Results of a third clinical study reveal that Arjuna Natural's Rhuleave-K is also effective in pain relief at a dosage 50% that of the previous two studies.
The blend of pure extracts of frankincense (Boswellia serrata) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) already was recognised in the first studies as providing relief of acute musculoskeletal pain following exercise, demonstrating a strong cumulative pain relief effect at 1,000mg. In response to the impressive results of the current study, the researchers note that it was encouraging to find that Rhuleave-K works well even at 500mg.
The earlier, multicenter study, using Rhuleave-K 1000mg in subjects with acute musculoskeletal pain, was published with 88 subjects in 2020, and repeated in 232 individuals in March 2022. This also brought to the conclusion that Rhuleave-K is equally effective for relieving musculoskeletal pain in the head and neck, the upper and lower limbs, the trunk, and throughout the body.
The recent study 1, published in June 2022 in the Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences led by Jerrin Kizhakkekara, MD, and Saif Mohammad, MD, was a prospective randomised double-blind study with 40 subjects, receiving either a single dose of 500 mg of Rhuleave-K standardised curcuminoids and acetyl ketoboswellic acid (AKBA), or a placebo. The primary outcome was the sum of pain intensity difference at 6 hours, as evaluated by the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and total pain relief evaluated by categorical pain relief scale (PRS) every 30 minutes over 6 hours.
Results showed a significant decrease (62%) in pain intensity for Rhuleave-K, with total pain relief 84% better than with the placebo. There was a 43% improvement in the quality of pain relief compared to placebo, as assessed by the McGill short-form questionnaire. The researchers concluded that Rhuleave-K at the 500mg dose had significant and cumulative pain-relief properties.
Joint and tendon pain is one of the leading causes of visits to health and medical practitioners. As a discipline, pain management has become a primary category for specialisation. Typically, persons suffering from such pain—whether from overexertion, injury, or inflammation—turn to over-the-counter analgesics, such as aspirin or paracetamol. But such medicines, while generally safe, can have undesired side effects and risks. Increasingly, consumers are seeking more natural solutions to address physical health needs.
“There was a distinct gap in the herbal space for fast relief of acute pain,” said Benny Antony, PhD, Joint Managing Director for Arjuna. “Rhuleave-K is composed of all-natural botanicals, well-known in traditional Indian medicine and has seen growing support from the scientific community for their strong anti-inflammatory capacity. But more than anti-inflammatory, it’s the analgesic—or nociceptive—action which makes Rhuleave K stand out. And being able to halve the dose makes it extremely affordable, opening more options for creating new formulations using Rhuleave K.”
A third, base component, black sesame seed oil, is employed as an effective carrier agent for the two compounds and has been recognised itself for specific anti-inflammatory and warming properties.
“These ingredients were not as successful individually for fast relief of pain,” added Antony. “To our knowledge, Rhuleave-K crafted through Arjuna’s proprietary SPEEDTECH process—is the first such blend of botanicals clinically documented to offer fast pain relief in acute musculoskeletal pain and pain following exercise.”
Arjuna’s scientists are already looking into other types of pain, such as headaches, that could benefit from the powerful, long-lasting relief Rhuleave-K offers.