Omnia SanaSymptom → Plant Sources
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Back pain: evidence and sources
inferred from analgesic action
For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants, especially alongside prescribed medication, during pregnancy, or for a serious condition.
Chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind. It is a member of Asteraceae/Compositae family and represented by two common varieties viz. German Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). The dried flowers of chamomile contain many terpenoids and flavonoids contributing to its medicinal properties. Chamomile preparations are commonly used for many human ailments such as hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids. Essential oils of chamomile are used extensively in cosmetics and aromatherapy. Many different preparations of chamomile have been developed, the most popular of which is in the form of herbal tea consumed more than one million cups per day. In this review we describe the use of chamomile in traditional medicine with regard to evaluating its curative and preventive properties, highlight recent findings for its development as a therapeutic agent promoting human health.
5 sources supporting Chamomile for Back pain. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's analgesic (pain relief) action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of topical Matricaria chamomilla (Chamomile) oil in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Method Patients were randomized and treated with topical chamomile oil, diclofenac or placebo, 3 times/day for 3 weeks. They were allowed to use acetaminophen as analgesic. The patients were asked about their total acetaminophen use. Moreover, they were assessed in the terms of pain, physical function and stiffness by using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire at the enrolling and weekly. Results Chamomile oil significantly reduced the patients' need for acetaminophen (P = 0.001) compared with diclofenac and placebo. However, there were no significant differences in WOMAC questionnaire domains. The patients did not report any adverse events by using chamomile oil. Conclusion Chamomile oil decreased the analgesic demand of patients with knee osteoarthritis. In addition, it may show some beneficial effects on physical function, and stiffness of the patients.
Background Primary dysmenorrhea is characterized by pain during menstruation without any pelvic pathology. It is a common problem among females in their reproductive age which is caused by increased production of prostaglandin in the endometrium as one of leading causes. Chamomile extract ceases the production of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. The aim of this study was to systematically review the clinical trials to determine the effect of Chamomile on pain and menstural bleeding in primary dysmenorrhea. Methods Search process to find relevant articles was conducted on electronic Iranian (MagIran, SID) and international databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane library, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO), using English keywords and Persian equivalents such a "Dysmenorrhea", "Pain", "Menstrual bleeding" and "Chamomil" without a time limit until March 2020. Irrelevant, duplicate, descriptive, or qualitative studies were excluded. To evaluate the quality of articles, we used the Cochran's Risk of Bias tool. Results Among124 articles found in the initial search, finally 7 clinical trials (with a sample size of 1033) were systematically examined. Two out of 7 studies examined the effect of Chamomile on the pain of primary dysmenorrhea, 2 studies on the effect of Chamomile on menstrual bleeding volume, and 3 on the effect of Chamomileon pain and menstural bleeding in primary dysmenorrhea. Conclusion Based on results of the most reviewed studies, Chamomile can be considered as an effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhea and reducing menstrual bleeding.