Arthritis
WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, surrounding tendons, ligaments and cartilage. It can affect virtually every joint of the body from the feet, to the knees, back, shoulders and fingers.
The term Arthritis describes a variety of arthritic conditions, with the three most common forms being Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout.
Natural Therapy Suggestion:
The management steps are different for each type of arthritis.
However, be advised that we strongly recommend that you consult a Naturopath, Acupuncturist, Holistic Doctor or similar Natural Holistic Practitioner.
Osteoarthritis
Symptoms: e.g. cold and stiff joints may be relieved by applying
heat.
Heat-wheat packs and
warming rubs or ointments.
Weigh loss is recommended for all Arthritic Conditions, simply to relives stress on individual joints.
A Glucosamine Sulphate supplement to enhance the healing and preservation of Cartilage may also help.
Ginger has been used for hundred of years, it can be used as a food supplement and as a tea.
Boswellia is an Ayurvedic plant treatment and it contains anti-inflammatory substances. It works specifically well in combination with Curcumin, which is Turmeric, again a good herb to use in cooking.
Please s ee the article about > Ayurveda-Osteoarthritis - Ayurvedic food supplements.
For prevention, as mentioned above... obesity will increase the risk of developing Osteoarthitis. Regular exercise and staying injury free will go a long way towards staying healthy.
Diet is of vital importance in all forms of Arthritis, a well balanced anti-inflammatory diet is recommend, please read the >> zone diet article
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Symptoms: (hot and swollen joints) will benefit from the application
of a cold pack and a cooling cream containing homoeopathic and herbs. Herbs have been traditionally used to help this condition. However for many years now, Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to be of benefit as an anti-inflammatory. Please combine this with above diet and plenty of cold water fish. Many other supplement can be of help, as well as what is mentioned for Osteoarthritis. Herbal tinctures works best if mixed to individual requirements.
White willow may help with the pain.
Another substance helpful is Gamma-linolenic acid, found in borage, black currant seed and evening primrose oils.
Gout
... is aggravated by alcohol intake and purine-rich foods e.g. organ meats
and shellfish. Avoiding these foods, managing stress and losing weight
gradually if obese will help to relieve the symptoms of gout. Some nutritional
supplements may also be helpful such as vitamin B6 which helps to convert
uric acid into harmless compounds.
A very old home remedy which seems to help is eating 10 to 15 sour cherries per day.
Magnetic devices may help to relieve Arthritic pain too.
These are small, padded magnets which, when placed against the body,
create a therapeutic magnetic field.
Acupuncture provides patients with relief from the
pain of Arthritis.
Massage Therapy can be of great help, and can relieve a lot of pain as well as stiffness.
There are many other natural pain relieving nutritional supplements available. These may contain
herbs such as Willow Bark which has proven pain relieving properties.
Essential oils may be beneficial in reducing the severity of Arthritic pain
e.g. Roman chamomile, Lavender, Clary sage, Rosemary and Peppermint.
A few drops of these oils may be added to a bath or mixed into a cream that
is applied to the skin.
Ask your Naturopath, Aroma therapist or Herbalist for advice about which
oils would be most helpful for you and how to use them.
Personal Training Advice
After checking with your Health Care Professional, 20 to 30 minutes of
gentle and continuous exercise is recommended. Walking and swimming
are examples of gentle exercise that may help reduce pain and stiffness,
particularly in the joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons of the body. Personally I would recommend Yoga as well, followed by meditation.
The benefits of exercise include: pain management, muscle strengthening,
fitness, mobility, decreasing stress and depression associated with the loss of independence
and work capacity, decreased dependence on others and living a greater
quality of life.
The mode of exercise you decide on will be entirely be dependent on your
fitness and capabilities. However, you need to ensure that both fitness
activities and strength activities are included.
Fitness activities will assist
in overall general fitness and weight maintenance, whilst strength training
will assist in maintaining and developing strong muscles and joints.
Fitness activities that are the most beneficial for Arthritis sufferers are those
that include rhythmical movements that can be performed over an extended
period such as:
brisk walking, hydrotherapy, aqua aerobics, group exercise
classes, lawn bowls, tennis.
For strength training, Arthritis Australia recommends using isometric
exercises for Arthritis sufferers as they strengthen the muscles without
moving the joint.
When performing your physical activity it is also important
to remember to move the joints through their full range of motion.
Finally, Hypnotherapy - Self-hypnosis as well as Guided Self-Hypnosis CD's work very well for pain management.
Article supplied by :
useNature - Dieter L. Editor
