Extracts from the biblical Indian Frankincense tree could provide relief for sufferers of osteoarthritis, scientists believe.
Experts gave the extract to 70 patients with osteoarthritis - the most common form of arthritic disease - and have published their findings in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy.
They found that patients benefited in as little as seven days, often reporting significant improvements in their symptoms.
There were also no reports of major side-effects, suggesting that it could provide a safe and natural treatment for osteoarthritis.
Siba Raychaudhuri, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, said that side-effects were common with existing medications and that this has created "great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment".
The researcher concluded that the extract, which has long been used in Indian ayurvedic medicine, "can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee".
Osteoarthritis also commonly affects the hands, hips, feet and spine and patients often find that they benefit from taking glucosamine and omega-3 fish oils.
Extracts from the biblical Indian Frankincense tree could provide relief for sufferers of osteoarthritis, scientists believe.
