What Is Devil’s Claw Good For, What Are the Side Effects, and Who Should Not Take It?

Devil's claw has a long history as a natural remedy. Devil's claw is good for lowering inflammation, preventing bone loss, and easing back, arthritis, and neck pain.

Devil’s claw is an herb from the Kalahari Desert in Africa. It’s also called grapple plant, wood spider, or harpagophytum.

Devil’s claw, species Harpagophytum procumbens, is an herb native to South Africa. It’s a weedy, perennial plant with a succulent tap root, tuber offshoots, and a woody fruit. The plant has sharp hooks or claws along its surface and its fruit, which is where it gets its name. 

People have traditionally used devil’s claw for stomach disorders, joint pain, sprains, and as an anti-inflammatory  remedy. Traditional cultures harvest wild tubers, slice and dry them, and make them into tea. They also mix dry, powdered tubers with animal fat and applied it as pain or wound ointment. 

Today, you can find devil’s claw supplements, tinctures, and extracts over the counter in pharmacies and health food stores. These products come from the root of the plant. 

Devil’s claw has a long history as a natural remedy. Modern research also shows it might have some benefits. 

Lowers inflammation

Devil’s claw contains compounds called iridoid glycosides, which give it a bitter taste and anti-inflammatory  activity. In an animal study, an alcoholic extract of devil’s claw blocked inflammatory chemicals, depending on the dose. The active chemical is called harpagoside.

Another lab dish study also found that devil’s claw lowered inflammation. The extract blocked inflammation-causing chemicals called prostaglandins and interleukin-6. The extract also blocked genes that promote the activity of an inflammation enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2, or COX-2.

Eases arthritis

Devil’s claw can help lower joint pain and improve joint movement and function. Experts compared devil’s claw to pain medication in people with knee and hip osteoarthritis. After four months, the group that took devil’s claw had as much pain relief as the group on the medication, and they had fewer side effects. 

A review of 14 studies also found that devil’s claw might ease joint pain, though most of the research was of low quality. In one specific study, devil’s claw significantly lowered pain compared to a placebo sugar pill after 30 days and 60 days. While these studies show devil’s claw likely helps arthritis pain, more studies are necessary.

Eases neck and back pain

Early research results suggest devil’s claw might also help neck and back pain. Patients with back pain took devil’s claw extract twice daily for eight weeks. At the end of the study, they had improvement in pain symptoms with no serious side effects. 

Other results show moderate muscle pain relief in the neck and back after taking a devil’s claw extract for four weeks. Yet another small study compared devil’s claw to a placebo pill in patients with ongoing low back pain. They took devil’s claw every day for 30 days and had less pain and needed fewer pain pills than the placebo group. 

Prevents bone loss

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes your bones to thin and weaken, leading to a high risk of broken bones. Devil’s claw might help prevent bone loss found in osteoporosis. 

In mice bone cells, devil’s claw extract stimulated bone-building cells and blocked the cells that break down bone. The model’s result was bone loss prevention and recovery of bone thickness. Other animal results suggest that devil’s claw doesn’t help osteoporosis in menopause, though. 

Devil’s claw is likely safe and non-toxic in low doses for up to 12 weeks. There are very few serious side effects in most cases, though they’re possible.

Digestive problems

Supplements can be hard on your gut, and devil’s claw is no exception. This herb's most common side effect is digestive upset, usually diarrhea and heartburn. 

At high doses, devil’s claw can cause more severe problems, like stomach or intestinal ulcers and bleeding. The herb increases stomach acid levels, which can lead to ulcers and worsen your heartburn symptoms. 

Heart rate and blood pressure changes

Devil’s claw might also affect your heart rate and blood pressure. There is a report of a healthy woman getting high blood pressure after taking devil’s claw supplements for arthritis. 

The herb can also lower your sodium levels, which could cause problems if you already have low sodium. Your doctor will often recommend a low-sodium diet if you have heart disease, but extremely low sodium levels can also cause heart and other problems. This means devil’s claw could worsen symptoms. 

Gallstones and pancreatitis

Devil’s claw raises your bile production. Bile is a digestive juice made in your liver, stored in your gallbladder, and flows through a pancreas duct. The fluid helps your body break down and digest fats. Increased bile can lead to hardened deposits called gallstones. 

Gallstones can get stuck in your pancreas duct, leading to sudden pancreas swelling and irritation called pancreatitis. Devil’s claw can cause both gallstones and pancreatitis. An analysis of case studies of patients with pancreatitis found that devil’s claw has a higher risk of causing acute or sudden pancreatitis. 

While devil’s claw is generally safe in low doses, it might be unsafe for some people. 

Children and pregnant or breastfeeding women

There are no studies on the safety of devil’s claw during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for children. Avoid taking or giving this herb to a child, and talk to your doctor first. 

Digestive or heart disease

Based on the potential side effects, devil’s claw might worsen some diseases. Avoid taking this herb if you have peptic or intestinal ulcers, acid reflux, or gallstones. Talk to your doctor about devil’s claw if you have heart disease or low sodium. 

Medications

Devil’s claw can also affect certain enzymes and proteins that break down medications. If you take medications, talk to your pharmacist before you take devil’s claw. 

Devil’s claw is a traditional remedy that might help ease joint pain and lower inflammation. It’s safe and non-toxic at low doses but might be unsafe for some people. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, and a trained professional herbalist before you take devil’s claw.