BioCurcumin and Boswellia Extract have comparable effects to generic Celebrex in patients with arthritis of the knee

     Celebrex is a cox2 inhibiting drug. It reduces joint pain and stiffness but lacks the ability to cause bleeding ulcers that is common to other arthritis drugs. The generic name is celecoxib. In this fairly recent study twenty-eight patients with painful osteoarthritis of the knee were placed on celecoxib at a dosage of 100mg twice a day or on a combination of the herbs BioCurcumin at a dosage of 500mg with a Boswellia serrata extract high in its active constituent AKBA twice a day. 

The researchers evaluated symptom scores and the orthopedic doctors performed a clinical evaluation. The BioCurcumin combo gave better pain relief and improved the distance the patients could walk comfortably better than the prescription drug. The herbal combination worked as well as the prescription drug for joint flexibility and stiffness. The results of the study were originally presented at the Osteoarthritis Research Symposium International (OARSI) Annual World Congress on Osteoarthritis, September 15-18, 2011. They are published in the journal Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 2011;19(S1).