Arthritis means joint inflammation. The pain from arthritic joints can be anything from irritating and restricting to excruciating. Arthritis can be osteo- resulting from the wearing out of the joint cartilage or rheumatoid which is not fully understood but occurs when the immune system, which normally protects the body from infection and disease, harms the body's own healthy tissues resulting in painful joint swelling.

Osteoarthritis is the more common of the two, effecting 10% of the population whereas rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1%. Rheumatoid arthritis can be identified as usually affecting both sides of the body equally – it is said to be symmetrical – whereas osteoarthritis effects joints that have had the most wear.

You should check with your medical practitioner to diagnose which type of arthritis you have. It is most likely to be osteoarthritis, and particularly so if you have reason to believe that the joint in question has had excessive use over a period of time. “Conventional” medications for osteoarthritis are still pretty primitive. They basically consist of analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or celebrex and these are certainly not without their undesirable side effects.

What are the herbs for arthritis and joint pain? There are a number of herbs that have anti-inflammatory properties, such as Devils Claw, White Willow - which acts like aspirin but without the associated gastric problems, Grape Seed, Nettle and Wild Yam. But probably the most commonly used and generally accepted herbal anti-inflammatory comes from extracts from the gum of the Boswellia Serata tree. Boswellia appears as an ingredient in half of the products we have selected on this page. Other ingredients include Alfalfa, a great all round detoxifier and tonic, and Black Cohosh, a potently therapeutic herb more usually associated with relieving menopause symptoms.

In the realm of alternative medicines for arthritis, other than herbal medicine, that is, there is no doubt that Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate are having an enormous impact in the treatment of arthritis. This writer is also a great believer in the need to include fish oil in our diet and, unless you are an extraordinary consumer of fish, capsule form is a great substitute.

Other herbs for arthritis and joint pain included in the supplements on this page are Ginkgo Biloba, Burdock Root, Licorice, Parsley and Curcumin (the active component of Turmeric)