Lei Gong Teng is a Chinese herb known as “The Thunder God Vine” (officially as Tripterygium Wilfordii) comes from a perennial plant grown in China and Taiwan which has shown to be more effective in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis than the widely-prescribed pharmaceutical drugs methotrexate and sulfasalazine. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat swelling and inflammation.
What Is Thunder God Vine?
Tripterygium wilfordii is a vine found in China and Taiwan whose leaves and roots contain hundreds of compounds including interesting compounds called diterpenoids which are believed to ease inflammation and immune response. Extracts are prepared from the leaves and roots of the vine for medicinal purposes.
What Does It Do?
Thunder god vine is used as a natural remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, abscesses, boils, fever, swelling, lupus, HIV/AIDS, psoriasis, as a male contraceptive, for relief from heavy menstrual flows and to treat a blood vessel condition called Behcet’s disease.
Thunder god vine helps rheumatoid arthritis patients by relieving inflammation and by changing the way the immune system responds to the arthritis. A tincture of thunder god vine applied to the skin over affected joints seems to decrease joint tenderness, stiffness, and swelling. Taking the herb orally seems to relieve joint pain, inflammation and overall physical function in people with rheumatoid arthritis. When taken orally it also seems to improve the effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Does It Work?
In a recent study published in BMJ Open, a British medical publication researchers recruited over 200 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and gave them either the herb or the drug methotrexate. The results of the study showed that a majority of those given Thunder God Vine achieved a marked improvement in painful and swollen joints compared to less than half of those treated with the conventional medication methotrexate.
Another 2009 study funded by the Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Arthritis with thunder god vine compared against placebos and another widely prescribed anti-inflammatory called sulfasalazine found significantly more improvement with thunder god vine than with the drug and remarkable improvements over the placebo
Dosage:
- A general recommended oral dosage is 180-570 mg of thunder god vine extract per day for up to 20 weeks with your doctor’s approval. Clinical trials have evaluated dosages of 60 to 350 mg daily.
- A tincture of thunder god vine may applied over affected joints five to six times a day.
*Although Lei Gong Teng is a natural herbal substance it is always recommended to consult with your physician or rheumatologist on dosages for your specific condition.
Precautions:
Thunder god vine is usually for most people when taken by mouth or applied to the skin in appropriate amounts. It may however have side effects including rashes, diarrhea, headaches, hair loss, infertility, menstrual cycle changes and decreased bone density with long-term use (which may be particularly harmful to those who have or at risk for osteoporosis).
| As always it is important to consult with your doctor if you are considering the use of this herb in the treatment of any health condition. Self-treating without a physicians approval can have serious consequences. |
