Osteoarthritis Treated with Alternative Medicine

Osteoarthritis is a non inflammatory degenerative joint disease, usually associated with older people around the fifth and sixth decade of life. Herberden node can be diagnostic for osteoarthritis when there are no other accompanying signs and symptoms. Well worth investigating the use of turmeric for not only inflammatory joint conditions, but for joint restoration in osteoarthritis. The most common type of osteoarthritis referred to as primary, affects peripheral, and central joints throughout the body.The joints which are more prone to be affected are  in the hand, wrist, neck, lower back, hip, knees, ankles and feet.

The secondary form of osteoarthritis usually results from trauma to the joint of some kind, sprains, fractures, or joint dislocation. Mechanical stress from athletic pursuits, ballet dancing,or any repetitive physical task.

Other possible causes of the secondary form of osteoarthritis may result from neurological disorders, which may increase the tendency for abnormal movement, and so stress the joint or joints.Congenital skeletal deformities, hemophilia which causes bleeding into the joints, or hyperparathyroidism causing bone to lose calcium.

The presenting symptoms may be pain in one or more joints, stiffness, limited range of motion, muscle wasting, instability and deformity.

The pain of osteoarthritis is usually triggered by weight bearing activity, and relieved by rest, although nocturnal pain may not be relieved by rest,and may be accompanied by tingling or numbness in the fingers.

Medically it's treated with antiinflammatory drug therapy,walking aids to decrease stress to the affected joints, analgesics for pain, and surgery to correct and improve joint movement, or to replace the joint with an artificial one.

How would this condition be treated with alternative medicine?

 If overweight, make every effort to reduce your weight, and in that way you will relieve some of the added stress to your joints.

Improve your diet, eat fresh  organic fruits, vegetables,nuts, wholegrains, all organic if possible,and lower your consumption of meat.

Wheatgrass cream has been shown to increase warmth around the joint where it was applied, and this is followed by increased mobility of the joint, within 20 minutes of it's application.Better still make wheatgrass or barleygrass part of your regular diet, both are rich in vitamins,and minerals, chlorophyll, muco-polysaccharides,and superoxide dismutase(SOD).

Cod liver oil has been given the green light for the treatment of  and possible reversal of osteoarthritis. The enzyme found to be responsible for the damage to cartilage has been measurably reduced by taking cod liver oil. 

A pilot study done at Cardiff University found that 86% of preoperative patients who took cod liver oil daily , had absent or reduced levels of the enzyme that causes cartilage damage.This study will be published later this year.

Glucoasmine chondroitin sulphate has been shown by a number of studies to be capable of repairing damaged cartilage, relieving pain and stiffness, and so increasing mobility. So why wouldn't you give it a trial?

Diet is most important, eat less meat, more fresh fruit and vegetables, maintain an active lifestyle.

  Read more about Aquamin Research here:  A natural mineral supplement provides relief from knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a randomized controlled pilot trial

\References:McCance Kathryn L & Huether Sue e, Pathphysiology, The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. Published The C.V. Mosby Company.1990.

Forbes,Charles & Jackson William. Color Atlas and Text of Clinical Medicine 2nd edition published Mosby-Wolf 1997.

Govan/McFarlane/Callander, Pathology Illustrated thrid edition Published Churchill Livingstone 1981. 

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