Its scientific name is Vitex negundo.12

It is rich in phytoactives (plant-based compounds with a variety of health benefits) and has long been used in traditional medicine to treat a range of ailments.

In ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine) it is known for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, analgesic, and anti-rheumatic activity. Researchers noted that in ayurvedic medicine, Chinese chastetree is called "the remedy for all diseases." 13, 14

Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southern Asia. Its root has been used in Eastern cuisine and traditional medicine for centuries.15

Ginger root contains the potent compound gingerol, known for its ability to reduce pro-inflammatory proteins. This may explain why ginger has shown promise in treating various forms of pain.15

To study the combined effect of these plants on back pain, investigators blended extracts of chastetree leaves and ginger root. This blend was then evaluated in a human trial.

Robust Pain Relief

Scientists enlisted 72 men and women, aged 18-60, who had experienced occasional back pain for under a year, with a most recent episode of back pain that lasted 7–12 weeks.7

In this clinical trial, participants were randomized to receive either a placebo or 200 mg of the chastetree-ginger extract blend twice daily.

After 30 days, among those taking the plant extract combination:7

  • 79% reported clinically meaningful improvement in lower back pain intensity versus 6% receiving placebo,
  • 76.5% reported clinically meaningful improvement in functional activity versus 30% receiving placebo, and
  • Subjects had a 40% improvement in bending flexibility versus 17% improvement in placebo subjects.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Lasting Relief for Back Pain

  • Back pain can make life miserable, but pain-relieving drugs come with serious health risks.
  • Two plant-derived extracts have demonstrated safe and significant relief of back pain.
  • In a clinical study, a blend of Chinese chastetree and ginger extracts significantly reduced back pain in 79% of patients while improving functional activity and bending flexibility.
  • Together, these two extracts may reduce back pain.

How They Work

Pre-clinical research shows that extracts of Chinese chastetree and ginger reduce factors in the body like NF-kB (nuclear factor-kappa B) and xanthin oxidase that drive persistent inflammation.16-20

For many pain sufferers, suppressing pro-inflammatory factors resolves chronic back discomforts.

Summary

Back pain can severely harm quality of life.

Chronic use of drugs commonly used to treat it are linked to serious side effects.

Seeking safer, long-term options, scientists identified two plant-derived extracts with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

In a clinical trial, a blend of Chinese chastetree and ginger extracts reduced pain intensity, increased functional activity, and bending flexibility.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

  1. Available at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/research-results/us-national-survey-identifies-associations-between-chronic-severe-back-pain-and-disability. Accessed Feburary 28, 2024.
  2. Bally M, Dendukuri N, Rich B, et al. Risk of acute myocardial infarction with NSAIDs in real world use: bayesian meta-analysis of individual patient data. BMJ. 2017May 9;357:j1909.
  3. Park K, Bavry AA. Risk of stroke associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2014;10:25-32.
  4. Walker C, Biasucci LM. Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs revisited. Postgrad Med. 2018 Jan;130(1):55-71.
  5. Martel MO, Finan PH, Dolman AJ, et al. Self-reports of medication side effects and pain-related activity interference in patients with chronic pain: a longitudinal cohort study. Pain. 2015 Jun;156(6):1092-100.
  6. Paul AK, Smith CM, Rahmatullah M, et al. Opioid Analgesia and Opioid-Induced Adverse Effects: A Review. Pharmaceuticals. 2021;14(11):1091.
  7. Shrivastava. Accepted for publication: Study on file. 2023.
  8. Available at: https://cfah.org/back-pain-statistics/#Poor. Accessed Feburary 28, 2024.
  9. Available at: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/nonsteroidal-anti- inflammatory-drugs-nsaids-beyond-the-basics. Accessed March 4, 2024.
  10. Available at: https://ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.23.30458. Accessed March 7 2024.
  11. Guermazi A, Hunter DJ, Kloppenburg M. Debate: Intra-articular steroid injections for osteoarthritis – harmful or helpful? Osteoarthritis Imaging. 2023 2023/09/01/;3(3):100163.
  12. Kamal N, Mio Asni NS, Rozlan INA, et al. Traditional Medicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Biological Properties, and Health Applications of Vitex sp. Plants (Basel). 2022 Jul 26;11(15).
  13. Rani A, Sharma A. The genus Vitex: A review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2013 Jul;7(14):188-98.
  14. Waghmode AB. An overview on: botany, extraction, phytochemistry and medicinal uses of Vitex negundo Linn. 2020.
  15. Anh NH, Kim SJ, Long NP, et al. Ginger on Human Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of 109 Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Jan 6;12(1).
  16. Zheng CJ, Zhao XX, Ai HW, et al. Therapeutic effects of standardized Vitex negundo seeds extract on complete Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis in rats. Phytomedicine. 2014 May 15;21(6):838-46.
  17. Chattopadhyay P, Hazarika S, Dhiman S, et al. Vitex negundo inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 inflammatory cytokine-mediated inflammation on carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema. Pharmacognosy Res. 2012 Jul;4(3):134-7.
  18. Crichton M, Marshall S, Marx W, et al. Therapeutic health effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale): updated narrative review exploring the mechanisms of action. Nutr Rev. 2023 Aug 10;81(9):1213-24.
  19. Nyamweya B, Rukshala D, Fernando N, et al. Cardioprotective Effects of Vitex negundo: A Review of Bioactive Extracts and Compounds. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2023 Jan-Dec;28:2515690X231176622.
  20. Umamaheswari M, AsokKumar K, Somasundaram A, et al. Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of some Indian medical plants. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Feb 12;109(3):547-51.