Natural Plant-Based Topical Cream RA‐11(O) or Artrex® Significantly Improves Pain, Swelling, and Movement in a Randomized Clinical Trial in Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects millions of people worldwide. It causes severe pain, swelling, and stiffness, especially of the
weight-bearing joints and hands, and aggravates with age and activity. Here we describe a unique, natural topical cream,
RA-11(O) or Artrex® made up of seven Ayurvedic essential plant oils known to have multi-targeted anti-inflammatory and
analgesic properties. After toxicity testing, a multicentric, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with
RA-11(O) to study its effect on knee pain in OA patients. Out of 96 enrolled subjects with knee pain (Visual Analog Scale
[VAS] score for pain >40 mm), 80 subjects completed the trial. Each applied the cream thrice daily for 14 days, with no
other oral or topical analgesic drugs. There was significant reduction of pain in active compared to placebo cream on Day 7
(p < 0.05) and Day 14 (p < 0.05). Secondarily, a significant decrease in swelling, tenderness, and improvement of movement
was also seen in subjects treated with RA-11(O) at the end of 14 days (p < 0.001). Global assessments from both physicians
and patients showed significant improvement in all anti-inflammatory parameters. Thus, Artrex® is an effective plant-based
cream for the relief of OA knee pain, and similar results are expected in hand and hip joints of OA.