Alternative Therapies and Health News

Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis is one of the most commonly occurring arthritis that attacks over several millions of people in the United States. The cartilage (between our bones) which serves as a cushion for our joints starts breaking down and eventually disappears. This causes friction in the joints and results in pain and loss of motion of the joint.

The areas most affected by arthritis are, hips, hands, feet, neck, spine and knees. As our body ages, our joints are used repetitively; this causes the cartilage to degenerate and causes pain and swelling in the joints.

If osteoarthritis is found in more than one member in the family, then it could be hereditary. Other factors that cause arthritis are obesity, diabetes, surgery in joints, gout and some hormone disorders. Some people are even born with abnormally formed joints.
When the traditional and conventional medical treatment does not provide enough relief from pain, people opt for alternative remedies. Following are some of the commonly used alternative therapies for osteoarthritis:

• Acupuncture is a kind of treatment used for relieving pain caused by the arthritis. In this treatment needles are inserted at specific junctions in the skin. Inserting the needles activate the pain relieving chemicals in the nervous system.
• Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are the two nutrients or molecular building blocks that are used as alternative supplements in curing osteoarthritis. They have shown to reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Glucosamine must be taken for at least one month before it starts showing any improvements in the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Glucosamine, found in oyster and crab shells, is a very popular treatment for osteoarthritis.
• Some herbs like curcumin, ginger, stinging nettle and evening primrose are considered to be useful in reducing arthritis pain.
• Anti-oxidant vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids are good for reducing pain ands swelling in the joints. Some recommend avoiding food items like white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.
• Exercise and weight control is most essential and also very effective in reducing the symptoms of arthritis. 

According to 2 recent government-funded studies in the United States, on back surgery for painful herniated disks, there is no clear-cut reason to choose an operation over other kinds of treatment.

For people suffering from a condition called Sciatica, the pain and physical function improved significantly after two years whether or not they had surgery. However, neither of the treatments offered complete relief.

Dr. James Weinstein of Dartmouth Medical School says, “In back surgery for this particular condition, there’s actually a choice, if you don’t want the risk of surgery, you can do watchful waiting and still get well”.

Nearly about 250,000 Americans undergo disk surgery for sciatica every year, while a quarter-million choose physical therapy, painkillers or rest until they feel better. The surgery costs around $6,000.

So if you are one of those suffering from a back ache, and can’t afford the costly surgery, you don’t need to feel bad now. Painkillers and physical therapy are equally good, if not better.

Arthritis refers to severe pain in the joints and muscles. The pain can be reduced by the following remedies:

• Drink natural apple cider vinegar mixed with water and honey. Add two teaspoons of vinegar and two teaspoons of unprocessed honey to a glass of water, and drink this three times a day. Be sure to drink a lot of water daily.
• You can also get relief by soaking arthritic joints in hot natural apple cider vinegar. Use a quarter cup of vinegar mixed with one and a half cups of water. For areas too large to soak, you can soak a cloth in this mixture, put it on the affected area, and wrap a towel over the soaked cloth to keep in the heat. Once you feel less pain and have more freedom of movement from the apple cider vinegar, keep moving the joints to make them flexible.
• Lose weight to take stress off your joints.
• Taking 500 mg of Glucosamine with chondroitin 3 times daily helps to keep joints healthier and more flexible.
• Certain foods can trigger the pain, like white potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, spicy foods, citrus fruits.
• Garlic boosts the immune system and can helps reduce the pain of arthritis. Garlic may be taken raw or cooked according to individual taste.
• Increase the Omega-3 Fatty Acids in your diet. It can be found in salmon, sardines, other oily fish, walnuts, flax, soy, olive oil, nuts, and avocados.
• Get plenty of beta carotene from yellow and orange vegetables and fruits and green leafy vegetables.
• Take B Complex supplements daily. It can be found in whole grains, dried beans, split peas, and lentils.
• Take 75 mg of niacin during the entire day. Food sources for niacin include meat, milk, eggs, fish, poultry, peanuts, enriched breads and cereals, barley, buckwheat, split peas, coffee, and tea.
• Take foods rich in Vitamin C that include citrus fruits, cantaloupe, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.
• Take Vitamin E. It can also be found in wheat germ, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.
• Take 200 micrograms of Selenium a day. Selenium is also found in almonds, barley and oranges.
• Take Zinc. Sources of zinc include turnips, corn and oysters.
• Take a teaspoon LIQUID Certo (This is the product used to prepare jams and jellies) and 3 ounces unsweetened grape juice. Mix Certo and grape juice and drink the concoction two or three times a day.
• Herbs are also good for curing arthritis. Take 1 tbs juice of fresh leaves of bathua, drink every day on an empty stomach for 2-3 months. Do not add anything to the juice and do not eat anything for 2 hours before and after consuming the juice.
• Take Warm mustard oil, spread it over Madar leaf ( Indian ) and foment the joint by spreading the leaf over the joint and keep it there for a few hours for relief.
• Take 3-4 walnuts or 1 fresh coconut on an empty stomach.
• Prepare a rub for Arthritis by taking 1 pint rubbing alcohol, 1 ounce spirits of peppermint, 1 ounce olive oil, 1 ounce wintergreen, 1 ounce witch hazel, 1 ounce pine oil and 50 menthol crystals. Mix well, and store in a tightly covered glass jar. Rub on affected areas.
• Watch your diet, reduce fat, sugar, salt, and cholesterol.
• Herbal tea such as Yarrow, willow bark, dandelion, and burdock tea are all helpful for relieving the pain of arthritis.
• Raw potato juice is also very good for rheumatic and arthritic conditions. Cut a medium-sized potato into thin slices, without peeling the skin, and place the slices overnight in a large glass filled with cold water. The water should be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach. Fresh juice can also be extracted from potatoes. Drink it on an empty stomach in the morning.
• Take one cup of green juice, extracted from any green leafy vegetable, mix it in equal proportions with carrot, celery, and red beet juices. A cup of fresh pineapple juice is also very good as it reduces swelling and inflammation.
• A teaspoon of black sesame seeds, soaked in a quarter cup of water and kept overnight, has been found to be effective in preventing joint pains. The water in which the seeds are soaked should also be taken along with the seeds first thing in the morning.
• Drinking water kept overnight in a copper container accumulates traces of copper, which is said to strengthen the muscles.
• Calcium is found to be very good for arthiritis patients. It should be taken in the form of calcium lactate. Two teaspoons of calcium lactate, each providing 400 mg of absorbable calcium, may be taken three times daily in water, before meals for at least four months.
• Bananas are also very good. A diet of only bananas for three or four days is advised in treating this condition. The patient may eat eight or nine bananas daily during this period. However a doctor should be consulted before doing this.
• Lime is also beneficial for arthritis. The juice of one lime, diluted with water, may be taken once a day, preferably first thing in the morning.
• A tea made from the herb called ‘alfalfa’, especially from its seeds, is good for the treatment of arthritis. One teaspoon of alfalfa seeds should be added to one cup of water. Three to four cups of this tea should be taken daily for atleast two weeks.
• The soup of green gram is also very good. It can be prepared by mixing a tablespoon of green gram in a cup of water, with two crushed garlic cloves. It should be taken twice a day.
• Treatment with castor oil is also beneficial. Boil two tablespoons of castor oil over a stove burner. Pour the oil into a glass of fresh orange juice and take before breakfast daily till the disease is cured. Take it for three weeks, then wait for 3 weeks and then take it for another 3 weeks. But it is essential that the patient must take an alkaline diet while adopting this mode of treatment otherwise the value of the treatment will be lost.
• Warm coconut oil or mustard oil, mixed with two or three pieces of camphor should be massaged on stiff and aching joints. It will increase blood supply, and reduce inflammation and stiffness.
• The body should be kept warm at all times . Joints should not be bandaged tightly as this limits movement. Quit smoking.
• Take rest, should have plenty of indirect ventilation. Dehumidify your home.
• Sea bathing is also beneficial for arthritis. The natural iodine in sea water is said to relieve arthritis pain. If sea bathing is not possible, the patient can relax for thirty minutes every day in a tub of warm water, in which a cup of common salt has been mixed.
• Eat Alfalfa or take alfalfa capsules. It’s very rich in minerals needed for the formation of bones.
• Take chondroitin sulfate 700 mg a day to strengthenjoints and ligaments. Take it in tablet form.
• Bogbean is a very powerful aquatic herb for curing joint pains. Since this herb cleans the urinary tract, drink lots of water.
• Take some Whole cloves and mineral oil. Fill a small or medium jar with the whole cloves. Pour the mineral oil over the cloves to cover completely. Set up for a week or two. Before going to bed, dab the oil mixture onto the affected areas and rub in. The stiffness will be greatly lessened.

You can buy the following products from a store :

• Buy a product called 024. A tube of 024 is good for tendinitis, bursitis, arthritis and muscle relief.
• Spray WD 40 on the affected area once in the morning and before bedtime. Rub it well. Do this for about 1-2 weeks. The pain will be gone.