What Are the Benefits of Devil’s Claw?

South African Herb Studied for Osteoarthritis and Back Pain Relief

DEVIL S CLAW HARPAGOPHYTUM PROCUMBENS USED AS MEDICINE TO ALLEVIATE VARIOUS DISORDERS SOUTH AFRICA

Devil's claw is the name for the Harpagophytum genus (group) of plants, so called due to the hook shapes on its fruit. The Harpagophytum procumbens (H. procumbens) and H. zeyheri are two varieties within this group. They contain an active chemical called harpagoside.

Devil's claw is thought to work through this chemical to relieve pain and inflammation (swelling).In general, devil's claw is an herb native to southern Africa.

This article will cover more on what you should know about devil's claw—its potential uses, side effects, and interactions.

devil's claw

Illustration by Emily Roberts for Verywell Health

What Is Devil's Claw?

Devil's claw is a dietary supplement that may offer pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits. It's sometimes called grapple plant or wood spider. It is available in the United States and is taken in various dosages. It is available in:

  • Capsules
  • Tablets
  • Liquid
  • Powder
  • Tea
  • Topical skin products

Some 50 research studies suggest that devil's claw could be used to treat people with degenerative joint diseases (like arthritis) and lower back pain. More research is needed to confirm these benefits and how best to deliver them.

Devil's Claw and Supplement Use

Supplements like devil's claw are not regulated like drugs in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve them for safety and effectiveness before products are marketed. When possible, choose a supplement tested by a trusted third party, such as USP, ConsumerLab, or NSF. Talk to your healthcare provider about any supplements you plan to take and check on potential interactions with other supplements or medications.

What Are the Benefits of Devil’s Claw?

Like many natural products, people may use devil's claw for various reasons. Several studies have assessed devil's claw for its potential uses.

May Relieve Back Pain

Devil's claw was as effective as NSAIDs at relieving low-back pain.

Results from another systematic review suggest that devil's claw may reduce low back pain better than a placebo (a substance with no medicine). But further research with higher-quality clinical trials is still warranted.

May Improve Osteoarthritis

Devil's claw—alone or combined with other medicines—may relieve osteoarthritis (also known as wear-and-tear arthritis) pain. Devil's claw might help some people take lower doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Advil (ibuprofen).

A systematic review of studies included examples of how people with osteoarthritis may have benefited from devil's claw. But longer-term studies are still necessary to better evaluate the effectiveness and safety of devil's claw.

May Reduce Inflammation

Research suggests that compounds found in devil's claw, including flavonoids and phytosterols, may offer anti-inflammatory health benefits. Some studies demonstrate antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticancer effects, though more research is needed.

Devil's claw shows promise in treating inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 2 diabetes.

May Reduce Appetite

There's some evidence from animal studies that devil's claw can help to suppress appetite by acting on receptors for a specific stomach peptide, a hormone called ghrelin.

Yet while some researchers focus on its possible uses in treating obesity, keep in mind that devil's claw also has been used to stimulate appetite in people diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

What Are the Side Effects of Devil's Claw?

Like many medications and natural products, side effects are possible with devil's claw. The following may not be a complete list of side effects. If you have any concerns about side effects with devil's claw, reach out to your pharmacist and healthcare provider.

Common Side Effects

In general, short- or long-term use of devil's claw appears to be safe. But some common side effects include:

Severe Side Effects

Serious side effects may include:

  • Severe allergic reaction: A severe allergic reaction is a possible serious side effect of any medication. Symptoms may include breathing difficulties, itchiness, and rash.
  • Gallstones: Devil's claw might encourage your body to make more bile (digestive fluid). And too much bile may increase your risk of gallstones.
  • Heart-related effects: Devil's claw may affect your blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rhythm. These effects may worsen your heart-related conditions.
  • Sodium levels: Devil's claw may lower your sodium levels. If you have low sodium levels, you may experience seizures, confusion, and extreme tiredness.
  • Stomach ulcer: Devil's claw is linked to excess stomach acid that may raise the likelihood of stomach ulcers.

If you're having a severe allergic reaction or if any of your symptoms feel life-threatening, call 911 and get medical help right away.

What Are the Precautions?

Devil's claw may pose risks. People who should not take devil's claw may include those diagnosed with or experiencing conditions that include:

Severe allergic reaction: Avoid devil's claw if you have a severe allergic reaction to it or any of its components (parts or ingredients).

Pregnancy: Devil's claw may have adverse effects on the fetus. Avoid use during pregnancy. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of devil's claw while pregnant.

Breastfeeding: There is little information about the effects and safety of devil's claw on nursing babies. Contact your healthcare provider to discuss the benefits and harms of devil's claw while breastfeeding.

Children: Most devil's claw product labels likely target adults—not children. Reach out to your child's healthcare provider (pediatrician) to discuss the benefits and risks of devil's claw.

Adults over age 65: Generally, oral (by mouth) versions of devil's claw are likely safe in many adults for up to 12 weeks. Some older adults may be more sensitive to medication side effects.

People with gallstones: Devil's claw may increase levels of bile (digestive fluid) within the body, which raises the risk of gallstones. If you have a history of gallstones, your healthcare provider may recommend avoiding devil's claw.

People with heart-related conditions: Devil's claw may affect your blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rhythm. For this reason, your healthcare provider may recommend against devil's claw if you have a heart-related condition.

People with a higher risk of low sodium levels: Devil's claw may lower your sodium levels. You may want to avoid devil's claw if you're more likely to have low sodium levels. For example, certain diuretics (water pills) may increase your risk of low sodium levels. Diarrhea and vomiting may also lower your sodium levels.

People with stomach ulcers: Devil's claw might be linked to excess stomach acid, raising your risk of stomach ulcers. For this reason, your healthcare provider may avoid devil's claw if you have a history of stomach ulcers.

Dosage

While there are some human studies on devil's claw, longer-term and higher-quality clinical trials are needed. For this reason, there are no guidelines on the appropriate dosage to take devil's claw for any condition.

Always speak with a healthcare provider before taking a supplement to ensure that the supplement and dosage are appropriate for your individual needs.

If you take devil's claw, follow your healthcare provider's suggestions and product label instructions.

What Happens If I Take Too Much Devil's Claw?

There is little information about devil's claw toxicity and overdoses in humans. Overdoses with devil's claw, however, might be similar to its potential common or severe side effects, which might be exaggerated or excessive.

One review mentioned that a study didn't notice any severe side effects with devil's claw. While devil's claw seems well-tolerated, long-term, high-quality studies are still necessary.

Interactions

Use caution when taking devil's claw with the following:

Certain cytochrome P450 (CYP450) substrate medications: CYP450 is a family of liver enzymes (proteins). Some medications bind to specific CYP450 proteins to be broken down or activated—but usually to be broken down. These medications that attach to CYP450 proteins are called substrates.

Devil's claw may affect how specific CYP450 proteins work—particularly the CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 proteins. Changing how these proteins work may also change how quickly or slowly they break down or activate some medications. This change may lead to different levels of certain medications, resulting in more side effects or reduced effectiveness.

Devil's Claw, Drugs, and How It Affects the Liver

Certain drugs act on specific liver enzymes, which can be affected by taking devil's claw. An example of a CYP2C9 substrate medication is Dilantin (phenytoin) for seizures. And a CYP2C19 substrate example is the voriconazole antifungal. A CYP3A4 substrate example is Zocor (simvastatin) for high cholesterol.

Heart medications: Devil's claw may affect your blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rhythm. So, devil's claw may interact or interfere with your heart medications. For this reason, your healthcare provider may want to monitor you closely. And if necessary, they'll make adjustments to your medications.

Jantoven (warfarin): Warfarin thins your blood, raising the likelihood of bleeding and bruising side effects. Devil's claw may increase warfarin's effects and worsen the bleeding and bruising side effects. If you take these medications together, your healthcare provider may want to see you more often to monitor side effects and labs.

Acid reflux drugs: Both proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole) and H2 blockers (like famotidine) used to treat people with stomach acid problems may not work as well when devil's claw also is taken.

It is essential to carefully read a supplement's ingredients list and nutrition facts panel to learn which ingredients are in the product and how much of each ingredient is included. Please review this supplement label with your healthcare provider to discuss potential interactions with foods, other supplements, and medications. 

Summary

Devil's claw, a dietary supplement derived from Harpagophytum  plants common to Africa, may offer benefits in treating back pain and degenerative joint disorders like arthritis. In addition to anti-inflammatory properties, there's research to suggest that devil's claw also may offer antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anticancer effects.

As with most supplements, however, more research is needed to confirm the benefits of devil's claw. It's considered safe for most people to take although those taking certain medications should avoid drug interactions, and people with health conditions including pregnancy should avoid devil's claw.

Talk to your healthcare provider before taking devil's claw or any other dietary supplement, to ensure that devil's claw will be safe and effective for you to take.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the most common dosage form for devil's claw?

    Devil's claw is available in several different dosage forms—with capsules likely being the most common.

  • Is devil's claw available from manufacturers in the United States?

    Yes. There are devil's claw products made by manufacturers in the United States. Similar supplements also include feverfew and S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) for arthritis.

  • How do I take devil's claw safely?

    In general, to safely take herbal medications—like devil's claw—first, inform your healthcare provider and pharmacist about other medications you take. This includes over-the-counter (OTC), herbal, natural medications, and supplements.

    They can let you know of possible drug interactions and side effects. They can also ensure you’re giving devil's claw a good trial at appropriate doses.

13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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  3. ScienceDirect. Harpagophytum.

  4. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. Devil's claw.

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  7. Cameron M, Chrubasik S. Oral herbal therapies for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014;5:CD002947. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002947.pub2

  8. Gxaba N, Manganyi MC. The Fight against Infection and Pain: Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) a Rich Source of Anti-Inflammatory Activity: 2011-2022. Molecules. 2022 Jun 6;27(11):3637. doi:10.3390/molecules27113637. 

  9. Torres-Fuentes C, Theeuwes WF, McMullen MK, McMullen AK, Dinan TG, Cryan JF, et al. Devil's Claw to suppress appetite--ghrelin receptor modulation potential of a Harpagophytum procumbens root extract. PLoS One. 2014 Jul 28;9(7):e103118. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103118.

  10. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. Low blood sodium.

  11. ScienceDirect. Cytochrome P450.

  12. Food and Drug Administration. Drug development and drug interactions | table of substrates, inhibitors and inducers.

  13. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus. A guide to herbal remedies.

By Ross Phan, PharmD, BCACP, BCGP, BCPS
Ross is a writer for Verywell with years of experience practicing pharmacy in various settings. She is also a board-certified clinical pharmacist and the founder of Off Script Consults.

Originally written by Cathy Wong