Devil’s claw is a native plant of Southern African countries, and is known to be a bitter tonic. The root of this plant is often fed to horses with joint problems and muscle tightness, due to the soothing nature of the active components Harpagosides.
Devil’s Claw has a long history of use as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. It has been effective on symptoms of arthritis, muscle pain, headaches, improving digestion and rheumatic pain. In horses it has been found beneficial for degenerative disorders, inflammation, pain due to arthritis and muscle pain.
Side effects include:
rashes
stomach upsets
diarrhoea
loss of appetite.
These are uncommon.
Devil’s claw has been reported to interact with painkillers and stomach antacids.
