LUBANRELIEF A NOVEL NATURAL TOPICAL FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS

Dr. Luay Rashan, Dr. Mohammed Rishan and Dr. Rafie Hamidpour*

ABSTRACT

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. It is also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage or cushion between joints breaks down leading to pain, stiffness and swelling. The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are stiffness, particularly first thing in the morning or after resting, and pain. Affected joints may get swollen after extended activity. OA is the major cause of disability in both the developed and developing countries. The worldwide estimate for symptomatic OA is 9.6% among men and 18% among women. In USA only OA affects approximately 27 million people. Osteoarthritis has no specific cause, however, there are several factors lead to the development of OA including excess weight, injury or overuse and genes, among others. As far as treatment of OA is concerned, this disease cannot be reversed, but treatment can reduce primary pain. There are several options that can help reduce pain and helps patients move better. It includes using oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, nabumetone and naproxen. It is sometimes possible to use NSAIDs temporarily and then discontinue them for periods of time without recurrent symptoms, thereby, decreasing the risk of side effects. Further, topical diclofenac topical gel (voltaren) is used to relieve osteoarthritis pain in the knees. It works by stopping the body's production of a substance that causes pain. Among other conventional treatment of OA is surgery, joint injection of glucocorticoids and hyaluronic acid. On the other hand, there are several non-conventional treatments used for OA including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, curcumin, Boswellia serrata extracts and others. In addition, acupuncture, electrostimulation and electromagnetic field and others are also used. We describe in this paper a new topical herbal remedy named LubanRelief with potent anti -inflammatory and analgesic properties that make it a promising treatment for osteoarthritis when taken alongside with OsteoLuban capsule.

Keywords: OA including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, curcumin, Boswellia serrata extracts.