Rheumatoid arthritis is considered a serious public health problem, which is commonly treated with traditional Chinese or herbal medicine. The present study evaluated the effects of Bauhinia championii (Benth.) Benth. extraction (BCBE) on a type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model. Wistar rats with CIA received either 125 or 500 mg/kg BCBE, after which, paw swelling was markedly suppressed compared with in the model group. In addition, BCBE significantly ameliorated pathological joint alterations, including synovial hyperplasia, and cartilage and bone destruction. The protein and mRNA expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-a and nuclear factor-kappa B in synovial tissue were determined by immunohistochemical staining, western blot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of these factors were significantly downregulated in the BCBE-treated group compared with in the model group. These results indicated that BCBE may exert an inhibitory effect on the CIA rat model, and its therapeutic potential is associated with its anti-inflammatory action.