Effect of Jujube/Frankincense as supportive therapy to alleviate the pain with knee osteoarthritis

Zizyphus jujuba is a thorny Rhamnaceous plant found throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. It possesses medicinal properties and is utilized in traditional medicine. Frankincense is recognized for its analgesic properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-nociceptive efficacy of Z. jujuba and Frankincense in assessing their effect on pain associated with knee osteoarthritis. This research included 46 people ranging in age from 50 to 70 years. They were placed into two groups: test and control. Z. jujuba and Frankincense pills were made, and participants were given a Persian-validated Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC), and visual analogue score (VAS) questionnaire. The variables were evaluated before and after the intervention. In the test group, there was a considerable decrease in pain VAS score following the administration of dosages of Z. jujuba/Frankincense pills. The analgesic efficacy of the aforementioned herbal medicines under study was significant after taking mixed jujube/frankincense/aloe vera tablets at doses of 250 mg/100 mg/25 mg, respectively. The combined standardized mean difference for the WOMAC, were 14.56 ± 3.2, 13.9 ± 3.50, and 13.33 ± 4.09, for the before, one-week, and one-month follow-ups, respectively. WOMAC and VAS scores were different between “before intervention” as well as both “one week”, and “one-month” follow-ups. In summary, pain reduced in study group compared to their respective baseline (VAS and WOMAC outcome measures). These findings confirmed that Z. jujube, and frankincense supplementation effectively reduce pain and improve functional outcomes in OA patients, supporting their use as a complementary treatment alongside standard therapies.