The Effectiveness of Herbal Poultice in Relieving Pain and Flexibility in Osteoarthritis Patients

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition that causes joint degradation and primarily affects the elderly, reducing their quality of life and physical movements. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of Thai herbal poultice in relieving pain in OA patients. A single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted amongst OA patients at Integrative medicine clinic, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Thailand. Participants were randomly allocated to the Thai herbal poultice or the diclofenac gel group (N=30). The main outcomes were evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS), isokinetic testing, goniometer, and knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome scores (KOOS) at different time assessment. Data were analyzed by the paired t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Thai herbal poultice and diclofenac group showed a significant difference in both the VAS pain scores, extension and flexion as well as KOOS scores (P < 0.01 in both groups). In addition, when compared to diclofenac group, Thai herbal poultice group were significantly improve pain score at the sixth time point following the intervention (P < 0.01). Furthermore, no patients have experienced allergic reactions to therapies. In conclusion, Thai herbal poultice showed more efficiency in reducing pain scores than diclofenac gel without causing undesirable side effects.