Ingredients:
Common ash (European ash) (Fraxinus excelsior L.) bark
Aspen (quaking aspen) (Populus tremula L.) bark and leaf
Goldenrod (European goldenrod) (Solidago virgaurea L.)
aerial parts
Phytodolor™ is a formula containing extracts of common ash
(Fraxinus excelsior L.) bark, aspen (Populus tremula L.) bark and
leaves, and goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea L.) aerial parts. Aspen
bark and leaves contain salicylates (Schulz, Hänsel, and Tyler, 2001).
Salicylates are perhaps more widely known as constituents of willow
bark, and for the synthetic derivative acetylsalicylic acid (known as
aspirin). Salicylates are generally known for their ability to reduce inflammation,
pain, and fever. Ash preparations contain coumarins that
have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties (Bruneton, 1999).
Goldenrod preparations contain flavonoids, saponins, and phenol
glycosides. Extracts and individual constituents have demonstrated
diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activity (Blumenthal,
Goldberg, and Brinkmann, 2000).
Phytodolor is a combination of the extracts of common ash bark,
aspen bark and leaves, and goldenrod aerial parts in the ratio of 1:3:1.
The individual extracts are prepared according to the following plantto-
extract ratios: ash (4.5:1), aspen (4.5:1), and goldenrod (4.8:1).
The formula as a whole is standardized to contain salicin (0.75
mg/ml), salicylic alcohol (0.042 mg/ml), isofraxidin (0.015 mg/ml),
and rutin (0.06 mg/ml). The recommended dose is 20 drops (1 ml)
three to four times daily. Phytodolor is manufactured in Germany by
Steigerwald Arzneimittel GmbH and is no longer distributed in the
United States.
We reviewed three double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that examined
the use of Phytodolor to treat the pain and inflammation associated
with various degenerative rheumatic joint diseases or arthritis.
The most common degenerative disease is osteoarthritis, caused by
wear and tear on the joint. It is characterized by the breakdown of
joint cartilage and adjacent bone in the neck, lower back, knees, hips,
and/or fingers. The symptoms include pain, stiffness, and swelling in
the joints. Degeneration of the joints also occurs with rheumatoid arthritis,
an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system
attacks the membranes surrounding the joints.
Common first-line treatments for relief of symptoms of degenerative
joint diseases are the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs), which include aspirin and other salicylic acid derivatives,
acetaminophen, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and diclofenac (Hardman
et al., 1996).
