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Osteoarthritis Alternative Treatments
Please review to our Health Advisory Message before proceeding.
There is no major disease as misunderstood by doctors as arthritis. And there is no major disease as simple to treat. On this subject, the gulf between the traditional medicine of your neighborhood doctor and the health-oriented medicine of progressive doctors is as wide as the ocean.
Arthritis is one of the easier problems for an up-to-date doctor to fix. Unless you are already severely crippled by it, he has a fine array of ways to bring you back to normal. But if you make the mistake of using a doctor who doesn't keep up--as 98% don't--you will not receive a cure. Why? Because most doctors will not even attempt a cure. They won't even try to slow down the progression of the disease. They're into pain relief, period.
That is why one in seven Americans suffers somee degree of arthritis. Doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin, methotrexate, prednisone, Plaquinil, Naprosyn, Feldene, Clinoril, Indocin, Vicodin, Meclomen, and gold shots, to name just a few. The trouble is that when used long-term, these things are frightfully dangerous.
They block your body's ability to produce cartilage, and since arthritis comes from the wearing down of cartilage in your joints, these drugs actually cause cartilage destruction by default. In other words, the drugs you get from most doctors will make you worse in the end. Clinical trials have proven this repeatedly.
For instance, a group of doctors in Oslo, Norway, tracked 186 patients with arthritis of the hip; those taking the powerful and ever-popular drug Indocin were found to have farmore rapid destruction of the hip than those who didn't!
What To Do If You Have Arthritis:
Exercise
Doctors used to think exercise wore joints out faster; now they know some exercise is essential to keep joints healthy. Your doctor will recommend exercises, and will probably send you to a physical or occupational therapist to teach you exercises appropriate for your case of rheumatoid arthritis, age, and overall condition. Exercise for Energy Flexibility to help you get started.
Warm-water exercise
Swimming and doing other aerobic water exercises in a heated pool can help
you exercise without putting pressure on your joints.
Physical therapy and joint protection
These strategies will help protect your joints from further damage.
- Avoide prolonged positions and activities
- Use larger muscles and joints to do a task whenever possible
- Use splints and other joint protection devices to reduce pain and improve function
- Apply therapeutic hot and cold treatments to ease pain
- Take paraffin baths (warm wax is poured over the sore joint, holding in heat)
- Use TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator) and other pain-relief measures
Nutrition & Diet
Speculation that diet plays a role has been around almost as long as people have had arthritis. Studies have shown that some people may be sensitive to certain foods, and that their RA symptoms improved when they cut these foods from their diet. One theory you may have heard is that plants of the nightshade family, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers...cause joint inflammation, but no proof exists.
Researchers have yet to locate a single food connected to arthritis for all people. People's reactions vary widely, and a whole range of foods seem to be aligned with symptoms for some, including milk products, oils, corn, wheat,
and nitrates.
If you discover a particular food that seems to make your symptoms worse, talk to your doctor. But don't give up whole groups of foods, and be wary of fad diets
and fasting.
Glucosamine Sulfate is a completely safe, natural remedy that grows new cartilage to cover the surface of your bone joints. It works by stimulating the connective tissue, which is the main substance of cartilage. In other words, it reverses arthritis.
Example: A Health & Healing subscriber named Frances M. had terrible rheumatoid arthritis. In her effort to control the pain, she had to take two of the nastiest medications in the world-but she still had severe pain. After we b:oke the news on glucosamine sulfate in Health & Healing, she started using it (plus barley grass juice and fish oil), and in three days she was totally pain-free ... and utterly astounded.
Minocycline is a non-toxic antibiotic proven to work by a successful double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 219 patients announced in the January, 1995, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Minocycline works by killing bacteria called mycoplasma, which settle in the connective tissue and release an inflammatory toxin that causes arthritis.
Example: in 1972, rheumatoid arthritis struck Ethel Snooks and ravaged her body like a forest fire. In just a few months, this healthy energetic woman became unable to bathe or dress herself-or even raise her arms to eat. In six months, deformities had set in, which eventually forced an operation to remove the metatarsal bones from both feet. And her toes had tobe fractured to straighten them. Then in 1989, after 17 years of suffering, Ethel started taking low doses of minocycline, and within 18 months she was symptom-free (including normal blood tests). At 69, an age when she should have been totally immobile, she bounds out of bed early in the morning as easily as a child and walks two miles.
Barley Grass and Green Foods The juice from spray-dried barley grass is loaded with chlorophyll, a potent anti-inflammatory agent, and green foods contain over 20 delicate enzymes that do utterly amazing things.
Example: Evelyn Smith had debilitating arthritis for almost ten years. She went through nine of the most powerful drug known to man with side effects comparable to a South Bronx mugging). The first time she came to our office, she could barely walk. She was told about Barley Green---and one month later she was pain-free and doing fine. She then dared her former doctor, a highly respected specialist, to try it on his most hopeless patient, a markedly deformed man in constant pain. Result: The man was painfree and drug-free in six weeks! (Sad footnote: The doctor shrugged them both off as "placebo effects," and said he wasn't interested in the cures because "Nutrition isn't my field.")Dosage is one or two teaspoons twice a day.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (either fish oil capsules, 180 to 360 mg/day; or flaxseed oil, one to three tablespoons a day). These broadly helpful oils increase prostaglandins, which are powerful anti-inflammatory agents. They also reduce the pain. In stores nationwide.
Penetran can be rubbed into affected areas two or three times a day. The quaternary amines in it give immediate pain relief for many. (You can make a cream of 70% DMSO to improve penetration even farther.)
DMSO is a pain-stopping anti-inflammatory liquid that has been used by 600 million people in 25 countries around the world. Researchers have written 50,000 articles on its benefits in medical journals. The most incredible property of DMSO is how it penetrates: Not only does it go right through the skin like water through a sieve, it can take other medications along with it, thus greatly enhancing their effect. Before applying to your skin, it's best to dilute it with 30% to 50% water.
Thymus Gland Extract should be used because your thymus gland begins to dry up at age 20, and by age 50 it has virtually disappeared, leading directly to age-related diseases like arthritis. Research has shown that restoring thymus hormone activity alleviates the problems and suffering. Remarkable improvement was seen in one study of 24 severe cases.
Capsaicin Ointment is a natural pain reliever from cayenne pepper. The cheapest source is Satogesic Hot Gel (0.04%) from Sato F'harmaceutical.
Pantothenic Acid is a B vitamin that has been found deficient in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In one double-blind study, two grams of it reduced morning stiffness, pain, and overall disability.
Eat a Very Low-fat, mostly vegetable diet. Studies have shown this reduces inflammation and pain.
SeaCare is a product extracted from the sea cucumber, a small ocean animal used by the Japanese for 5,000 years to cure arthritis. If you desire a very mild remedy, this is it. SeaCare requires about two months to take full effect, and works in about 60% of cases.
Consider Shark Cartilage supplements, which will block the growth of inflammation in your joints. Best form of cartilage: Benerin.
Drink more water! Believe it or not, many cases of arthritis could be alleviated or even reversed simply by drinking two quarts of water a day. The lubricating synovial fluid in your joints "burns up" when you suffer from hidden thirst, as tens of millions do.
Allergy Treatments may be needed. Some highly experienced doctors feel that 80% to 90% of all arthritis is caused by allergies. Contact the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (913/642-6062) for the name of an Environmental Doctor in your area.
And of course you can choose prolotherapy (reconstructive therapy), which has been around since 1937. It has helped over half a million people. It works quite simply: A mildly irritating solution of dextrose, glycerin, glucose. saline, phenol, and lidocaine is gently injected with a tiny needle into your hurting ligament or joint. This stimulates your body to produce new collagen, the fibrous protein in connective tissue (think of a pearl in an oyster). As the collagen heals, it contracts, pulling the ligaments together into a smooth, cushioned interface.
Depending on the case, doctors report 80%-90% success with prolotherapy. Over 200 medical and osteopathic physicians offer it. Find one through the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine (800/992-2063).
Calcium
Most people with arthritis of any kind, especially women over 45 and just about anyone of any
age taking glucocorticoids, need calcium supplements to protect bones against the loss that leads to
osteoporosis. However, too much calcium may contribute to kidney stones. Ask your doctor how much
is right for you.
Foods high in calcium include dairy products, shrimp, canned salmon and sardines, green leafy
vegetables, brazil nuts and almonds, and soybean products such as tofu.
B vitamins
Several B vitamins may help with symptoms of arthritis. Take a daily B complex vitamin. Food high in B vitamins that are especially good for arthritis include: B-3 (niacin) in lean meats and fish, tofu, cottage cheese, and sunflower seeds; B-5 (pantothenic acid) in meats, eggs, soybeans, wheat germ, whole grain cereals, lentils, and peanuts; and B-6 in meats, fish, whole grains, wheat germ, whole wheat, bananas, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.
Vitamin C
Studies show that vitamin C may reduce the risk of osteoarthritis progression and pain. Foods high in vitamin C include broccoli, red bell peppers, citrus fruits, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and strawberries.
Vitamin D
Osteoarthritis seems to progress faster in people with low levels of vitamin D. It works with calcium to protect bones and joints. Foods high in vitamin D include fortified dairy products and the following fish: salmon, halibut, sea bass, tuna, cod, and herring.
Vitamin E
This vitamin reduces your risk of heart disease, and studies also indicate it eases osteoarthritis pain as well as nighttime leg cramps. Foods high in vitamin E include almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower and safflower seeds, wheat germ and whole wheat flour, and various fruits and vegetables.
SAM-e
This European import eases OA pain, and may help support cartilage. It also helps relieve
depression.
Cherries
Studies suggest that eating a handful of cherries can reduce arthritis pain. In Asia,
Green Tea
Green tea has long been regarded as a healthy beverage. Now animal studies suggest drinking about four cups a day may reduce arthritis symptoms.
Herbs
Some research shows that ginger, boswellia (frankincense), turmeric, and cat's claw relieve inflammation and pain. Herbs that some studies show to relieve
inflammation and pain include ginger, boswellia (frankincense), turmeric, and cat's claw.
Fish oil and GLA (gamma linolenic acid)
Some studies show that these essential fatty acids give modest relief from inflammation for rheumatoid arthritis and also ease symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon (people with lupus often have both these conditions). Also, fish oil helps protect against heart disease, which is connected with lupus. The GLA oils include evening primrose oil, borage oil, black currant oil, and flaxseed oil.
Acupuncture
An ancient Chinese practice, acupuncture consists of inserting very fine needles into the skin along a series of energy channels or paths known as meridians. This stimulates or balances your qi (pronounced chee), your body's vital life energy, and promotes healing and wellness. Studies show acupuncture can relieve pain for many with osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and other kinds of arthritis.
Acupressure
This is acupuncture without the needles. A therapist presses on the body's acupoints with hands, tools, and sometimes elbows. Shiatsu massage is a kind of acupressure.
Chiropractic
Many people find chiropractic can ease pain. However, many rheumatologists are concerned about possible effects on people with fragile or damaged joints or bones. Ask your doctor before you try chiropractic if you have osteoporosis, a rheumatic disease such as lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, or severe inflammation.
Massage and manipulation
When done by a trained professional, both methods can help control pain, increase joint motion, and improve muscle and tendon flexibility.
Many studies from the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami show that massage can ease
stress and relieve pain for people with chronic diseases, including arthritis. However, make sure you use
a certified therapist who is trained to work with your particular condition. And don't have a massage on
joints that are swollen and hot.
Mobilization therapies may also ease pain. Your physical therapist might incorporate techniques such as
traction (gentle, steady pulling) and manipulation to restore normal movement to stiff joints.
Poor habits of moving or holding yourself can contribute to joint and muscle pain. Therapies such as the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method can teach you how to use your body more efficiently.
Magnets
Static magnets, somewhat like the ones you stick on your refrigerator door, are touted for all kinds of sprains, strains, and pains. So far, very little scientific evidence shows that magnets do anything, but many people say they help. Several studies are underway now. Meanwhile, be sure to get a money-back guarantee if you decide to try them.
Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong
These gentle and meditative exercises from Asia are used daily by millions of people. They can improve balance, muscle strength, energy levels, and mental outlook.
Body movement re-education
Poor habits of moving or holding yourself can contribute to joint and muscle pain. Therapies such as the Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais Method
can teach you how to use your body more efficiently.
Stress reduction
Stress-management courses that teach meditation, deep relaxation and other mind/body techniques seem to reduce pain and other symptoms for people with many
kinds of arthritis, some studies show.
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