Medicinal Plants for Postoperative Pain Management: Evidence from Animal, Preclinical Models and Clinical Studies

Postoperative pain is a common and challenging complication that adversely affects patients' quality of life. Medicinal plants, due to their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, have gained attention as complementary approaches for pain management. This systematic review aimed to identify medicinal plants effective in alleviating postoperative pain, summarize preclinical evidence of their effects, explore underlying analgesic mechanisms, and compare traditional and modern medicine contributions. A comprehensive search was conducted in MagIran, Google Scholar, PubMed, SID, and Scopus using keywords such as “medicinal plants,” “pain,” and “surgery.” The review identified several plants, including Mentha piperita , Oenothera biennis , Borago officinalis , Foeniculum vulgare , Brassica nigra , Cuminum cyminum , Nigella sativa , Trigonella foenum-graecum , Lavandula angustifolia , Curcuma longa , Hypericum perforatum , Ananas comosus , Melissa officinalis , Matricaria chamomilla , Glycyrrhiza glabra , Colchicum autumnale , Juniperus communis , Ocimum basilicum , and Syzygium aromaticum , with notable efficacy reported for S. aromaticum in traditional Iranian medicine. Both traditional knowledge and clinical evidence suggest that these plants may serve as complementary strategies to manage postoperative pain. However, clinical findings remain limited and heterogeneous. Integrating historical medicinal practices with rigorous clinical research is essential to establish safe, effective, and evidence-based therapies that enhance postoperative recovery and improve patient outcomes.