Devil's Claw for Low Back Pain

Southern African (Kalahari) — San and Bantu peoples used Harpagophytum procumbens root for pain and fever; introduced to Europe mid-20th century

Evidence: Low — Cochrane: two trials better than placebo, but graded low quality (downgraded from 'strong' in 2006)

Illustration: Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) in flower

Illustration: Dried devil's claw root

What it is and what it is used for

The dried tuberous root of devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), brewed as a decoction for short-term low back pain. Two trials (n=315) found extracts standardized to 50–100 mg harpagoside/day better than placebo for pain and rescue-medication use — but the 2014 Cochrane update graded that evidence low quality, a notable downgrade from the 2006 review's 'strong' rating.

Safety and disclaimers

Foraging and preparing your ingredients

Warning: illustrations and photographs alone are never enough for safe wild identification. Confirm every plant in person with a knowledgeable local expert and at least two reliable field guides before harvesting or eating anything from the wild.

Where and when to find it: Deep sands of the Kalahari in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa — not a plant most readers will ever encounter in the wild.

Identification: Low sprawling plant with pink-purple trumpet flowers; the fruit is a woody capsule armed with grappling hooks; the medicine is the tuberous secondary root. Compare with the captioned photos.

What to harvest: Tubers dug in the dry season, traditionally by San harvesters who replant the crown.

Dangerous look-alikes: Not applicable for most readers — buy from reputable suppliers rather than foraging.

Harvest sustainably: IMPORTANT: wild devil's claw has faced serious overharvesting pressure. Buy only from suppliers who certify sustainable wild harvest, and support the traditional practice of replanting the crown so the plant survives.

Preparing and storing:

Recipe

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Simmer the root in water for 15 minutes.
  2. Strain. The brew is bitter.

Dosage / directions: Trials used extracts standardized to 50–100 mg harpagoside/day. Root harpagoside content varies; use short-term only.

Folk history

Devil's claw is named for its fruit — a woody capsule armed with grappling hooks that catch the ankles of passing animals. The San and Bantu peoples of the Kalahari dug its tubers for pain and fever, and a German farmer-settler carried the remedy back to Europe in the mid-20th century, where it became a pharmacy staple for back pain.

Scientific references