INFORMATION ABOUT RHEUMATISM

Review Of Alternative Treatments For Arthritis Pain Relief

Introduction
 

My name is Rose Parker and like millions of other people throughout the world, I have been through the trauma of being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. After the initial feelings of despair and helplessness, I resolved to find the best treatments possible in my attempt to understand this complex disease.
The market in alternative arthritis pain relief therapies is a minefield so beware!
There are many unscrupulous organisations who claim to have found a cure for rheumatoid arthritis however if this were true then it would be prescribed by conventional medicine. At the moment I do not believe that a cure exists, however there are many very effective treatments.
I have personally tried and tested all the arthritis pain relief treatments covered in this article.

 

Physical Treatments

For my birthday a good friend paid for a treatment of 'Daoyin Tao'. The face, head and neck massage made me feel much more relaxed and it helped me release much of my stress. I also had a 'Bowen Treatment' on my whole body and knees. The first time it worked wonderfully and I was raving about it, but the second time it made both my knees swell up like balloons and thump with pain. I put flannels soaked in cider apple vinegar on my knees, holding them in place with cling film: alas! the pain remained. I even booked a 'test drive' on a vibrating bed. I found the vibrating noise disturbing and the vibrations had no effect on the pain in my cramp ridden leg, even when the salesman increased the frequency in a concentrated way on the bottom of my foot. Still, I saved myself £4.000. Instead I still have to use my electric blanket throughout the whole year to warm my muscles and I need a bath in Epsom Salts every morning in order to walk properly and to reduce some of the stiffness and pain.
I was beginning to realise that finding arthritis pain relief was not going to be easy!

Aromatherapy Oils
 

I decided to continue searching within a field I know well: aromatherapy. I picked up my aromatherapy book: The Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Worwood and read the whole section on arthritis pain relief treatments, twice. I decided to give it a go. I ordered all the oils and a few others just to make sure. A horsey friend had told me about the miracle of Neem oil, so I ordered some of that as well. The Neem oil definitely helped but, it does stink a bit! It claims to help many problems, including Thrush, Gingevitis and bone disease which causes your teeth to fall out. I found that it definitely helped with my arthritis pain relief and I now take a capsule of Neem every day. The variety of aromatherapy oils have also helped significantly to reduce the pain in my knees.

 

Diet
 

I had heard that diet can have an enormous impact on rheumatoid arthritis. There is so much conflicting evidence in this area. I decided to embark on a whole diet change: I gave up coffee, sugar, red meat, root vegetables and citrus fruits. When I had my body stats measured in 1998, I was diagnosed as dehydrated so I decided to drink lots of water. I also tried Green Lipped Mussel extract at great expense bought on the Internet. It claimed miracles, but it did not give me any arthritis pain relief. I did get something else from it though: extremely bad breath!
There is scientific research which states that Rheumatoid Arthritis is one of the symptoms of too high acid levels in the blood and body. The blood has a very narrow temperature range and also a very narrow acidic range, and the body does all it can to compensate. Much of my problems come from an over acidic body and I am trying to stick to alkali raising food in order for my body to heal itself. I paid £20 for Dr Gillian McKeith's Living Food Energy which tasted horrible, but it did give me more energy and it was not acid forming. I also did Gillian McKeith's detox, over 24 hours, but I had not been eating very much prior to that. It did have an effect. I had several bouts of diarrhoea, producing liquid black slurry and a stomping headache. I felt better the next day, so can only assume my body had been full of toxins. The diet did make me feel better and overall I experienced more arthritis pain relief. I continue to follow the principles above but I also do allow occasional excesses: All diet and no fun makes Rose a dull girl!

 

Footwear
 

Specialist clothing and in particular footwear have provided me with some arthritis pain relief. Soon after being diagnosed my legs were so swollen that some riding boots I had made to measure were causing me pain. I had worn these boots every day since 1989 and now they no longer fitted round my calves. What's more, after wearing my Celtic sheepskin boots (that help by supporting my feet) my legs had a ridge in them half way down due to water retention and poor circulation. I then bought some Masai Barefoot Technology trainers to take the stress off my joints and they too have had a positive impact. They help with arthritis pain relief through the curved soles which even out the jarring on your knees when walking.

Magnets
 

During my desperate state I tried another avenue I had heard about and went round to see a friend who sold magnet products. I was totally sceptical. I didn't feel a thing from the bracelet. But WOW!, when I went to bed on a magnetic pad I could feel my body pulsing. Almost like someone massaging you. It was amazing! From that day on I could cut down my painkillers. I was still stiff and sore in the morning and it continued to take me a long time to actually stand up, but the agonising cramp that lasted ALL DAY had suddenly disappeared. My husband who has chronic back pain raves about the magnets continuously and there are cases of people who say that their arthritis pain has disappeared completely.
I will try to explain how it works in simple terms (which is all I can do because I am simple too!). The blood needs a certain level of electrolytes, which are liquids that can carry electric charges. The electrolytes' charges can be swapped around to keep the acid level of the blood within a certain range as explained earlier. There are nutritional products available which can supplement these electrolytes. The specially designed magnets influence the charges in the electrolytes increasing their effectiveness. This improves the circulation of the blood (the blood is less 'sticky') and it can flow more easily around the body, including the problem areas of the joints. This in turn reduces the pain.

 

Summary
 

In summary, there are many different arthritis pain relief treatments some which work and some which do not. Also, remember that everyone is different and will respond to treatments in different ways. I have found that some of the nutrients, oils and magnetic products described in this article have helped me considerably.

Please respond or visit my website guest book if you know of a product that has helped you. Also please feel free to visit my website, Rheumor, where there is much more information on the arthritis pain relief treatments covered in this article.
Article by Rose Parker ©2007.

By: Rose Parker

 

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Biography: Rose Parker is a technology teacher who was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in 2006. Since then she has devoted all her spare time to researching the causes and treatments of RA. Her articles and website cover everything from the basic necessities of diet to the latest technological developments in the study of RA. Website: www.rheumor.co.uk

Fish Oil To Cure Arthritis

Every day, patients are diagnosed with arthritis, but it is by no means a "new" condition. On the contrary, arthritis has an ancient history. Even still, despite the fact that medical professionals have spent centuries developing newer and better treatments, one arthritis remedy holds almost archaic qualities.

While there are more than one hundred different types of arthritis, most of them share similar chronic, painful symptoms: swelling of the affected area, morning stiffness, sharp and throbbing pain, localized or widespread pain, and mild to severe loss of mobility.

Just as arthritis can present itself in many different forms, there is also a huge range of treatment options. These vary from conventional drug therapies to alternative methods such as specialized yoga. Every arthritis case is unique and so, not every treatment method will bring the same results all patients.

There is also an interesting shift underway that is affecting the way that doctors treat patients with arthritis. Natural medicine is becoming mainstream, and alternative treatment options are becoming an acceptable part of arthritis therapies. Fish oil is one of the latest trends that doctors and nutritionists are excited about.

Fish oil is known to be rich in two types of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both of these omega-3 fatty acids are highly respected and well documented for their abilities to reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis. These strong anti-inflammatory properties make fish oils a natural choice for arthritis sufferers. Of course, patients do have questions. Do fish oils work as arthritis treatments? More importantly, can fish oil actually relieve pain?

Most alternative medicine therapies are relatively new, so they are not backed with the sufficient medical and scientific research needed to provide definite proof. Fish oil, as such, has yet to be proven effective in clinical trials. Still, early research findings are encouraging.

Recent clinical trials and laboratory studies conclude that fish oil, because of its omega-3 structure, can be helpful in reducing morning muscle stiffness and joint pain that so many arthritis sufferers live with. Researchers have not yet concluded the appropriate dosage required for maximum effectiveness, nor how the fish oil treatment program should last.

Patients should be aware of the potential side effects of taking fish oil for arthritis:

 

Blood Clots

In some cases, fish oil has created risks by affecting the blood's clotting abilities. In other words, some patients may find that fish oil affects the time it takes for the blood to clot. In cases where the patient is already taking medication to affect the clotting of blood, this is an important issue to consider.

Lower Blood Pressure

Fish oil supplements may also interact with blood pressure medications. Supplementing the diet with fish oil while taking high blood pressure medications may cause a significant drop in blood pressure.

 

Contaminants

Fish oil may naturally contain significant yet potentially dangerous levels of contaminants. Fish contain naturally-occurring mercury, and may be a poor choice for some patients. There are serious risks associated with the consumption of the contaminants found in fish oil, particularly to young children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Shark, tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are known to contain the highest levels of mercury.

If you are considering taking fish oil supplements to treat arthritis, but you have concerns about the risks, avoid oils derived from those types of fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury. You'll need to conduct some research, but the results are worth the efforts.

Patients should be aware of other possible concerns before starting fish oil therapy for arthritis. Other side effects associated with taking the supplements, such as gas and other stomach disturbances, are usually relatively minor.

Arthritis is not new, but alternative treatment options have promised new relief for patients. Seek the advice of a trusted herbalist or medical practitioner to learn more about fish oil and other alternative arthritis treatments.

By: Mabel Dugmore

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Author Mabel Dugmore is a freelancer for a variety of web sites, on health discovery and birth doula issues.

Even Animals Have Arthritis

If you think humans are the only ones suffering from arthritis, you’re wrong. Our misery is shared by many of our animal friends, including dogs and cats.

Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease – the most common form of arthritis that affects 21 million Americans - is also common in animals, especially elderly dogs and cats. The disease is caused when cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in the joints deteriorates over time. This may be due to aging, being overweight, joint injury and stress or muscle weakness.

As the cartilage wears down, bone rubs against bone resulting in damaged bones. There is stiffness and pain in the joints during or after use or after a period of inactivity. Other symptoms are loss of flexibility, swelling, and tenderness in the joint.

“Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, though it most commonly affects joints in your hands, hips, knees and spine. Osteoarthritis typically affects just one joint, though in some cases, such as with finger arthritis, several joints can be affected,” said the Mayo Clinic.

In animals, however, osteoarthritis may be difficult to detect since the former can’t complain or talk. Dr. James "Jimi" Cook, director of the Comparative Orthopedic Laboratory at the University of Missouri at Columbia, said the disease is often found in 20 percent of dogs over age 1.

Scientists at the University of Glasgow said a third of cats over age 8 may also be suffering from arthritis pain. However, unlike dogs or horses, they don’t limp or make a fuss, making the disease difficult to diagnose, according to Professor David Bennett from the university’s vet school.

Cook lamented the fact that by the time patients develop symptoms – about seven to 15 years after an injury in humans, and only six weeks for dogs – it is already too late to reverse the damage.

“The signs may be hard to spot at first: your gray-in-the-muzzle Labrador retriever takes a little longer to get up in the morning, or your fuzzy Persian doesn't jump as high as she used to. As time goes on, it becomes more and more clear that your pet is having a hard time moving, and soon you realize that she is in pain whenever she walks, jumps, or even sits up. It can be a hard moment for a pet owner - learning that the animal you love has arthritis,” said the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

“The symptoms of arthritis can be hard to distinguish - animals can't complain about their aching joints, so all that pet ‘parents’ see is a response to pain. Animals with arthritis might avoid the activities they used to enjoy, stop jumping onto the furniture, or they might nip or seem upset when touched. Some animals may become depressed or change their eating habits; others may simply seem grumpier than usual,” the AAHA added.

To make life easier for you and your pet, see a competent doctor for help. Although osteoarthritis can’t be cured, modern treatments can reduce pain and maintain movement so you can perform daily tasks. To control pain, swelling, and inflammation, use Flexcerin, a natural supplement that soothes aching joints, rebuilds worn joints, and restores joint flexibility and mobility.

By: Janet Martin

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Janet Martin is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine www.thearticleinsiders.com. For details on Flexcerin, go to www.flexcerin.com.