5 Herbs For Arthritis That Help To Ease Pain

by Skye Macfarlane on Mar 12, 2025 0 comments

Arthritis is a condition that affects more than 670,000 New Zealanders and leads to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. While conventional treatments like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen) and corticosteroids can provide relief, they often come with side effects—driving many to explore natural alternatives.

Herbs for arthritis have been used for centuries to support joint health, support inflammation, and help ease discomfort. Understanding how arthritis develops and how to break the pain cycle with the right combination of diet, conventional treatments, movement, and herbal support can make a real difference in managing symptoms.

The pain cycle

Arthritis pain is driven by chronic inflammation, joint degeneration, and nervous system sensitivity. When joints become inflamed, your immune cells release chemicals that break down cartilage, which leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling. This then triggers your nervous system, amplifying the pain signals and making movement even more difficult.

Over time, the effect of pain reduces the amount of movement people do and this reduced mobility leads to muscle weakness – which further stresses the joints. Breaking this cycle with support from diet, supplements, herbs for arthritis, and movement can help manage symptoms and prevent progression.

Diet: An anti-inflammatory approach

A diet rich in whole foods, healthy fats, and antioxidants can help reduce inflammation and improve joint health. A Mediterranean diet is often advocated for cases of arthritis. This can look like eating more whole foods and less processed foods.

Eat more:

Fatty fish (salmon and sardines) or flaxseeds for omega-3s
Leafy greens, berries, and turmeric for antioxidants
Nuts, seeds, and olive oil for healthy fats
Legumes and whole grains for fibre

Eat less:

Processed foods and refined sugar
Red meat and fried foods (which can be high in pro-inflammatory fats)
Excess alcohol and caffeine

Supplements for joint support

Magnesium: Helps with muscle relaxation and pain relief. It is found in leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. A good quality magnesium powder can be very beneficial to help with nervous system regulation as well as joint support, look for a magnesium malate or glycinate.

Calcium & vitamin D: Essential for bone strength and reducing the risk of osteoporosis. These can be found in dairy or fortified plant-based alternatives, mushrooms, and certain legumes. You can also take a mineral supplement or a vitamin D spray if you need extra support. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin so do not exceed recommended doses.

PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide): PEA is a natural fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, which is useful for chronic pain relief. It can be found as a powder or capsules.

5 herbs for arthritis relief

1. Turmeric: A well-known herb for arthritis that contains curcumin, a potent anti-inflammatory compound. Curcumin is best absorbed with black pepper and healthy fats and has both traditional and evidence-based knowledge that supports its role in helping with pain and inflammation. We use turmeric, black pepper horopito and ginger in our Anti-Flam Tonic.

2. Ginger: The warming action from ginger can help reduce joint pain and stiffness, as well as help move nutrients around the body. It can help reduce swelling and move waste products away from injured sites.

3. Boswellia (Indian frankincense): Boswellia helps to reduce joint inflammation and has anti-arthritic actions which can make it helpful for improving mobility.

4. Horopito: A native New Zealand plant with anti-inflammatory benefits, similar to ginger it helps reduce inflammation and support circulation.

5. Nettle: Traditionally people used nettle as a herb to relieve arthritis pain and stiffness. They would often apply it locally to the painful area so the ‘sting’ would release histamine to help reduce the pain. People still use this approach now, and there have been randomised controlled trials that show topical nettle use can help with pain relief and sore joints.

Lifestyle strategies for arthritis relief

Gentle movement: The last thing you probably feel like doing when you are suffering from arthritic pain is moving, but movement can help. The key is to focus on small bouts of gentle movement to keep up mobility. Yoga, tai chi, swimming, and walking help maintain joint mobility.

Stress management: Deep breathing, mindfulness, and massage are ways that can help reduce pain perception, as well as help refocus the mind when things can feel tough. Acupuncture has also been shown to help with pain relief and mobility.

Sleep: A well-rested body repairs and manages inflammation better, however getting to or staying asleep is hard when you’re in pain. Consider adding in some nervine sedative herbs. Chamomile, valerian, Californian poppy and St John’s wort can all help with a restful sleep.

🌿Related: 8 Incredible Herbs To Help With Sleep

4-week arthritis support plan

Managing arthritis naturally is possible with a holistic approach that combines diet, supplements, herbs for arthritis, and lifestyle changes. By incorporating these strategies you can help support joint health, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility sustainably and naturally.

If you’re considering adding supplements or herbs, consult a qualified healthcare professional to ensure they’re safe for you, especially if taking medications. Turmeric in high doses can interact with medication – in particular blood thinners so if you need any help – please reach out to us.

Starting anything new can be difficult, here is a simple plan that might help you support your arthritic pain.

Week	Focus	Diet	Supplements	Herbs	Lifestyle
1	Reduce inflammation	Eat anti-inflammatory meals - Mediterranean diet	Start magnesium & vitamin D	Anti-Flam Tonic	10 min gentle stretching daily
2	Support cartilage and bones	Add in collagen-rich foods		Anti-Flam Tonic	Try warm baths for relaxation
3	Improve mobility and reduce pain	Add fermented foods (probiotics) to help support gut health	Add in PEA if more support is needed	Add nettle tea	Walk 20 min daily
4	Long-term maintenance	Meal prep arthritis-friendly meals	Assess supplement effectiveness	Sleep herbs if needed	Prioritise sleep & stress relief

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