The One-Minute
(or so)
Healer

Arthritis

Sir William Osler, considered to be the "Father of Modern Medicine," once said, "When an arthritis patient walks in the front door, I feel like leaving by the back door." And it is no wonder that it pained Dr. Osler to try to treat arthritic patients -- there is little that conventional medicine offers these individuals. The lucky ones get temporary relief along with drug side effects; the unlucky ones only get the side effects.

The word arthritis means "inflammation of a joint," and there are various ways in which people experience this. There are dozens of kinds of arthritis: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, systemic lupus, and bursitis, to name just a few. The good news is that arthritis will rarely kill you. The bad news is that the stiffness that sufferers experience can make them feel as though rigor mortis has set in early.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. Sometimes called the "wear and tear" variety of arthritis, osteoarthritis is thought to be a natural result of aging. This is just a theory; however, as evidenced by the 93-year-old man from Chicago who developed osteoarthritis in his left knee. When his doctor told him that it was a result of aging, the wise man remarked, "My other knee is 93 years old, too, and it don't hurt a bit."

There are other factors besides aging that precipitate osteoarthritis. Likewise, each type of arthritis has numerous influences that increase or decrease the chances of getting it. It is known, for instance, that women experience most types of arthritis two to eight times as often as men (gout and ankylosing spondylitis are the exceptions). Sorry, ladies, but sex-change operations are not therapeutically effective.

 Here, however, are some strategies that may help you. 

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The remedies presented here have taken from the book: "The One Minute (or so) Healer" by Dan Ullman, MPH. While we present 12 suggestions here, the book contains 26 one-minute strategies for arthritis.)

Use it, or you lose it

Range-of-motion exercises are very important in increasing circulation and reducing stiffness. Although one should avoid exercising a joint that is currently inflamed or "hot," these joints can be gently moved along their range of motion. Swimming is a particularly good exercise for people with arthritis. Although jogging is not associated with degenerative joint disease, you might consider walking as an alternative form of exercise if you experience any joint pain during or after jogging. Don't overdo any exercise, but don't underdo it either. Try to exercise 15 to 20 minutes a day, five days a week.

Avoid arthritis "cooperators"

Some evidence suggests that certain foods can aggravate an arthritic condition. Although such foods are not thought to "cause" arthritis, they may "cooperate" with it and make it worse. Experiment by avoiding foods from the nightshade family, including tomatoes, eggplant, peppers (except black pepper), and potatoes (except for potato juice - explained further on). Tobacco is also a member of the nightshade family that can aggravate arthritis. Milk, fats, and citrus fruits are other possible cooperators. As an experiment, avoid, or at least significantly reduce, ingesting them.

Apply some herbal heat

Cayenne pepper is known to contain a painkilling chemical called capsaicin. There are now some over-the-counter drugs as well as some herbal products that are primarily composed of capsaicin. Apply it externally directly to and around the source of pain. Ideally, use a standardized cream with 0.025%-0.075% capsaicin. Expect your initial applications to produce a burning sensation.

Glucosamine what?

Glucosamine is a natural substance found in high concentration in the body's cartilage and joints. Although it doesn't exhibit significant anti-inflammatory or analgesic properties, it provides structural support to the joints and helps relieve the pain and discomfort in many people suffering from arthritis. Consider taking 500 mg three times a day, preferably on an empty stomach -- but if irritation occurs, take it with food. By the way, most of the best research on people with arthritis has been with glucosamine sulfate; consider using this type of glucosamine first. By the way, some sources suggest that people with a heart condition should avoid taking this supplement.

Water yourself

Stimulate circulation in the affected areas by taking a hot shower or bath, and then turn on the cold water. Repeat the hot cycle, and then return to the cold. If your hands, knees, or feet are the primary sources of pain, you can simply place them in a tub or sink of hot and then cold water. Another alternative is to place a hot pack on a specific area and alternate with a cold pack. Try this at least twice a day.

Cast castor oil on the pain

Make a castor oil pack, and place it on a joint where there is pain, but not when there's acute inflammation. To make it, pour three or four tablespoons of castor oil in a pan, heat the oil until it simmers, then saturate a flannel cloth with the oil. After you place this cloth on the affected joint, cover it with a larger towel and place an electric heating pad over it. Keep it in place for 30 to 60 minutes. This castor oil pack can be saved for future use by simply rolling up the cloth and placing it in a Ziploc bag.

Become a juice potato

An old folk remedy for arthritis is to drink raw potato juice. To make it, wash a potato (don't peel it), cut it into thin slices, place it in a glass of cold water, and leave it out overnight. Drink this water in the morning on an empty stomach. The lowly potato is known to have antiviral inhibitors and is rich in chlorogenic acid, which helps prevent cell mutations that lead to cancer. Whatever it is in potatoes that helps arthritic sufferers is yet to be found, but personal experience suggests that it can be helpful.

Fish oil can lubricate you

Research has recently shown that fish oil supplements have anti-inflammatory effects that may be helpful to arthritis sufferers. One important study showed beneficial effects when people took 15 capsules a day, although most people will probably experience benefits by taking four to eight capsules daily. Recent research has also suggested that extracts from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, now available in supplement form, are particularly good for people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Although this supplement may sound strange, would you rather suffer, or try something that might make you feel better?

Bejewel yourself in copper

People suffering from arthritis have been known to experience relief when they wear a copper bracelet. Although skeptics point to this treatment as a classic example of quackery, or simply the placebo effect, it is known that some people with arthritis have difficulty assimilating copper from the food they eat. Perhaps wearing a copper bracelet provides them with a subtle but biologically active source of this mineral. Lending further support to the use of copper, homeopathic physicians commonly prescribe microdoses of copper (Cuprum metalicum) to those people with arthritis who experience cramping pains in the joints and jerking or twitching of muscles.

Bee stings for arthritis?

It is a well-known bit of folklore that beekeepers have a low incidence of arthritis. It is also known that one folk remedy for treating arthritis is getting stung by a bee. An easier way to try this remedy is to get a homeopathic dose of bee venom in Apis mellifica 6 or 30. This medicine is primarily helpful if you have arthritic pain that is similar to the type of pain that bee venom causes: burning pain, aggravated by heat, alleviated by cold or cool applications.

Are you too resistant to change?

Is the stiffness in your character creating stiffness in your body? There's the story of two caterpillars who look up and notice a butterfly. One caterpillar says to the other: "You'll never get me up in one of those." Are you resisting any inevitable changes in your life? Loosen up. Say to yourself: "I expect change, and I will bend with it."

Dear, Dear Diary

Keep a diary of your symptoms. Look for patterns of what might aggravate the pain that you experience. Finding a pattern might not "cure" you, but it may help you avoid those things that trigger your pain syndrome. Also, recent research has found that simply writing about your experiences with arthritis has a therapeutic benefit. Write on!

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