Herbal therapies for pain management: a scoping review of the current evidence

Abstract

Pain is a common symptom which can result in disability and lower quality of life. The current review covers the use of medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for pain relief, as traditional painkillers like NSAIDs, opioids, and antidepressants can have serious side effects. Medicinal plants are effective, easily available, low-cost, and have fewer side effects. The review examines commonly used medicinal plants, their active components, their pharmacological activity, and their mechanism of action for different types of pain in humans and animal models. The review also discusses the use of herbal therapies for pain in various conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathies, osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhea, headache, migraine, wounds, low back pain, and chest pain, and weighs the advantages and disadvantages of using herbal therapies in light of recent research.