Conclusion: The overall analysis including all trials showed that supplements provided moderate and clinically meaningful treatment effects on pain and function in patients with hand, hip or knee osteoarthritis at short term, although the quality of evidence was very low. Some supplements with a limited number of studies and participants suggested large treatment effects, while widely used supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin were either ineffective or showed small and arguably clinically unimportant treatment effects. Supplements had no clinically important effects on pain and function at medi
Does Boswellia help with pain & inflammation?
Possibly — but there are few reports. 82% of 17 people who reported on Boswellia for pain & inflammation say it improved. 12% noticed no change and 6% say it got worse.
Pain & inflammation: what users report
82%better17 reports · few reports
14 better2 no change1 worse
What people say about Boswellia and pain & inflammation
“take curcumin, lots of fish oil, boswellia and devil's claw. I tried every supplement and combination. These worked best for me.”
“Boswellia is great! It's helped a ton with my joint problems.”
“Boswellia and Cissus pretty much changed my life. Would highly recommend”
“I've had arthritis in my hands for a year and a half, and have taken Aleve, turmeric, boswellia and ginger to dampen the pain. The pain relief would last for hours and then come back.”
What the research says
AResearch: Strong35 meta-analyses · 78 trials on PubMed
Br J Sports Med · 2018
Dietary supplements for treating osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysisNutrients · 2025
Comparative Effectiveness of Nutritional Supplements in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Network Meta-AnalysisConclusion: These results suggest that certain supplements may be useful as part of non-pharmacological KOA management. However, further large-scale, well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm these findings, particularly those that include more standardized dosages and formulations, as well as to evaluate their long-term efficacy.
Semin Arthritis Rheum · 2018
Efficacy of curcumin and Boswellia for knee osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysisSide effects people mention
hives 1increased tinnitus 1increased body 1elevated liver 1
Based on few reports — treat as anecdotal. Information only — not medical advice. How we count