How to Treat your Arthritis Naturally

How to Treat your Arthritis Naturally

Arthritis is pain in the fingers, knees, elbows, hips jaw-any place in

the body where there is a joint between bones. It can be very painful. This

because joints are surrounded by many nerves and the nerves are needed to make

the complicated joints work properly. There are many forms of arthritis like

Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid; to name just two, but we are not going into that

now. What we are looking at here is natural remedies.

A lot of arthritis sufferers very often turn to natural herbal remedies

and botanical methods to gain release from their symptoms. But do these

natural alternatives do what they promise? Can you find relief from herbal

supplements? There are many herbs and such like that has shown some promise in

helping treat the symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis and we will just look at a

few of them:.

Thunder god vine


A supplement that is derived from a perennial vine that is

native to Asia, also in areas of China, Korea, and Japan. The root is peeled

away to make this herbal supplement and is by tradition, been used to treat

autoimmune illnesses and inflammatory conditions. It has been find by research

that thunder god vine does indeed contain anti-inflammatory activity, and some

immune-boosting activity has also been discovered. One clinical trial carried

out at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that roughly

80 per cent of those patients who were given a high dose of the plant

supplement found that their Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms got better

considerably. However, researchers have found that this and other studies are

too small to prove the true efficacy of this plant-derived supplement.

Cherries

To take away the pain of gout, eat 6-8 cherries per day. They can be

tinned, frozen or fresh. This is a Japanese treatment, which they have used

for centuries. They also boil the cherries down into a syrup which makes a

strong sweet drink. The cherry is a very good source of magnesium (which is a

natural painkiller) and potassium. The potassium acts as a diuretic, reducing

inflammation by ridding tissue of fluid.

Dandelion leaves

One of the best remedies for treating arthritic conditions probably

grows right in your backyard: fresh young dandelion leaves. Because of the

high vitamin A and C content, when eaten raw in salads, these greens help the

body to repair damaged tissues and help the liver clear toxins out of the

blood. European herbalists have used these anti-pain dandelion recipes for

many years. Older leaves should be steam or sauté – like spinach, this is

because they are too tough to eat raw. You can also improve the taste by

cooking with garlic or add olive oil for a tasty dish. Dandelion can also be

made into a tea: Steep, just 1 teaspoon of dried leaves or 3 teaspoons of

fresh leaves in 1 cup of boiling water. Or make a coffee-like, but

bitter-tasting, beverage by boiling, and then straining, 4 ounces of fresh

root in 2 pints of water. Taken daily, this is a good guard against winter

colds.

Desert devil Devil’s-claw

An ominous-sounding cure – comes from the Kalahari Desert of South

Africa. For at least 250 years, the Hottentots, Bantus, and Bushmen (all

native tribes of this region) have treated arthritis pain with this large

claw-like fruit that can trap and injure livestock. The tribesmen’s favourite

method is to draw an extract from the root and brew it into a tea.

Alternatively, devil’s-claw can be dried, powdered, and taken in tablet form.

Recent French and German studies found that the pain-relief of devil’s-claw is

similar to that of cortisone. The root acts mainly as an anti-inflammatory, an

effect of harpagoside, its active ingredient. Preparations using the whole

plant work even better because it contains additional compounds, such as

flavonoids, that enhance the anti-inflammatory effect. Devil’s-claw is

available in many forms through most mailorder herb companies and health food

stores.

Molasses


The British, known for their fondness for sweets, swear by crude

blackstrap molasses dissolved in water. When taken every morning, they say

this preparation eases and even eliminates pain in the joints. This is some

feat in England! (Cold, damp climates usually aggravate a case of arthritis.)

The molasses is an excellent source of minerals, including iron, potassium,

and magnesium. It is also a concentrated sweet. So it is important to rinse

your mouth out or brush your teeth after using this treatment. Otherwise, you

may be trading one pain (arthritis) for another – a toothache!

Cooper bracelets

This does vindicate old wives. Until recently, Western doctors dismissed

as folklore the idea of wearing copper bracelets as a way of treating

arthritis. Indeed, there are many doctors who are still sceptical. Researchers

in Australia, however, have found that copper, when coupled with aspirin, is

more effective than aspirin alone in treating the pain of arthritis. Since

many substances are absorbed through the skin, there may be some truth in this

old wives’ tale. Cooper bracelets are available all over the net.

Ginger.

Ginger is very effective in the treatment of arthritis and a host of

other ailments. Recent medical research in Holland has indicated that this,

too, is much more than just myth. Eating ginger does, according to the Dutch

doctors, help alleviate arthritis pain. Use the ginger with anything…soups,

sauces, or salads.

Bee Stings


An arthritis therapy that may sound more like a punishment was used

2,000 years ago by Hippocrates – bee stings. Once considered to be the leading

cure for rheumatism, arthritis, and gout, bee stings were used for centuries

by ancient Europeans.Based on this traditional therapy, scientists in

Switzerland, France, Germany, and Great Britain devised a treatment that

employed a series of injections of the venom- using either a hypodermic needle

or a live bee! The bee venom, like many noxious substances, stimulates the

immune system to release inflammatory substances. This is known as the counter

irritation theory.

Saint Hildegard’s Ointment

Hildegard was a mystic from 12th century Germany whose wisdom still

holds true to day. She said ” Detoxify, purify, and regenerate the whole

organism.” Hildegard’s recipe for an arthritis ointment was to take 4 parts

vermouth, 2 parts deer fat, and 2 parts deer marrow, and mix it into a salve.

This ointment was massaged on the painful joints while the sufferer sat in

front of an elmwood fire. The warmth of the fire and the stimulation of blood

flow from the massage were really the important parts of the treatment. So if

you cannot get your hands on any deer fat. goose fat is a much better option

and is available all over the net. To get rid of the rheumatic toxins that

caused pain, Hildegard prescribed eating fragrant, raw quince. The fruit can

be cooked in water or wine, baked in a cake or pie, or made into jellies and

candy ( this is popular today during holiday seasons). Hildegard’s advice to

gout sufferers was to slowly chew (before breakfast) 1 to 3 teaspoons of

celery seed powder mixed with spices such as rue, cloves, and saxifrage. For a

better taste, the celery powder can be sprinkled on bread with quince jelly.

Celery is a diuretic, and the loss of excess fluid can reduce the inflammation

associated with the arthritis. Rue contains ruin, which can strengthen blood

vessels (preventing them from leaking fluid into tissue and thus preventing

inflammation).Warning: Don’t use rue during pregnancy. It can bring on

bleeding.

Aloe Vera


Aloe, by its self does not cure or heal anything; it is the

beneficial effects of over 200 different nutritional constituents and the way

they react to help reduce inflammation and pain which promote healing. Aloe

Vera gives a great boost to the immune system and energy levels. So, In other

words…..Aloe Vera provides the body with the right agents to take care of

itself and to restore and repair body functions and the body’s own healing

process.

Many people think that because they are taking an herbal supplement or

botanical-based drug therapy, there will be no side effects. The truth is that

herbal supplements can be quite powerful and can have strong side effects.

Many if not most of all conventional drug therapies are derived from plants

and herbs.

The bad news is that there is not enough sufficient research to

conclusively prove the efficacy of many of these herbal supplements and

botanical-based drugs. Before you try any herbal supplement, it is

important that you discuss its use with your doctor.

Source by Richard Haigh