subject: Alternative Arthritis Treatments [print this page] The term arthritis is used to classify a group of health situations with cause pain and stiffness symptoms. Among the most common forms there are the Osteoarthritis and the Rheumatoid Arthritis. The most common causes are considered to be genetic predisposition, traumas and "wear and tear" factors caused by advancing age, However many people reach old age without any form of arthritis. There are many other less frequent forms of arthritis such as fibromyalgia, gout, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and more. Some important factors which influence this conditions are the following:
Increase of toxins in the tissues
Decreased integrity in the stomach and intestine lining
Excess of damaging microorganisms
Decreased circulation in painful areas
Many forms of arthritis often have some degree of auto immune involvement. The toxic waste is one of the explanations used by Chinese medicine or by Indian Ayurvedic systems. A similar explanation of Western medicine is the presence of Circulating Immune Complexes (also known as CICs) which are molecules which exit from the gastrointestinal tract because of its decreased integrity. The immune system recognizes them as foreign invaders and increases the production of antibodies to fight them. Often these antibodies attack the connective tissues. The decreased integrity of the gastrointestinal tract is also known as "leaky gut syndrome." and allows large molecules to exit through the gastrointestinal lining and enter the bloodstream. This often happens to people who suffer from joint and muscle pains because of excessive autoimmune responses. Another problem is the proliferation of unfriendly organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeast and parasites. They also cause autoimmune responses. An additional problem is also the decreased circulation in some areas of the body because it causes decreased availability of the nutrients needed for the repair and growth of healthy tissues. Traditional medicine tries mainly to alleviate the symptoms and reduce the pain. Natural medicine tries instead to address the causes of illness and improve the diet, the lifestyle. It tries to avoid toxic factors. the presence of microorganisms and all these lifestyle changes will eventually increase wellness and reduce the disease. This article is only an introduction to alternative arthritis remedies and therefore we mention only a few examples of remedies as follows: a) Some herbs may be useful for the organs of elimination and detoxification (i,e bowels,kidneys,liver, lungs, skin and connective tissues), by removing both external and internal toxins. They can be added to cleansing diets, colon hydrotherapy,fasting, homeopathic detoxification and saunas. Some useful herbs for detoxification are Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum),Burdock (Arctium lappa) and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). It is also advisable to help the liver to process toxins by adding supplements which contain Sulphur such as MSM and amino acids such as cysteine, glutathione, methionine, and taurine. b) Some herbs which can be useful to counteract the decreased intestinal integrity are soothing herbs such as L-glutamine, Marshmallow root and Okra. Gingko biloba is very useful to increase circulation to the small capillaries and is also useful as an anti-oxidant. c) Other herbs can be useful to discourage the growth of pathogenic micro organisms and to support the immune system. For instance Barberry root can be useful to kill parasites, to tone up the intestinal tract and to help the liver to eliminate bacteria, streptococci and other micro organisms. It is also useful to include Berberine (a natural Cox II inhibitor), Citrus Seed Extract which acts against micro organisms and Black Walnut Hulls which is a vermifuge (worm destroyer). d) Poor circulation can be helped by other substances such as Menthol, Capsiacin, Camphor, Boswellia (Boswellia seratta) and Wintergreen(Gaultheria procumbens). Moreover pain can be counteracted by Willow Bark (Salix alba), Kava-Kava (Piper methysticum), Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia spp.) and other substances
