Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Alchornea cordifolia, commonly known as African Christmas bush, is traditionally used in West and Central African ethnomedicine for a variety of ailments, including backache. Historical and ethnobotanical surveys document its use by local healers, who typically prepare decoctions or poultices from the leaves, stem bark, or roots to treat musculoskeletal pain, including general body pains and specifically backache. This use is often linked with its perceived anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in traditional practice.

However, while there is a moderate body of preclinical research indicating that Alchornea cordifolia possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties—such as inhibition of edema and pain responses in animal models—direct, controlled clinical studies on its efficacy for backache in humans are lacking. The available evidence supporting its use for backache is thus primarily traditional, with only indirect support from laboratory studies. No high-quality randomized clinical trials have focused on backache as an endpoint. As such, the evidence rating is modest and mainly reflects longstanding traditional use rather than robust scientific validation.

References:

• Burkill, H.M. (1985). The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
• Abbiw, D.K. (1990). Useful Plants of Ghana.
• Adedapo, A.A., et al. (2006). "Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of the aqueous extract of Alchornea cordifolia." Fitoterapia 77(5): 436-439.

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