Natural remedies for joints and inflammation
Direct answer
The best-supported supplements for joint pain are concentrated curcumin and avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU, an extract, not avocado oil) for knee osteoarthritis, willow bark extract for short flare-ups of low back pain and oral hydrolysed collagen for knee osteoarthritis pain, all rated 3 (moderate). The caution that matters most is that curcumin has rare reports of liver injury and willow bark is a salicylate, related to aspirin.
In each case the trials are short, manufacturer-supported or show a modest or uncertain benefit. The collagen rating rests on a 2025 meta-analysis of 11 trials, which disagreed widely on how large the benefit is. For most people with knee osteoarthritis, exercise has a larger evidence base than any supplement here.
Boswellia extract (frankincense), rosehip powder and oral hyaluronic acid are Limited (2), and the oils sold under those names are not the products that were tested. Rosemary and eucalyptus oil rubbed on for muscle pain are Traditional (1) with no clinical studies behind them.
Compare the options
Of the 16 remedies for joints and inflammation we have rated, 4 have Moderate or Strong evidence for this use (none Strong). See our evidence report.
Click a column heading to sort.
| Rated for | Typical form & use | Main caution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avocado oil Persea americana (fruit oil) | Moderate | Knee osteoarthritis (ASU extract, not the oil) | ASU extract, 300 mg a day | Latex allergy; no safety data in pregnancy | 4+ weeks |
| Collagen Hydrolysed collagen (cattle, fish) | Moderate | Knee osteoarthritis pain and function | Oral hydrolysed peptides (dose varies) | Fish or bovine allergy: check the source | 4+ weeks |
| Curcumin Curcuminoid extract of Curcuma longa | Moderate | Knee osteoarthritis pain and function | Curcuminoid extract; doses vary widely | Rare liver injury, esp. high-absorption products | 4+ weeks |
| Willow bark Salix spp. (bark), e.g. S. alba | Moderate | Low back pain flare-ups | Ethanol extract, 120–240 mg salicin/day | Salicylate: not with aspirin allergy or under 18 | About a week |
| Devil's claw Harpagophytum procumbens (root) | Limited | Osteoarthritis pain | Root extract, 50–100 mg harpagoside/day | Not with active stomach or duodenal ulcer | 4+ weeks |
| Frankincense (Boswellia) Boswellia spp. (resin oil or extract) | Limited | Knee osteoarthritis (oral resin extract, not the essential oil) | Boswellia extract, 100 mg a day | Never swallow the oil; dilute before skin use | 4+ weeks |
| Ginger Zingiber officinale (rhizome) | Limited | Knee osteoarthritis pain | Capsule (powdered root); doses vary | Warfarin: may raise bleeding risk | Same night |
| Hyaluronic acid Hyaluronan (glycosaminoglycan) | Limited | Knee osteoarthritis, oral supplement | Oral capsule or powder, 200 mg a day | Not injections: NICE advises against them | 4+ weeks |
| Magnesium malate Magnesium malate (mineral salt) | Limited | Fibromyalgia pain and tenderness | Mg with malic acid, 300–600 mg Mg/day | Loose stools above about 250–350 mg supplemental Mg | 4+ weeks |
| Nettle Urtica dioica (root and leaf) | Limited | Joint pain from osteoarthritis (fresh leaf on skin) | Fresh leaf on skin, daily for a week | Stings; little safety data beyond one trial | 4+ weeks |
| Omega-3 Fish or algal oil (EPA and DHA) | Limited | Joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis | Fish oil capsule (EPA and DHA) | Higher doses linked to atrial fibrillation | 4+ weeks |
| Rosehip oil Rosa canina and relatives (seed oil) | Limited | Osteoarthritis (rosehip powder by mouth, not the oil) | Rosehip powder, about 5 g a day | Discuss with your doctor; no pregnancy safety data | 4+ weeks |
| Tart Cherry Prunus cerasus (Montmorency fruit) | Limited | Gout flares and uric acid | Concentrate, 7.5–30 ml twice daily | Not a substitute for gout treatment | About a week |
| Turmeric Curcuma longa (rhizome) | Limited | Knee osteoarthritis pain and function | Standardised curcumin extract capsule | Rare liver injury reported with supplements | 4+ weeks |
| Eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus globulus (leaf essential oil) | Traditional | Localised muscle pain (rubbed on the skin or in a bath) | Ointment, 10% oil, thin layer | Toxic if swallowed; not on broken skin or eyes | About a week |
| Rosemary oil Salvia rosmarinus (leaf essential oil) | Traditional | Minor muscle and joint pain (topical, traditional) | Ointment, 6–10% essential oil | Dilute first; never swallow the essential oil | 4+ weeks |
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis (ASU extract, not the oil)
- Form
- ASU extract, 300 mg a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis pain and function
- Form
- Oral hydrolysed peptides (dose varies)
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis pain and function
- Form
- Curcuminoid extract; doses vary widely
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Low back pain flare-ups
- Form
- Ethanol extract, 120–240 mg salicin/day
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Osteoarthritis pain
- Form
- Root extract, 50–100 mg harpagoside/day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis (oral resin extract, not the essential oil)
- Form
- Boswellia extract, 100 mg a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis pain
- Form
- Capsule (powdered root); doses vary
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis, oral supplement
- Form
- Oral capsule or powder, 200 mg a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Fibromyalgia pain and tenderness
- Form
- Mg with malic acid, 300–600 mg Mg/day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Joint pain from osteoarthritis (fresh leaf on skin)
- Form
- Fresh leaf on skin, daily for a week
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis
- Form
- Fish oil capsule (EPA and DHA)
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Osteoarthritis (rosehip powder by mouth, not the oil)
- Form
- Rosehip powder, about 5 g a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Gout flares and uric acid
- Form
- Concentrate, 7.5–30 ml twice daily
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Knee osteoarthritis pain and function
- Form
- Standardised curcumin extract capsule
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Localised muscle pain (rubbed on the skin or in a bath)
- Form
- Ointment, 10% oil, thin layer
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Minor muscle and joint pain (topical, traditional)
- Form
- Ointment, 6–10% essential oil
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
Quick picks
Rated 3 for knee osteoarthritis pain: a 2021 meta-analysis of 16 trials (1,810 adults, up to 16 weeks) found less pain than placebo (SMD -0.82), but results varied widely between trials and reviews rate the certainty as low. ASU is rated 3 as well, on four manufacturer-supported trials.
Gentlest optionGingerRated 2 for knee osteoarthritis pain: seven pooled trials showed a small drop in pain, but the reviewers called the evidence insufficient because the trials were poor quality. The main cautions are pregnancy (the EU regulator prefers avoiding it) and warfarin.
Traditional favouriteDevil's clawRated 2 for low back pain and for osteoarthritis. The Cochrane review found low-quality evidence of short-term pain relief at 50 to 100 mg harpagoside a day, and the osteoarthritis results are mixed.
Key facts about joints and inflammation
- About 53.2 million US adults (21.2%) had diagnosed arthritis in 2019 to 2021. Age-standardised rates were higher in women (20.9%) than men (16.3%), and 88.3% of those affected were 45 or older.9
- More than 10 million adults, young people and children in the UK live with arthritis, about one in six people.10
- Worldwide, 595 million people had osteoarthritis in 2020, 7.6% of the global population and 132% more cases than in 1990. The knee is the most commonly affected joint.11
- About 73% of people living with osteoarthritis worldwide are older than 55 and 60% are female. Past joint injury, obesity, diabetes, genetics and older age all raise the risk.12
- Cases of knee osteoarthritis are projected to rise by about 75% and hip osteoarthritis by about 79% between 2020 and 2050. High body weight accounts for about a fifth (20.4%) of osteoarthritis.11
- See a GP if joint pain has not improved after 2 weeks of home treatment or your joints are stiff for more than 30 minutes after waking. A hot, swollen joint, or joint pain with a high temperature, needs urgent advice.13
Talk to a doctor first if…
Who should avoid
- Joint pain with swelling, redness or fever: see a doctor first.
- Eucalyptus and frankincense essential oil: never swallow them. As little as 5 mL of pure eucalyptus oil can cause severe poisoning.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: avoid curcumin, turmeric, willow bark, devil's claw, nettle leaf, rosemary oil and eucalyptus oil. We found no safety data for ASU, Boswellia extract, rosehip powder, oral hyaluronic acid or collagen.
- Under-18s: avoid willow bark (Reye's syndrome risk), devil's claw and turmeric.
- Allergy to aspirin, other salicylates or NSAIDs: do not use willow bark.
- Active stomach ulcer: do not use willow bark. Devil's claw is also contraindicated with an active stomach or duodenal ulcer.
- Liver disease: avoid curcumin and turmeric.
- Latex allergy: avoid ASU (avocado cross-reacts).
- Fish, shellfish or bovine gelatin allergy: avoid collagen. Check the source, and note it is animal-derived.
- Children under 2 or with a history of seizures: should not use eucalyptus oil.
- Broken or irritated skin: keep rosemary and eucalyptus oil off it.
Known interactions
- Willow bark with anticoagulants: may increase the effect of anticoagulants such as coumarin derivatives (rated 2, caution).
- Willow bark with aspirin or other NSAID painkillers: not recommended without medical advice (rated 2, caution).
- Ginger, devil's claw, curcumin and omega-3: lower-rated (severity 1) reports or plausible concerns with blood thinners, so ask a pharmacist before adding any of them to warfarin or antiplatelet drugs.
- Rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, ASU, Boswellia, rosehip, hyaluronic acid and collagen: their entries list no interactions.
Before you reach for an ingredient
For knee osteoarthritis, exercise, and weight loss if you are overweight, have larger trial evidence than any supplement here, although the benefits are modest.
- Exercise for knee osteoarthritis: a 2024 Cochrane review of 139 trials (12,468 people) found low-to-moderate certainty evidence that exercise probably improves pain, physical function and quality of life in the short term, with no difference between types of exercise. The reviewers say the benefit may not reach a clinically important size, and most trials were not blinded.6
- Weight loss with exercise: in overweight or obese adults with knee osteoarthritis, a 2019 meta-analysis found diet alone did not reduce pain (SMD -0.13, 95% CI -0.37 to 0.10), while diet combined with exercise reduced it moderately (SMD -0.37); both improved physical function.7
Questions people ask
Does turmeric help arthritis?
Concentrated curcumin extracts have reduced knee osteoarthritis pain more than placebo in short trials (rated 3), but plain turmeric powder or the spice is rated only 2 because the trials tested extracts. Reviews rate the certainty as low, and there are rare reports of serious liver injury with supplements.
Is willow bark the same as aspirin?
Willow bark contains salicin, a salicylate related to aspirin, so the same cautions apply: it is not suitable if you are allergic to aspirin, under 18, or taking anticoagulants or NSAIDs without medical advice. A small study found it reduced platelet clotting far less than low-dose aspirin.
Do avocado, rosehip or frankincense oil help joints?
Not the oils: the joint evidence is for different products. Avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU, 300 mg a day) eased knee osteoarthritis pain in a meta-analysis of four manufacturer-supported trials (664 people), with one extra responder for every six people treated (rated 3).
An enriched Boswellia extract at 100 mg a day for 90 days cut pain by about 17 points on a 0 to 100 scale in a Cochrane review of two studies (85 people).
Rosehip powder at about 5 g a day beat placebo in three manufacturer-supported trials (287 people), though a later re-analysis of a 120-person trial found no difference from placebo. Both are rated 2.
Do collagen or hyaluronic acid supplements help knee osteoarthritis?
Collagen peptides probably help a little: a 2025 meta-analysis of 11 trials (870 people) found lower pain than placebo (mean difference -13.6 on a 0 to 100 scale), but the trials varied widely and we did not see the individual trials, so the size of the benefit is uncertain (rated 3).
Oral hyaluronic acid has one small 60-person trial in which the difference from placebo was significant only in people aged 70 or under and only at months 2 and 4 (rated 2), and NICE's 2022 osteoarthritis guideline says not to offer hyaluronan injections.
Sources (13)
- Meta-analysis Wang Z, Singh A, Jones G, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Turmeric Extracts for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2021.
- Meta-analysis Christensen R, Bartels EM, Astrup A, Bliddal H. Symptomatic efficacy of avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) in osteoarthritis (OA) patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008.
- Cochrane review Cameron M, Chrubasik S. Oral herbal therapies for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014.
- Clinical guideline NICE. Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG226). Recommendations. 2022.
- Systematic review Oltean H, Robbins C, van Tulder MW, Berman BM, Bombardier C, Gagnier JJ. Herbal medicine for low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014.
- Systematic review Lawford BJ, Hall M, Hinman RS, et al. Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024.
- Meta-analysis Hall M, Castelein B, Wittoek R, Calders P, Van Ginckel A. Diet-induced weight loss alone or combined with exercise in overweight or obese people with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2019.
- Systematic review Simental-Mendía M, Ortega-Mata D, Acosta-Olivo CA, et al. Effect of collagen supplementation on knee osteoarthritis: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2025.
- Government report Fallon EA, Boring MA, Foster AL, et al. Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis - United States, 2019-2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023.
- Charity report Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis). The State of Musculoskeletal Health 2025.
- Burden study GBD 2021 Osteoarthritis Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990-2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Rheumatol. 2023.
- Regulator/health agency World Health Organization. Osteoarthritis. Fact sheet. 14 July 2023.
- Regulator/health agency NHS. Joint pain. National Health Service (page last reviewed 26 February 2026).
Reviewed by Healthy and Herbal editors · 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027
Reader notes
Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.