CLINICAL TRIAL article
Front. Pain Res.
Sec. Musculoskeletal Pain
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpain.2025.1595957
Astragalus membranaceus extract reduces Functional Knee Joint Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Provisionally accepted
Lorenzo Lippi1,2*
Alessio Turco1
Girish Hisimarada Rudrappa3Stefano Moalli1
Alessandro de Sire4
Marco Invernizzi1,5- 1Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
- 2Department of Scientific Research Campus LUdeS Lugano (CH), Off-Campus Semmelweis University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
- 3Rajalakshmi Hospital & Research Center No-21/1, Lakshmipura Main Road, Vidyaranyapura Post, Bangalore- 5600097, Karnataka, India
- 4Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy
- 5Translational Medicine, Dipartimento Attività Integrate Ricerca e Innovazione (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliera SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy
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Concerns over the side effects of pharmacotherapy in joint pain management have led to increased interest in dietary supplements. Astragalus membranaceus root extract has been proposed as an alternative approach for knee joint pain relief. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a standardized Astragalus membranaceus extract (AME) in individuals with functional knee joint pain. A double-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 90 adults (aged 18-60) from Rajalakshmi Hospital and Research Center, Karnataka, India. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 480 mg of AME (n=45) or a placebo (n=45) for 28 days. The primary outcome was knee pain reduction, assessed using VAS after a 6-minute walk test. Secondary outcomes included WOMAC, Stair Climb Test (SCT), Knee Range of Motion (ROM), and treatment compliance, evaluated at baseline and follow-ups on Days 5, 14, and 28. Patient satisfaction and safety were also assessed. The AME group showed a significant 30% reduction in knee pain (p < 0.0001), with VAS scores dropping from 6.7 ± 0.5 to 1.2 ± 0.6. Significant improvements were observed in WOMAC, SCT, and ROM (p < 0.0001). Patient satisfaction was higher in the active group, and no serious adverse events were reported. The AME is a safe and effective alternative for knee joint pain management, warranting further long-term investigation. Clinical trial registry number: Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI/2023/09/057317).
Keywords: joint pain, Knee, Astragalus membranaceus, Dietary Supplements, Phytotherapy, Rehabilitation
Received: 18 Mar 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lippi, Turco, Rudrappa, Moalli, de Sire and Invernizzi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lorenzo Lippi, Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy
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