12 Steps to Alleviate Arthritis: Part 2

In the first part of this article you learned about the first 10 steps I use with my arthritic clients. Now I’ll share the remaining steps I use to help lessen symptoms, particularly pain, and promote healing.

11. Add remedies and/or therapies that help with pain management.
When you’re suffering from pain, it can feel overwhelming and difficult to cope with life. Using natural options that help reduce pain can improve quality of life. Aromatherapy blends made from pure and natural essential oils of plants can help dramatically with pain.

Using high quality essential oils of nutmeg, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon eucalyptus, wintergreen, bay laurel, basil, ylang ylang, spruce, birch, or chamomile can be helpful for alleviating the pain of aching joints. Dilute 10-15 drops of an oil or combination of oils in a teaspoon of carrier oil like sweet almond, grapeseed, or olive and rub on affected areas. Be sure to test a small patch on your skin for about 72 hours before using an oil blend elsewhere to avoid any possible allergic reactions.

12. Add foods that fight pain to the diet.
Some of the best healing remedies also taste fabulous (I can’t say that about any prescription medications). Plus, foods won’t cause the nasty side effects common to most pain medications.

Dark greens like spinach and kale, along with flax seeds and cold-pressed flax oil, raw walnuts and walnut oil contain plentiful amounts of fatty acids known as Omega-3s. Many fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring also contain these valuable oils. Omega-3s convert in the body into hormone-like substances that decrease inflammation and pain. Do not cook with flax oil otherwise it will become rancid and irritate the body’s tissues, causing pain.

According to Dr. Alfred D. Steinberg, an arthritis expert at the National Institute of Health, fish oil is an anti-inflammatory agent. Fish oil acts directly on the immune system by suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the release of cytokines, compounds known to destroy joints. Many other studies also demonstrate that eating moderate amounts of fish or taking fish oil reduces pain and inflammation, particularly for arthritis sufferers.

The Benefits of Berries
While many people opt for aspirin as their first course of action when they feel pain, Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, professor of natural products and chemistry at Michigan State University, found that tart cherry extract is ten times more effective than aspirin at relieving inflammation. Only two tablespoons of the concentrated juice need to be taken daily for effective results. Later she found that sweet cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries have similar effects. Blueberries are also excellent pain relievers. They increase the amounts of compounds called heat-shock proteins that decrease as people age, thereby causing inflammation, pain and tissue damage.

The Pluses of Fruits and Veggies
James Duke, Ph.D., author of The Green Pharmacy, found more than 20 anti-inflammatory compounds in celery and celery seeds, including a substance called apigenin, which is powerful in its anti-inflammatory action. Add celery seeds to soups, stews or as a salt substitute in many recipes.

Most colorful fruits and vegetables contain healing phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that reduce pain and inflammation. Notable ones include pineapple, which contains the powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme known as bromelain.
Tomatoes and bell peppers also contain about 20 anti-inflammatory substances each. I recommend eating tomatoes and peppers raw as much as possible because when they’re cooked they become acidic.

Spice Up Your Life
Ginger reduces pain-causing prostaglandin levels in the body and has been widely used in India to treat pain and inflammation. A study by Indian researchers found that when people who were suffering from pain were given ginger, they all experienced improvement. The recommended dosage of ginger is between 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day. Higher doses bring faster and better relief.

Turmeric (curcuma longa) is the yellow spice commonly used in Indian curries. In research it has been shown to be a more effective anti-inflammatory than steroid medications when dealing with acute inflammation. Its main therapeutic ingredient is curcumin, which has been shown to deplete nerve endings of substance P, a pain neurostransmitter. Research shows that curcumin suppresses pain through a similar mechanism as drugs like COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors (without the harmful side effects). For acute pain, you can take up to four tablespoons of turmeric per day mixed into water, including hot water, and add some honey and drink throughout the day. Turmeric can also be ingested in capsule form. Choose a standardized extract with 1500 mg of curcumin content per day. There are no known undesirable effects, even with large doses.

Cayenne pepper improves circulation and reduces pain. Take up to three 500 mg capsules per day. Be aware that some people find even a single capsule causes a burning sensation in the stomach. You can also use cayenne sprinkled on food with 1/4 teaspoon being the equivalent of approximately 400 mg. Avoid if you have an ulcer.

In addition to the culinary herbs like ginger, turmeric, and cayenne, there are many other powerful painkillers such as Boswellia serrata gum extract, proteolytic enzymes such as bromelain and protease, glucosamine sultfate, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), niacinamide (vitamin B3), rosemary leaf extract, hops, and olive leaf extract. Because many of these herbs and nutrients need to be taken in high doses to achieve optimum results, it is advisable to work with a qualified health practitioner, well versed in treating arthritis. Of course, not all of these items are needed to obtain pain reduction and improvement in arthritis symptoms. I’ve merely listed them to provide sufferers with as many options as possible. When the pain of arthritis strikes it is important to feel like you have options to deal with it. And always check with your doctor before beginning any new nutritional or herbal supplements to be sure they don’t interact with medications you are taking or other conditions you may be experiencing.

Arthritis is a complex disease that requires a broad-spectrum approach to healing. It is not what a person does periodically that matters, but what a person does consistently to help his or her body heal over time. The adage that “patience is a virtue” may never have been truer than with a chronic disease like arthritis. Patience and persistence are the keys to a pain-free life and great health.

Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook. Adapted with permission of the author from Healing Injuries the Natural Way by Michelle Schoffro Cook, RNCP, ROHP, DAc, DNM.