Omnia SanaSymptom → Plant Sources
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) and Back pain: evidence and sources
inferred from anti-rheumatic 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.
3 sources supporting Stinging Nettle for Back pain. Includes scientific publications, books, monographs and traditional-use references.
Mechanistic basis
This use is associated with the plant's anti-rheumatic / anti-arthritic action. Further evidence for that pharmacology:
Nettle root is recommended for complaints associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We therefore conducted a comprehensive review of the literature to summarise the pharmacological and clinical effects of this plant material. Only a few components of the active principle have been identified and the mechanism of action is still unclear. It seems likely that sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), aromatase, epidermal growth factor and prostate steroid membrane receptors are involved in the anti-prostatic effect, but less likely that 5alpha-reductase or androgen receptors are involved. Extract and a polysaccharide fraction were shown to exert anti-inflammatory activity. A proprietary methanolic nettle root extract and particular fractions inhibited cell proliferation. Isolated lectins (UDA) were shown to be promising immunomodulatory agents, having also anti-viral and fungistatic effects. However, despite these in vitro studies it is unclear whether the in-vitro or animal data are a surrogate for clinical effects. The clinical evidence of effectiveness for nettle root in the treatment of BPH is based on many open studies. A small number of randomised controlled studies indicate that a proprietary methanolic extract is effective in improving BPH complaints. However, the significance and magnitude of the effect remains to be established in further confirmatory studies before nettle root treatment may be accepted in the guidelines for BPH treatment. The risk for adverse events during nettle root treatment is very low, as is its toxicity. Pre-clinical safety data remain to be completed.
Background Natural products, whether pure compounds or standardized plant extracts, offer unlimited opportunities for other drug sources due to the unequaled availability of chemical diversity. Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a unique herbaceous perennial flowering plant with stinging hairs. The leaf extract of nettle was one of the herbal remedies which the experimental, clinical and trials have complemented each other. It is a very well-known plant with a wide historical background use of stems, leaves and roots. It has a long history of use as power sources such as soup or curry, and also used as fiber and a medicinal plant. Urtica dioica has traditionally been used in the control of cardiovascular disorders especially hypertension. The leaf extract of Urtica dioica has been reported to improve glucose homeostasis in vivo. Nettle root could prevent some of the effects of prostatic hyperplasia. Extracts of nettle leaf are used as anti-inflammatory remedies for rheumatoid arthritis. Urtica dioica extract significantly increased the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. This article aims to review the very wide ranging of pharmacological effects of Urtica dioica extract. Methods Articles on PuBmed between 1980 and 2019. Results Description and critical review of the pharmacological effects of Urtica dioica and other uses. Conclusion The nettle is actually a plant with many qualities and uses. The interest in it is deserved and it is given by other studies and investigations.