Evaluation of Topical Frankincense in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

by | Dec 13, 2023 | 2023, Arthritis, Botanicals, Joint Health

Written by Harold Oster, MD. Results suggest that a topical solution containing frankincense may improve pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

joint healthOsteoarthritis affects more than two hundred million people worldwide. It causes the destruction of cartilage and bone, leading to pain, stiffness, and loss of function1. Frankincense, the resin of trees from the Boswellia genus, has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Recently, frankincense has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties2 and may have benefits in the treatment of arthritis3.

Afsaneh Mohsenzadeh et al. studied the effectiveness of an oil-based topical solution containing frankincense from Borrelia serrata in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Patients between forty and eighty years old with mild to moderate arthritis as assessed on the Kellgren and Lawrence radiologic grading scale4 were recruited from a rheumatology clinic in Dubai. They were randomized to apply a solution of one gram of frankincense in black seed and olive oil or a placebo to the involved knee three times a day for four weeks. Patients in both groups were prescribed oral acetaminophen 500 mg three times daily. At baseline and at the end of the study, patients were assessed for pain with the Visual Analog Scale5, for stiffness, pain, and physical function with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC)6, and overall symptoms with the Patient Global Assessment (PGA)7.

The authors noted the following:

  • Based on exclusion criteria, seventy patients completed the study.
  • At the end of the study, participants in the frankincense group and the placebo group improved on the Visual Analog Scale, all three aspects of WOMAC, and the Patient Global Assessment.
  • The participants in the frankincense group improved to a greater degree in all testing than those in the placebo group.

Results suggest that topical application of an oil-based solution containing frankincense is beneficial in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Limitations of the study include a small sample size and the inability to ascertain how much of the study drug was used by the participants.

Source: Mohsenzadeh, Afsaneh, Mansoor Karimifar, Rasool Soltani, and Valiollah Hajhashemi. “Evaluation of the effectiveness of topical oily solution containing frankincense extract in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” BMC Research Notes 16, no. 1 (2023): 28.

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Posted December 13, 2023.

Harold Oster, MD graduated from medical school in Miami, Florida in 1992 and moved to Minnesota in 2004. After more than 25 years of practicing Internal Medicine, he recently retired. Dr. Oster is especially interested in nutrition, weight management, and disease prevention. Visit his website at haroldoster.com.

References:

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