Winter brings not only viruses, but also aches and pains in the joints tend to make themselves known in the colder months. Two of my favourite herbs for arthritis are Cat’s Claw and Devil’s Claw. Both come from the warmer regions of the southern hemisphere and both have excellent anti-inflammatory actions, making them very valuable in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Some people find Devils Claw helpful with conditions such as gout and fibromyalgia. Cat’s Claw’s anti-viral actions make it a very useful herb, with pain-relieving properties, as well as protecting against viral infections.
No doubt they work excellently on their own, but a medical herbalist will always make a prescription based on the needs of the individual patient, so embedded within the prescription, there may also be a herb to support cartilage growth, or oestrogen when the menopause is involved, or mood support. Everyone is different, which is why everyone gets an individualised prescription even if they have the same diagnosis.