Cat's Claw (Expanded) for Joint Pain Relief

Research suggests that cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) shows consistent promise for joint pain and inflammation across multiple lines of evidence, with proposed mechanisms including inhibition of TNF-alpha and NF-κB signaling, reduction of IL-6, and antioxidant activity. The available body of literature includes preclinical animal studies, in vitro and in vivo formulation studies, and several reviews, with one 2010 review of clinical research noting that cat's claw had among the strongest evidence of the supplements examined for osteoarthritis — though that same review cautioned that overall data quality was limited and more high-quality research is needed. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of 24 animal studies found significant reductions in IL-6 and NF-κB but no significant effect on TNF-alpha or certain other inflammatory markers, illustrating that findings are not uniformly consistent across all measured outcomes. Notably, the current evidence base relies heavily on preclinical and review-level research rather than large randomized controlled trials in humans, and authors across multiple studies emphasize that firm clinical recommendations cannot yet be made.