Arthritis and Homeopathic Remedies

Arthritis is one of man’s most common health complaints, probably due to the fact that there are so many forms of it.  While it is not life threatening, it is certainly lifestyle threatening.  Anyone who has led an active life style is prone to some arthritis effects as early as age thirty.  While arthritis is not curable, as its cause is bone or tissue degeneration, it is often treatable.  With common sense, a healthy life style, and some specialized attention, symptoms can be controlled or alleviated and further tissue damage reduced. 

Don’t assume this is a condition you ‘just have to live with’.  Go to a physician, but find one who also employs alternative therapies like herbal, homeopathic, and chiropractic.  A physician can find out exactly what type of arthritis you are dealing with, and help you plan and coordinate your treatment.  He can also suggest more radical treatments than you can provide for yourself, which in some cases are wonderful.

Treatment starts at home, and must continue there.  Always start with common sense and a healthy life style.  Establish a healthy diet and exercise routine.  Keep any internal medications, including herbal ones, to a minimum.  Introduce medications one at a time, so you can gauge their effectiveness and note any side effects.  If you are having regular painful symptoms, keep a diary of them and what you did to treat them.  This information may prove invaluable if and when you consult a physician and/or herbalist.

DIET 

Start by examining your age, build and activity level.  Find out what a healthy, balanced diet looks like for you.  Your local library or online resources like www.eatwell.gov.uk can help you with this.  Then, to specifically target arthritis symptoms with diet, consider the following points:

Extra weight puts stress on bones and joints.  Research has shown that an overweight arthritis sufferer will experience a great deal of symptom relief simply by achieving a normal weight and maintaining it.

Doctors recommend omega-3 fatty acids for arthritis sufferers.  Add two to three servings of fatty fish a week.  Salmon, sardines, and halibut are prime sources.  However, if you are taking medication that interferes with normal blood clotting – like some arthritis medications — be aware that excessive omega-3 increases the risk of bleeding problems.  Consult your doctor in this case.

Fresh yellow and green vegetables provide beta carotene, vitamin C, and other antioxidants to reduce cell damage.  Eat at least two servings daily.

Grapefruits, limes and lemons are high in citrus flavanoids, thought to boost antioxidant effects.  Eat daily, or add their juice to plain water.  It will jazz up the water without adding sugar to your diet.

Zinc is an essential mineral for proper immune system function.  Eat at least one zinc-rich food daily.  These include peas and other legumes, oysters, wheat germ and whole wheat products, and milk.

Avoid vegetable oils.  They contain omega-6 fatty acids that aggravate arthritis symptoms.  Use canola or olive oil when you do consume them.  Cut back on salad dressings, margarine, and fried foods.

Allergies to certain foods have been linked to rheumatoid arthritis.  Suspected allergens include tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, peppers and tobacco.  You can experiment by removing one item at a time from your diet.  If your symptoms worsen and then improve after four or five days, you may have an allergy.  A complete allergy screening would be a good idea. 

EXERCISE 

Research plainly shows that moderate daily exercise benefits arthritis sufferers by increasing blood flow, strengthening bones and joints, and aiding in digestion and waste removal.  This can be difficult when you are in pain.  Discipline yourself to set aside a specific time period every day for exercise, and then moderate your activity depending on how you feel.

Walking is the easiest and most beneficial exercise there is.  As little as fifteen minutes twice a day, at a moderate to brisk pace without stopping, with your arms swinging freely, will bring amazing results.  Not only is it good for your joints, but your circulatory and cardiovascular systems as well.  Tailor your walking to what you can comfortably do, and protect your joints by wearing good shoes.  Pain does not equal gain for arthritis sufferers.

Water therapy is probably the most popular form of exercise, and for good reason. Studies show that simply walking in a pool of water up to your chest for thirty minutes is equal to hours of more traditional exercise.  Many community pools offer exercise classes, but any pool large enough to allow you to walk in it, and at least waist deep, is fine.  Start slow, but your goal should be 20 to 30 minutes of continuous walking, swinging your arms continuously as well.  Or, in shallower pools, sit down after walking so that the water covers your shoulders, and exercise shoulders and arms for another 20 to 30 minutes.  The water temperature helps retard inflammation, and its natural buoyancy reduces the stress on joints while exercising. 

The best plan will include more stationary routines such as yoga, deep breathing, and gentle stretching exercises.  They help you to limber up and cool down, and have the added calming benefit of helping to reduce stress.  They are also very effective in their own right as exercise, especially on days when pain prohibits more strenuous activity.

HERBS AND ADDITIONS 

Vitamins, herbs, and supplements should not be treated lightly.  Anything you ingest has the capability for good or harm.  There may be side effects, allergies, contraindications with other conditions, or adverse reactions when combining – especially if you are using prescribed or OTC medications, even aspirin.  It is imperative that you do your research on any kind of supplement — including medication – and introduce it to your diet one at a time.  Pay attention to your body’s reactions, both good and bad.  Keep a diary for future reference.  Keep an updated list of all your medications and supplements, and discuss them with your physician, pharmacist, and/or herbalist.

That said, there are a number of supplements worthy of consideration.  Each person may have differing results to a supplement or a combination of supplements, but here are some examples.

Cod Liver Oil is high in omega-3, bone-building vitamin D, and inflammation-fighting vitamin A.  Suggested dose is one teaspoonful a day.  Try mixing it in something strong, like orange or cranberry juice.  Drawbacks:  omega-3 increases the risk of excessive bleeding.  Do not take if you are on blood thinners, or medication that inhibits blood clotting.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory effects.  The only known side effects are gas and bloating, generally with the powdered form.  Try candied ginger, or use fresh ginger root in your cooking.

Vitamin C deficiency has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis.  Take 500 mg per day.  If you experience stomach upset, cut into small doses throughout the day.

Burdock Root is an excellent blood purifier and cleanser that can help reduce joint swelling and calcification.  It is used with great success by arthritis sufferers.  It is sold powdered and made into a tea. Drawbacks:  It is a diuretic, and cleanses the blood and liver by flushing the system, so be prepared for this.  It helps regulate blood sugar levels, so diabetics should not use unless monitored by a physician.  Also, since it is a soluble fiber, it may reduce the body’s absorption of oral medications.  Make sure you take separately from these.

Horsetail is loaded with silicone, in the form of monosilicic acid that is readily digestible.  Silicone is widely regarded as useful in preventing arthritis and aiding sufferers.  It is generally sold in powder form and used to make a tea, which can be drunk daily.  Drawbacks:  While it has no known side effects, it is a diuretic.  Patients with an existing edema should not use this.

Stinging Nettle is rich in the mineral baron, which helps the body retain calcium and aids the hormonal system.  It plays a role in maintaining healthy bones and joints and may be helpful treating arthritis.  It is used to make a tea and can be drunk daily.  Drawbacks:  Do not use in cases of water retention or edema caused by impaired cardiac or renal function.  Also, in rare cases there have been allergic reactions such as hives or gastrointestinal irritation.

TOPICAL RELIEF 

There are many and varied forms of massage that are extremely helpful to arthritis sufferers.  A good massage therapist will be an invaluable aide and your absolute friend in need when you are hurting.  She can also advise you on techniques you can use at home to help relieve pain. 

Warm baths or hot tubs will feel like God’s own gift if you are arthritic.  A warm soak, particularly with aromatherapy, can make you feel like a million dollars. 

Ice or cold packs are beneficial when you overexert, to reduce swelling and pain.

There are also many topical ointments that you can buy or make yourself.  Listed below are some common ones, and also some homeopathic remedies used and suggested by arthritis sufferers.

Juniper Oil relieves swelling, and Sandalwood Oil improves circulation.  Massage into affected area alone or combined.  Or, mash fresh leaves into a wet pulp, wrap in a cloth and apply as a poultice.  Do not leave on for more than five minutes at a time.

 Capsaicin Oil comes from hot peppers, and reduces inflammation.  Several OTC products contain capsaicin, or the oil can be bought separately.  Drawback:  many people show sensitivity to this oil.  Discontinue use if redness, tenderness or a rash develops.

Comfrey is sold as an arthritis aide; it reduces inflammation and swelling and aids circulation.  It is sold as dried powder or fresh leaves, and in some countries it is sold as a tea.  However it is very strong, has many contraindications, and is hard on the liver when ingested.  Use sparingly, if at all, and only as a compress or poultice.  Experts recommend that it only be used for four to six weeks in any given year.  Also, do not use if you are pregnant or nursing.

Alfalfa tea has some health benefits and is sold as fresh leaves or a powder.  It has been used for centuries for arthritis, among other things.  However, only the fresh leaves should be used; simmer a few leaves in a quart of water for 30 minutes.  It has a strong flavor, so you might want to add honey or lemongrass to improve the taste.  Nutritionists recommend against using it for more than two weeks at a time.  Drawbacks:  Alfalfa powder is high in amino acids that can create lupus-like symptoms.  Ingesting alfalfa seeds can encourage miscarriages and blood disorders.

Two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of honey dissolved in a small glass of warm water taken once or twice a day brings relief.

Dissolve 4 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses in one quart of cranberry juice and drink one glass every day.

Dissolve 100 aspirins in a pint of rubbing alcohol.  Rub on to affected areas to relieve sore joints.

One tablespoon of fruit pectin, available at most grocery stores, dissolved in a glass of juice or water every day, has proven helpful to some.

Camphor, menthol, wintergreen, witch hazel, and eucalyptus oil can be used alone or in any combination for a rubbing mixture for aches and pains.

Mix fresh carrot juice with equal parts of lemon juice and honey.  Take two large spoonfuls daily.

These are only a few of the vast quantity of suggestions available to arthritis sufferers.  Talk to qualified experts, including your doctor.  Listen to friends and family members who have arthritis, and see what works for them.  Do your research.  And above all, don’t get discouraged.  The keys are to be patient, be consistent, and use common sense.

SOURCES AND CONTINUED READING

http://www.healthmad.com/Alternative/Facts-You-May-Not-Know-About-Herbal-Remedies.606787
http://www.webterrace.com/arthritis/remedies.htm
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/arthritis.html
http://www.pikeherb.com/arthritis.htm
http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritislearnthebasics/a/arthritis_facts.htm
http://www.florahealth.com/flora/FloraHealth.htm