Pharmacist’s Evaluation of Natural Ingredients in Topical Products for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to chronic pain and joint deformity. First line treatment includes disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow disease progression, but RA patients are often left with debilitating symptoms. This article explores alternative topical and naturally based options to treat RA symptoms, with supporting evidence for their use. Considered options include Aloe vera, Perillyl Alcohol (POH), Aleurites moluccana, Calendula officinalis extract (quercetin), Achyranthes species, Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu, Curcumin (turmeric), Wutou, Radix paeoniae extract (Paeoniflorin), Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), Capsaicin, Cannabinoids (CBD), and Berberine. Many of these products show promising data for supplemental treatment of RA through various mechanisms, with CBD and TWHF having the most robust evidence supporting their use.