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Beware of Treatments That Actually Accelerate Arthritis.Sloths may have served as the model for one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but at least they've managed to avoid one of the most debilitating diseases-arthritis.
And James Braly, M.D., an allergy specialist in Boca Raton, Florida, thinks that he may know why. These tree-dwelling creatures sleep upside down, relieving the pressure on their bones for hours at a time, he says.
Many of the other creatures in the animal kingdom, however-including humans-almost inevitably develop some degree of this wear-and-tear disease if they live long enough.
One of the numerous reasons is that a lifetime of moving breaks down the cartilage that forms a cushion between the ends of bones. Eventually, bone rubs on bone, resulting in pain and stiffness that can range from mild to crippling. Pain and stiffness in knees. In hips. In fingers. In shoulders. In toes. In spines. In millions and millions of Americans (about 20 million, at last count).
In fact, by the year 2020, when the members of the Baby Boom generation will be at least 60 years old, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that almost 60 million Americans will have arthritis.
More specifically, they will have osteoarthritis, the most common form of the disease (there are more than 100 different types). Rheumatoid arthritis is another very common form.
Unlike the mechanical destruction that causes osteoarthritis, the joint damage from rheumatoid arthritis occurs because of an inflammatory process that conventional medicine attributes to an autoimmune response. This means that the immune system misidentifies a part of the body as a foreign invader and attacks it. (As you'll see, some alternative healers have other opinions about the actual causes of rheumatoid arthritis.)
Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 2 million Americans, about 70 percent of whom are women. And because it's an inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis not only produces pain and stiffness but also makes joints swollen, red, and hot. Moreover, the disease doesn't limit its damage to joints. It can also harm the eyes, lungs, heart, kidneys, and other parts of the body.
There are many different medical treatments for the inflammation that osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis produce, but the most common involves using non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. These include aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin (Indocin), naproxen (Aleve), and many others. And, while NSAIDs may reduce symptoms today, in the long run, they all make arthritis worse, says Dr. Braly.
"The single most important message that you could give to people with arthritis is that the type of drug most commonly used to treat over 20 million arthritis sufferers in the United States is actually accelerating the destruction of joint tissue," Dr. Braly says.
Fortunately, there are many alternative treatments for arthritis-some of which, say alternative healers, have the power to not only relieve arthritis symptoms but to actually reverse them.
GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE: Stop the Pain of Osteoarthritis
"Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and indomethacin, may worsen or accelerate joint destruction by preventing new, healthy connective tissue in the joints from being formed," says Dr. Braly.
Some studies suggest, however, that glucosamine sulfate, a nutritional supplement, may build cartilage and slow the progression of the disease instead of merely masking its symptoms.
According to Walter Crinnion, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and director of Healing Naturally in Kirkland, Washington, 500 milligrams of glucosamine sulfate, taken three times a day before meals, "works great" among his patients who have osteoarthritis. But don't expect to be pain-free tomorrow; this is a slow, natural process of rebuilding a damaged body part. Dr. Crinnion advises his patients to take 1,500 milligrams of the supplement daily for about 6 months, then lower the dosage to between 500 and 1,000 milligrams a day, according to how their bodies feel. If you don't feel relief at a maintenance dose of 500 milligrams, go back to 1,000 milligrams, he suggests.
And here's a consumer tip from Dr. Crinnion: Be sure the label says glucosamine sulfate. "There are other forms of glucosamine being sold, and they don't work as well," he says.
TURMERIC: Boost the Healing Power of Glucosamine
In therapeutic dosages, turmeric, the yellow spice from India, works as well as NSAIDs to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis, says Dr. Braly. And, unlike NSAIDs, it has no side effects.
One of the anti-inflammatory substances in turmeric is curcumin, which is available in capsules. Taken together, curcumin and glucosamine sulfate reduce pain and inflammation far better than either one alone, Dr. Braly says. (And here's an extra benefit: Some studies show that curcumin may block the formation of some types of tumors.) Follow the dosage recommendations on the label, says Dr. Braly, and take the supplement until your arthritis symptoms subside.
GINGER: Fresh or from a Bottle
Ginger is another spice with scientifically proven anti-inflammatory powers, says Dr. Braly. One of its active ingredients is gingerol. People with arthritis should eat plenty of fresh ginger (raw is best); he suggests chopping it and adding as much as you're comfortable eating to salads and other foods.
Alternatively, you can take a ginger supplement. Look for a standardized ginger product and follow the dosage recommendations on the label, says Dr. Braly. Take it until your arthritis symptoms subside completely, he advises.
MAHANARAYAN OIL: For Immediate Pain Relief
"I treated a woman in her eighties who had severe osteoarthritis," says Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, director of the Ayurveda Holistic Center in Bayville, New York. "She rubbed the mahanarayan oil on her skin in the area of pain and, for the first time in 30 years, her pain went away. Of course, it came back in a few hours, but when she put the oil back on, the pain went away again."
The oil penetrates the skin and immediately softens pain-causing deposits in the bone, says Swami Tirtha. And it's completely safe, so you can use as much of it as you want for pain relief, he says. Because it's not greasy, you can rub a light coating of it into your skin as you would a massage oil.
GUGGUL: For Long- Term Pain Relief
"This herb can relieve the pain of arthritis within a day or two," says
Swami Tirtha. Take Y4 teaspoon of guggul tincture with Y2 teaspoon of water 30 minutes before meals three times a day, he says. You can take guggul (sometimes called guggulu) for many months, he adds. If the pain goes away, he suggests that you stop taking the herb for a month to let your body adjust. You can then take it again as a preventive or if the pain returns.
"The herb travels to the arthritic bone and removes the imbalances that are causing the stiffness, swelling, and inflammation," he says.
Lubricate Your Joints with Dietary Oils
A deficiency of fatty acids, which are components of fat, is a major contributing factor to arthritis and arthritis pain, says Gus Prosch, M.D., a physician in Birmingham, Alabama.
There are almost as many fatty acids as there are vitamins. And, like vitamins, each one has a different role in your body. Four fatty acids-alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)-help reverse some of the symptoms and complications of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, including inflammation, pain, a weakened immune system, and low resistance to stress of all kinds. That's why Dr. Prosch puts all of his arthritis patients on a dietary regimen (including fatty acid supplements) that guarantees that they won't have a deficiency. "It is almost unbelievable how important these recommendations are to relieving arthritis," he says. "If patients don't follow them, they are not going to get better." Here's how to maximize your intake of anti-arthritis fatty acids.
FISH OIL: From the Sea or from a Bottle Include cold-water fish such as sardines, salmon, mackerel, halibut, herring, trout, and tuna in your diet three times a week, Dr. Prosch recommends. They are rich in EPA and DHA, which are part of a group of fatty acids commonly known as omega-3's.
If fish isn't your favorite dish, you can take fish-oil capsules. Research has shown that fish-oil supplements can sometimes reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness of rheumatoid arthritis, says Dr. Prosch.
Take 6 grams, or six 1,000-milligram capsules, a day for 4 to 6 months, he recommends. The capsules provide 1,080 milligrams of EPA and 720 milligrams of DHA, which is the average amount needed by most patients, he says. You can take them all at once or in divided doses, according to Dr. Prosch.
As with most natural treatments for chronic disease, don't expect the pain to vanish overnight. For most people, it takes 3 to 4 months before the treatment begins to soothe aching joints. After about 5 months, Dr. Prosch recommends reducing the dosage to three capsules, or 3,000 milligrams, daily. You can take this dosage indefinitely, he says.
One slight problem with fish-oil capsules is that they can make you burp a fishy burst of air. To prevent that problem, Dr. Crinnion advises keeping the capsules in the freezer and taking them frozen.
Dr. Prosch says that if you take your full dosage at bedtime, you will not notice the fishiness during the night.
FLAXSEED OIL: On Your Food or in a Capsule
Take 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil daily, suggests Lauri Aesoph, N.D.,
a naturopathic doctor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It's a good source of LNA, another omega-3 fatty acid. Include it in your daily diet just as you would any other oil-in salad dressings, for example, or as an ingredient in recipes that don't involve heating. Store it in the refrigerator. Flaxseed oil is also available in supplement form. Follow the dosage recommendations on the label, she says.
You can take these supplements indefinitely, says Dr. Braly. They contain "essential nutrients that are profoundly deficient in the Western diet." Shoot for about 5,000 milligrams of LNA in your supplements. EVENING PRIMROSE: Another Oily Option
This supplement, made from the seeds of the evening primrose plant, is rich in GLA, the fatty acid in which people are most deficient, says Dr. Prosch. He suggests taking six capsules (containing 240 to 270 milligrams of GLA) of evening primrose oil daily.
You can cut that dose in half after 4 to 6 months, he says. He adds that there are cheaper forms of GLA on the market but cautions that they do not yield the same results as GLA from evening primrose oil.
HYDROGENATED OILS: A Must to Avoid
Hydrogenated oils interfere with the metabolism of fatty acids, says Dr. Prosch. These oils are found in margarine, peanut butter, most cooking oils, and many other processed products, such as snack chips, baked goods, and salad dressings. (Natural peanut butter that is freshly ground at health food stores is okay, he says.) Avoid foods whose labels include the word hydrogenated, he advises.
Acupressure for Joint-by-Joint Pain Relief
You can use some simple, press-here techniques to provide quick relief of joint pain. The remedies of Jin Shin Do Bodymind Acupressure combine traditional acupressure with breathing and visualization, says Deborah Valentine Smith, a licensed massage therapist and senior teacher of Jin Shin Do in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
"These powerful techniques can provide short- and long term relief for arthritis by bringing chi, or life-energy, into the area of the joint," Smith says. "This encourages the flow of blood, which lubricates the joints, carries away toxins, and reduces pain, swelling, and inflammation." (For the exact locations of the points, see An Illustrated Guide to Acupressure Points on page 638.)
If you have trouble finding any of the points in these exercises, she says, don't worry about it. Just put your palm over the area. Pressing the exact point has stronger effects, but the body also responds to where and how you put your attention and your breath. Although these techniques can help relieve pain as it occurs,
they are most beneficial when you add them to your daily routine, advises Smith.
HARA BREATHING: To Build Your Chi
In Chinese medicine, the source of the philosophy and practice of acupressure, the hara is an area below the navel that acts as a reservoir for the body's chi. "Arthritis is often caused by a combination of factors that includes a depletion or blockage of chi, usually caused by what we in the West call tension or stress," says Smith. "Hara breathing builds reserves of chi in your body."
First, place your hand, palm down, right below your navel. Next, inhale, expanding your belly into your hand. Imagine breathing vitality, or a life force, down into your belly with the breaths and concentrating it there as you exhale, feeling your belly flatten.
"Just doing this simple technique for a few minutes a day can build chi, making it available to circulate in your body and soothe joint pain," Smith says.
To Let Your Chi Flow
In acupressure, the spine is a major crossroad for meridians, the path ways or lines along which chi circulates in the body. "If you increase the flow of chi in the spine, you increase the flow of chi in the entire body and thus can ease the pain of arthritis all over the body," says Smith. Roll a hand towel lengthwise into a tube (Smith says it should be long enough to extend the length of your spine). Lie on a bed with the towel underneath your back on the right side of your spine, parallel to your spine and directly under the ridge of muscle that borders it.
As you lie there, breathe deeply and press a point on the outside edge of your right hand (the side you would use to do a karate chop). The point, known as S13, is located underneath the knuckle below the little finger; press up toward the knuckle and at a slight angle toward your fourth finger. Acupressure points are more sensitive than the areas around them, says Smith. Press until you feel distinct sensitivity. 
Hold the pressure for four or five breaths or as long as you'd like, says Smith. (You should only use the towel as long as you can comfortably breathe into the area.) Then move the towel to the left side of your spine and press the point on your left hand.
KI6 AND BL62: To Relieve Pain and Tension in the Spine or Hips The following simple technique circulates spinal chi and is particularly good for arthritis of the spine or hips, although it will enhance the flow of chi to the entire body. Since you determine your own comfort level, assures Smith, you can use the technique even if arthritis limits your movements.
Sit in any comfortable chair and let your head drop forward. The eventual aim is to bend from your hips until your chest meets your upper thighs and you can hold acupressure points in your ankles. Stay with what is comfortable for you, advises Smith, even if you can bend only your head at first. (If you feel dizzy at any time during this exercise, sit upright and wait for the feeling to pass.)
Breathe into the hara area just below your navel, sending the breath from there to any areas of stiffness or pain in your spine. As you exhale, gradually bend farther, extending and stretching your spine, and imagine sending the breath to your toes, says Smith. (You may also begin by resting your arms on your thighs to support your torso. Gradually, drop your arms to the sides of your thighs and then down your legs.)
When you are able to bend over far enough to reach your ankles, use the tip of one finger or your thumb to press the acupressure point (called KI6) an inch below the peak of the inside ankle bone. Smith suggests that you do this on both ankles simultaneously. As you press, you will feel a tender spot at the pressure point and eventually feel warmth in your spine or toes, she adds.
Hold these points with steady pressure for four or five deep breaths' or for as long as you feel comfortable, says Smith.
Next, locate the points 01} the outsides of your ankles (called BL62), about _ inch below the peaks of the ankle bones and right under the edges of the bones. Again, press both points at the same time and for the same length of time, says Smith.
If possible, reach around the fronts or backs of both ankles with your hands and apply pressure to all four points at once, as shown above. (If you're doing this exercise with someone else, you could have your partner hold the four points while you sit in the chair and bend over, says Smith.)
TW5: To Soothe Pain in Your Fingers, Wrists, and Arms One of the best points for providing relief to this area of the body is TW5, says Smith. To locate it, use what she calls a body inch-the width of your thumb at the knuckle. The point is on the outside of your upper arm, two body inches from the wrist crease and right in the middle of your arm, between the two bones. Hold the point for 1 to 2 minutes, or longer if it feels comfortable, says Smith.
Press hard enough to feel the pressure but not so hard that you feel tension in your hand. "People with arthritis may not be able to apply strong pressure," she says. "That's fine; they can just hold the area lightly." If you also have pain in the other arm, repeat the technique on that arm.
Use Relaxation To Ease Stress.
Stress-feeling tense in response to problems or difficulties-increases arthritis pain by tightening muscles, says Hope Gillerman, a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique (a type of posture and movement re-education) in New York City. You don't have to have a massage in order to relax your muscles and break the cycle of stress and pain, however. Here's a super-simple technique to help you relax and provide some much-needed pain relief any time of the day or night, says Gillerman.
Lie on your back on an exercise mat, blanket, or rug. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor, hip-width apart and about 12 inches away from your hips. Keep your shoulders on the floor but elevate your head slightly with either a firm pillow or two or three paperback books. Rest your hands comfortably on your ribs, with your elbows out to the sides.
This posture lets your lower back drop onto the floor-and the lower back is one spot where most people hold a lot of tension. The position also helps relax the neck muscles, another tense area. As you lie on the floor, focus on your neck and lower back, thinking of them as becoming softer and softer. "This exercise is very good for any kind of arthritis pain, particularly for arthritis in the spine, shoulders, arms, or hands," says Gillerman. She recommends doing it for 15 minutes each morning as part of a stretching routine or at night to wind down from the day. "Don't wait for the tension to build up," she says. You can do it during the night if you wake up in pain (just get out of bed and lie on the floor) or any time your joints are achy.
GB41: To Relieve Pain in Your Feet or Toes
The GB41 point is on top of your foot between your fourth and fifth toes (your big toe is your first toe). Starting at the web between your toes, slide your fingers between the bones (the metatarsals) toward your ankle. You'll find a notch where those bones meet; the point is in that notch and will usually be quite sensitive. Press for 1 to 2 minutes, says Smith. Again, if both feet hurt, repeat on the other foot.
TW5 OR GB41: To Ease Pain in Your Large Joints
If you experience pain in your shoulders, elbows, knees, or hips, begin by holding your palm over the painful area. Then hold either of two "distal points"-TWS or GB41-described above, says Smith. If you can hold the specific painful area and the distal point at the same time, do so. If not, you can hold one and then the other, breathing into each for four or five breaths.
If you cannot reach an area or point with your hands, you can always reach it with your breath. Imagine breathing space, ease, light, joy, warmth, or coolness into the area of discomfort, dispelling any pain or tension. As you exhale, imagine sending the breath to the relevant distal point or out your fingers or toes.
"This technique is like connecting the dots," says Smith. "By having your awareness on both the site of the pain and the point, the pain-relieving chi is moved along the meridians and through the joints."
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