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. Since arthritis comes in so many different forms and no two people are alike, what works for one person or one kind of arthritis may not work for another. Following are alternative remedies reported to have been effective with at least some people and some forms of arthritis.
Folk Remedies A New England remedy for arthritis is a hot bath of Epsom salts.The magnesium in Epsom Salts has both anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties and it can be absorbed through the skin. The heat of the bath can also increase circulation and reduce the swelling of arthritis. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts to a tubful of hot water. Bathe for thirty minutes, adding hot water as necessary to keep the temperature warm.
A Chinese folk medicine remedy for arthritis is to eat sesame seeds. One-half ounce of the seeds contains about 4 grams of essential fatty acides, 175 milligrams of calcium, 64 milligrams of
magnesium, and 0.73 milligrams of copper. Increased copper intake may be important during arthritis attacks because the body’s requirements go up during inflammation. Grind up 1/2 ounce of sesame seeds in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on your food at meal-time.
Gin and raisins: 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!
Drink your tea! Various parts of the celery plant contain more than 25 different antiinflammatory
compounds. Place 1 teaspoon of celery seeds in a cup. Fill the cup with boiling water. Cover and let stand for fifteen minutes. Strain and drink. The leaves of the rosemary plant contain four anti-inflammatory
substances: earnosol, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, and ursolic acid. Put 1/2 ounce of rosemary leaves in a 1-quart canning jar and fill the jar with boiling water. Cover tightly and let stand for thirty minutes. Drink a cup of the hot tea before going to bed and have another cupful in the morning before breakfast.
Willow bark tea has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of aspirin. But because the irritationcausing ingredient in aspirin tablets is diluted in tea, you’ll have less risk of stomach upset, ulcer and overdose if you drink the tea instead of the pills.
Spice up your life Many people drink ginger tea for osteoarthritis; a ginger compress is also beneficial.
Oregano is a powerful antioxidant, due in large part to rosmarinic acid, a compound with antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties. The antioxidants in oregano may help prevent the cell damage caused by free radicals, blamed for inflammation, degenerative arthritis and the aging process in general. The capsaicin in red pepper can help relieve arthritis when you apply the herb to the skin, using an over-the-counter cream that contains capsaicin like Zostrix or Capzasin-P.
Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric, has significant anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to be as effective as cortisone or phenylbutazone in certain models of inflammation. 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.
Helpful Supplements Fatty acids such as those found in black currant seed oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, fish oil, and flaxseed oil increase the production of anti- inflammatory prostaglandins. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM or SAM-e) plays a role in the formation of cartilage and exerts a mild analgesic effect, comparable in effect to the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin.
Take your vitamins!
• Vitamin E, like the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used for arthritis, inhibits the prostaglandins that play a role in pain.
• Vitamin C is important for the synthesis of collagen and the repair of connective tissue.
• Pantothenic acid, part of the vitamin B complex, has been shown to help prevent and alleviate arthritis.
• Arthritis patients are recommended to take a supplement of B6 in addition to the recommended daily antioxidant vitamin/mineral supplement.
• One study found when administered to persons with arthritis, vitamins B1 and B12 enhanced the effectiveness of NSAIDs, allowing for a lower dosage of the pain relieving drugs.
• Vitamin A and the minerals zinc and copper are crucial to the formation of collagen and connective tissues.
Excerpted from article written by Tony Isaacs and published in Natural News
Please consult your health care provider before trying these or any other alternative forms of treatment.