Arthritis Treatment and Prevention

by: Tony Isaacs

Arthritis is a disease that causes pain and loss of movement of the joints. The word arthritis literally means joint inflammation (arth=joint, ritis=inflammation), and refers to more than 100 different diseases.

One Highly Effective Arthritis Remedy:

A good friend of the author’s successfully used the following regimen with 100% success to rid not only himself, but also friends and two other family members of various forms of arthritis:

1) Plant Minerals- minerals are the building blocks of the enzymes necessary for the utilization of all other vitamins, etc. (rock minerals are a waste of money since only 5-15% can be broken down by the body before being eliminated. Minerals already digested by plants are potentially 100% absorbable.)
2) Colloidal Gold - gold has even been used by mainstream medicine to treat severe Arthritis.
3) MSM, Glucosamine, Chondrotin, Collagen
4) Calcium with Ostivone
5) Colloidal Silver- some arthritis is believed to be viral related and colloidal silver is an extremely good anti-viral agent.

Since arthritis comes in so many different forms and since no two people are alike, what works for one person or one kind of arthritis may not work for another. Following are other remedies, treatments and information which have reported to have been effective with at least some people and some forms of arthritis:

Juices for arthritis:

* Black cherry juice is good for arthritis. Take two glasses of this juice twice a day (each glass contains four ounces of juice diluted with four ounces of water). You can discontinue this treatment once the pain clears up.
* People with rheumatoid arthritis should include in their daily diets juices high in the anti-inflammatory nutrients. These nutrients include beta-carotene (found in parsley, broccoli and spinach) and copper (found in carrots, apples and ginger).
* Rheumatoid arthritis improves with a glass or two a day of pineapple juice. Pineapple is a rich source of the enzyme bromelain, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Other Useful Juices:

* Carrot, celery, and cabbage juice. Add a little parsley.
* Potato juice (If you are not allergic to this.)
* Cherry juice.
* Take juice of half a lemon before every meal and before going to bed.
* Carrot, beet, and cucumber.
* During acute stage, one pint to one quart celery juice daily.
* Radish, garlic

Caution: Certain juices may cause adverse reactions in people with osteoarthritis. Avoid citrus fruits, and be careful with vegetables from the nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Citrus seems to promote swelling, and nightshades contain psyllium alkaloids, which cause problems for some people.

The Gin and Raisins Remedy
(I know this sounds crazy – but I have personally spoken with several people who swear by it!)
* Put three shot glasses or small containers on your counter.
* In each shot glass, put 9 (not 8 or 10) golden raisins, not regular raisins.
* Pour just enough gin over them to just barely cover them (any kind of gin should do). By the 3rd day, the gin should be absorbed by the raisins.
* Eat the raisins from one shot glass, and set the glass up again with 9 more golden raisins, just barely covered with any kind of gin, and put the fresh glass at the end of the line.
* Each day, eat the 9 oldest raisins, then set it up again.
* Repeat until pain-free, usually 72 hours. It is truly amazing. And cheap!

Other Remedies

* Dilute five drops of essential oil of ginger in 20 drops of a carrier oil such as wheat germ or almond oil (available from health shops), and massage into painful areas. Remember that essential oils should never be taken internally.

* Glucosamine sulphate. This is a glucose-based chemical produced naturally in healthy joints, where it is used to repair and maintain cartilage, and seems to be effective in reducing arthritic pain, at least in mild to moderate cases. So far, no adverse side effects have been reported, but it is the subject of major clinical trials in the US, so we should soon know a great deal more.

* On an empty stomach take three to four walnuts or one fresh coconut.

* Mix equal parts of the following herbs: black cohosh, genitian root, angelica, colombo, scull cap, valerian, rue and buckthorn bark, and take one heaping teaspoon in a cup of boiling water. Let steep, and drink three 1/2 cups per day.

* Alfalfa (Medicago saliva): Alfalfa is a folk remedy for arthritis in southern Appalachia. Alfalfa tea is rich with nutritive minerals. We recommend that you do not take the alfalfa powder; take the tea instead. Alfalfa contains 1-canavanine, an amino acid that can cause symptoms that are similar to those of systemic lupus, an autoimmune disease that can also cause joint pain. Some scientific studies show that these symptoms can occur in both animals and humans as a result of eating alfalfa. The amino acid is not present to any significant amount in alfalfa tea. Place 1 ounce of alfalfa in a pot. Cover with 1 quart of water and boil for thirty minutes. Strain and drink the quart throughout the day. Do this for two to three weeks, and then take a break for seven to ten days before starting again.

* Angelica (Angelica archangelica): Angelica is an herb that has been used in European folk medicine since antiquity. It can be used to treat arthritis. The Western variety of angelica has 12 anti-inflammatory constituents, ten antispasmodic (muscle relaxant) constituents, and five anodyne (pain-relieving) ones. The Chinese sometimes use their native variety of the plant (Angelica sinensis) for the same purpose. The Chinese species is sold in North America under the names dang gui or dong quai. Place 1 tablespoon of the cut roots of either species of angelica in 1 pint of water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until the water cools to room temperature. Strain and drink the tea in 3 doses during the day for two to three weeks at a time. Then, take a break for seven to ten days and start the treatment again if desired.

* Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa): An American Indian treatment for arthritis involved using the root of black cohosh. There are five species in the Cimicifuga genus worldwide that have been used to treat rheumatism. Black cohosh contains aspirin-like substances as well as other anti- inflammatory and antispasmodic constituents. Simmer 1 teaspoon of black cohosh root in 1 cup of boiling water for twenty minutes. Strain and drink the tea in 2 divided doses during the day. Do this for two to three weeks, and then take a break for seven to ten days before starting the treatment again.

* Devil's claw is a good anti-inflammatory agent. Take 1,000 milligrams (1 gram) twice daily.

* Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate): Magnesium has both anti-inflammatory and anti- arthritic properties and it can be absorbed through the skin. Magnesium is one of the most important of the essential minerals in the body, and it is commonly deficient in the American diet. A New England remedy for arthritis is a hot bath of Epsom salts. The heat of the bath can increase circulation and reduce the swelling of arthritis. Fill a bathtub with water as hot as you can stand. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts. Bathe for thirty minutes, adding hot water as necessary to keep the temperature warm. Do this daily as often as you like. (If you are pregnant or have cardiovascular disease consult your doctor before taking very hot baths.)

* Feverfew has been used for centuries for arthritis. Some studies have found that the anti-inflammatory effects of this herb are greater than those achieved by NSAIDs. Take 250 milligrams once or twice daily.

* Ginger (Zingiber officinale) In one study, Indian researchers gave three to seven grams of ginger a day to 18 people with osteoarthritis and 28 with rheumatoid arthritis. More than 75 percent of those participating in the study reported at least some relief from pain and swelling. Even after more than two years of taking these high doses of ginger, none of the people reported side effects. Many people drink ginger tea for osteoarthritis. A ginger compress is also beneficial for arthritis.

* Licorice acts in the body like cortisone, without the harmful side-effects. Licorice is believed to enhance the action of bupleuri. Licorice also has significant anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy activity. Licorice components are able to bind to glucocorticoid receptors on cells and exert glucocorticoid-like effects. It has been used historically in the treatment of inflammation, allergy, asthma and other conditions that put added stress on the adrenals. Long-term use of licorice can cause an elevation of blood pressure. Take 2 capsules daily.

* Oregano (Origanum vulgare). Oregano, is a powerful antioxidant. The antioxidant activity of oregano and other medicinal mints is due in large part to rosmarinic acid, a compound with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties.

* Bromelain, a chemical in pineapple, helps prevent inflammation. Athletic trainers have been reportedly recommending pineapple to athletes to prevent and treat sports injuries. It is believed to have beneficial effect on arthritis also. Bromelain can help the body get rid of immune antigen complex, compounds that are implicated in some arthritic conditions. It also helps digest fibrin, another compound suspected of being involved in some types of arthritis.

* Red pepper, Cayenne pepper (Capsicum spp.) Red pepper interferes with pain perception. The pain-relieving chemical in red pepper, capsaicin, triggers the body to release endorphins, nature's own opiates. Red pepper also contains aspirin-like compounds known as salicylates. Compounds in red pepper can also help relieve arthritis when you apply the herb to the skin. Researchers have discovered that you'll get significant pain relief if you apply capsaicin cream directly to painful arthritic joints four times daily. In one study of this treatment, the capsaicin cream reduced RA pain by more than half. Osteoarthritis pain was reduced by about one-third. Place 1 ounce of cayenne pepper in 1 quart of rubbing alcohol (a poison not for internal use). Let stand for three weeks, shaking the bottle each day. Then, using a cloth, apply to the affected area during acute attacks of pain. Leave the solution in place for ten to twenty minutes, then wipe clean. You can also use an OTC cream that contain capsicum like Zostrix or Capzasin-P.

* Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica): Stinging nettle is an official remedy for rheumatism in Germany. It is the most important herb to consider for treating early- onset arthritis. Nettle juice contains an anti-inflammatory component similar to that of steroid drugs. It also nettle contains 47 parts per million of the mineral boron, figured on a dry-weight basis. Boron is an important mineral for arthritis. (The Rheumatoid Disease Foundation suggests that three milligrams of boron, taken daily, may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis and RA.) Directions: Take 1 tablespoon of nettle juice three times a day. You can freeze the juice for later.

* Turmeric (Curcumin, Curcuma longa) Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric, has significant anti-inflammatory action. Curcumin has been shown to be as effective as cortisone or phenylbutazone in certain models of inflammation. Curcumin also exhibits many beneficial effects on liver functions. The typical dosage of curcumin is 400 to 600 mg 3 times daily. Curcumin is sometimes given in combination with an equal dose of an extract of the pineapple plant called bromelain, which appears to possess anti-inflammatory properties of its own.

Live long, live healthy, live happy!

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