Does boswellia help arthritis pain? What the trials show

Several meta-analyses find boswellia eases knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness. Most trials are small, and some were run by extract makers.

Published October 2026

Short answer

Boswellia may ease knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness, but the trials are small, often company-linked and use different extracts. Evidence grade C (Limited). Several meta-analyses and small placebo-controlled trials; downgraded for risk of bias (low-quality trials, several run or funded by extract makers) and indirectness (proprietary, standardised extracts rather than one product).

Key takeaways

Meta-analyses of placebo-controlled trials found boswellia extracts reduced osteoarthritis pain and stiffness [1][2].
A 2025 network meta-analysis of 39 trials ranked boswellia highest for pain and stiffness, with no more side effects than placebo [2].
Most individual trials were small and lasted 30 to 180 days, and some were funded or run by companies that sell the extracts [3][4].

The short version

Boswellia, an extract of the frankincense tree's resin, may ease knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness. Meta-analyses of placebo-controlled trials point the same way [1][2], but the individual trials are small and many test branded, proprietary extracts [3][5].

What the studies show

A 2020 meta-analysis of seven trials with 545 people found boswellia and its extracts lowered WOMAC pain scores and stiffness compared with a control group of placebo or standard medicine, and improved function [1]. A 2025 network meta-analysis of 39 trials (4,599 people) placed boswellia first for pain and stiffness [2]. A 2018 meta-analysis of 11 trials found boswellia and curcumin both beat placebo for pain and function, but rated the evidence as low quality [6].

Individual trials point the same way. In a 120-day trial of 48 people with knee osteoarthritis, a standardised Boswellia serrata extract improved function and reduced pain and stiffness, and X-rays showed a wider knee joint gap [3]. In an eight-week trial of 60 people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, a water-dispersible extract reduced pain and stiffness and improved physical function more than placebo [7]. In a 30-day trial of 60 people, Aflapin improved pain and function as early as day 5 [5].

For joint structure, a 180-day trial of 80 people found MRI showed cartilage volume and joint space width increased more than placebo, alongside lower blood markers of cartilage breakdown [8].

The nuances

Some trials were run or funded by the companies that sell the extracts. One 2025 trial was funded by the company that markets its product [4], and the authors of a 2019 trial were affiliated with the companies behind the extract they tested [3]. Results from one proprietary extract may not apply to others [3][5].

Most trials lasted 30 to 180 days, so long-term effects are unclear. The 2025 review called for larger trials with more standardised doses and formulations [2].

Outside arthritis, a single-dose trial of 232 healthy adults with exercise-related muscle and joint pain found a turmeric and boswellia mix relieved pain within about an hour [9]. Because that product also contains turmeric, the result does not show boswellia alone works. In a five-day trial of 49 adults with acute diarrhoea, a lecithin-based boswellia product shortened recovery from 4.44 to 3.08 days [10]. Some authors of that trial work for the company that makes the extract.

What this means for you

If you have knee osteoarthritis, the honest reading is that boswellia may ease pain and stiffness a little, but it is not an established treatment. Talk with your doctor before starting it, especially if you take other pain relievers or medicines that thin the blood.

Go deeper

Boswellia — Boswellia extract, made from the resin of the Indian frankincense tree, may ease knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness, and some trials show better joint func…