5 Natural remedies for relief of arthritis pain, and prevention of joint damage.
Blog post by Laurel Sorensen of Sorensen's Natural Remedies
A recent study of over-the-counter NSAIDs showed that in opposition of most beliefs, NSAIDS actually cause damage of joints affected by arthritis. https://www.paintreatmentdirectory.com/posts/study-nsaids-cause-joint-damage-in-osteoarthritis-patients .
"The goal of the study was to determine whether NSAID treatment impacted the
development or progression of synovitis—inflammation of the synovium membrane
that lines the joints. The fluid that is produced by the membrane lubricates the
joints. When the synovium becomes irritated or inflamed, there is a buildup of
fluid which can lead to cartilage and bone damage within the joint. According to
“literature provides consistent evidence of an association between synovial inflam-
mation and OA symptoms” and “Overall evidence suggests that synovial inflammation
is associated with progressive joint failure at least in a subgroup of patients.”
This new information makes it more necessary than ever to find ways to reduce
our body's exposure to the causes of arthritis and to take more steps to prevent
inflammation of the joints. The following is a list of potential interventions each of
us can take to prevent damage to our joints. Please check with your Dr. before
starting any of them if you are already on a protocol of medications. I have
attempted to put as much information as I am aware of in each paragraph.
But this subject could take up the space of an entire book. So use the following
information as a springboard for your own investigation and experimentation.
This is NOT complete information...it is a starting point!
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1) Dramatically decrease sugar and simple carbs
I am a self-confessed sugar addict. I LOVE the taste of everything from cake to baklava. Unfortunately, these days I can eat a single peanut butter cookie, and wake the next morning with aching joints. If you have not removed sugar / honey / agave syrup /candies / baked goods with sugar added to them/ and high insulin response foods from your diet, you owe it to yourself to do this before looking any further. I will occasionally splurge, but I do it with the absolute KNOWLEDGE that I will pay for it tomorrow.
I am NOT saying replace sugar with artificial sweeteners, as they are worse in many ways than simple sugar. What I am telling you to do is learn to live without sweets like baked goods and candy. It took years to wean my family from cookies, cakes, and candy. But the pain caused when I do lapse and make a pan of baklava...reminds me of the reason for the ban on sugar, honey, and white flour.
(Tip: As a sugar junkie, I had to find substitutes to make the "voice in my head" stop screaming for specific sweets, and it STILL took me years to be able to walk away from sugar.
One of the things I did was pick up a bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips. When my head was screaming for chocolate, I would drink a large glass of water, then wait 5 minutes. If it stopped, fabulous. If it didn't stop, I put 1 chocolate chip on my tongue and allowed it to melt. Then I waited 5 minutes. If my inner child was still screaming, I repeated with a second chocolate chip. It was very rare that after 15 minutes and 2 chocolate chips, I would need a third, and the voice yelling about chocolate would usually be quiet for a couple of days.
Fresh fruit and whipping cream are another favorite. A large drink of water, then wait 5 minutes. A strawberry and a can of whipping cream to put a blob on the berry, eat it and WAIT 5 minutes. repeat if needed. I was usually able to stop at 15 minutes and 2 berries.
There is a low-carb tortilla that I often fry in coconut oil to create a crust for pizza. When I fry a pizza crust, I usually cut up 1 or 2 low-carb tortillas into 8 triangles, and fry them. They work nicely as dipping chips, but I also pile on a few berries and a small blob of whipping cream to create a tiny piece of pie.
My best advice regarding quitting sugar is to be gentle with yourself. Watch how your consumption of sugar drops over time instead of expecting miracles overnight. Also, pay attention to what kind of sweet you MUST HAVE. Then try to figure out why. For me...it was always buttercream frosting cake. I watched a Facebook event by Brittany Watkins, who (during a free seminar), led us through the WHY...and in my case, cake was associated with so many good memories of my Mom. She has been gone for decades, and I was still eating cake to connect with her. I STILL LOVEEEE cake...but these days, it's once a year on my birthday...and I skip it the rest of the year.
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2) Fish Oil
As a retiree on a fixed income, I am NOT going to recommend anything that isn't reasonable, or that I don't use in my own program for pain management.
{Full Disclosure here....I HATE SALMON...HATE TAKING FISH OIL....FIND MYSELF HAVING TO HIDE IT IN SOMETHING LIKE TOMATO JUICE. It literally makes me shudder, and the burping of the fish taste makes me shudder!!!}
Unfortunately, it is not only really good for your heart, but it is one of the very best tools in your toolbox for managing pain. I have a HUGE bottle of "Enteric Coated", "Burpless", Meijer Fish Oil capsules that are 1,000 mg. I try to remember to take 1 before each of the 2 meals/ day that I eat. If I remember to take it right before I eat...it seems to disappear into the meal and I do less burping. The recommendation on the bottle is for 3 of these a day, but I find that 2 capsules are able to control the majority of my general achiness. When I am having a bad day...I don't hesitate to take 3. Meijer (in Michigan), often has Buy 1 Get 1 Free on their supplements, and as a bottle is $31 (that's when I pick up a couple of bottles) A bottle lasts me a couple of months, so 2 bottles lasts 4 months at about $8 a month.
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3) Thunder God Vine Root powder
Is one of the top 10 Ayurvedic herbs used in Chinese medicines. It is also one of the cheapest and most effective herbs on the market for arthritis...particularly Rheumatoid Arthritis. The cost of use is about $.10/day.
Currently, thunder god vine is promoted for use orally for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, lupus, psoriasis, fever, and other conditions. It is also promoted for use topically (applied to the skin) for rheumatoid arthritis. It is being tested for its ability to fight cancer, as well as stabilize blood sugar. There is an excellent blog page at thundergodroot.com , as well as a page showing pros and cons at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, at the following link. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/thunder-god-vine .
Thunder God Vine Root powder (TGVR) is a cinnamon-colored powder that tastes very slightly bitter, and a bit Earthy. I take it every morning with my coffee, and it blends almost undetectably into coffee, as coffee is also a bit bitter and earthy. I REALLY HOPE YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION HERE.....YOU USE A VERY TINY AMOUNT OF THIS HERB, OR IT WILL MAKE YOUR DAY MISERABLE!!!! YOU LITERALLY USE 1/5 OF A 1/4 TEASPOON FROM YOUR MEASURING SPOON SET!!! More than that will give you lower intestinal cramps and a single bout of diarrhea later in the day. This is NOT the kind of thing you stand at your coffee thinking..."Wow!! I really hurt today....maybe I should bump this up a bit" DO NOT DO THIS!!!!! (Ask me how I know!!!!) Your best bet is to get out your 1/4 tsp measuring spoon....measure out a level 1/4 teaspoon and divide it into 5. If you don't mind the cost of a microgram scale, that is absolutely the safest way to start! (Here is a link to one on Amazon
$15-$25 on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Milligram-Reloading-Calibration-Pennyweigh-MAXUS/dp/B088GVPDQN/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1ZD14HKUUIQAF&keywords=microgram%2Bscale%2Bfor%2Bpowder%2Bmedicine&qid=1673571201&sprefix=microgram%2Bscale%2Bfor%2Bpow%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFMSkJMQ1E3U05QR08mZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxOTc4MjExQUFDOENaUUxORkZJJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2OTQxMDM5N1dHOEhEWTBIWVomd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1)
(The recommended dosage is 400mcg to 550mcg /day. So start with 200mcg at breakfast and 200 before bed until your system gets used to it. You should be able to tell after the first dose if it is helping you. Thunder God vine Root extract can be purchased on eBay, or through the link at thundergodroot.com above.)
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4) Stinging Nettle
Stinging Nettle grows wild all over the US. But it can be a miserable plant to harvest. It runs about $10/pound as a purchased/dried herb. There is an excellent article regarding it's uses at ... https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-nettle-tea-and-how-to-make-it/
The tea is a very mild pleasant-tasting tea that can be drunk hot or iced. Given some of the ways it competes with certain medications, please read the article above thoroughly, check with your doctor if you have any concerns, and limit yourself to a single cup per day.
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5) topical pain relievers
Can be applied as a patch or to individual joints that are experiencing pain. There are several types on the market from Tiger Balm, Salonpas, Icy Hot, Lidocane ointments, Aspirin creams, to our Sorensen's Pain Relief Rub.
The majority of the topicals use the trick of scrambling the nerve signals (making them feel cold/hot, or numb). If you are already on a blood thinner, be careful with the creams containing aspirin.
Sorensen's is an all-natural rub that has several anti-inflammatories as well as Cetyl Myristoleate and MSM to rebuild the glide between joints to prevent joint damage. It also has a nerve-calming ingredient (Palmitoylethanolamide) that helps with sharp pain like Diabetic Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, and sunburn. The Arnica heals damage done to muscles and tendons that have been over-stretched or bruised. There is more information and links to the ingredients on our web page, where you can purchase the product. https://www.sorensensremedies.com/pain-relieving-rub
While you may not find all the answers you are looking for, I hope this gives you a bit more information to help in your quest to control some of the pain you may be experiencing.
**Mandatory FDA Statement: None of the opinions on this website are meant to be substituted for a doctor’s care and advice. I am not a doctor. These statements have not been approved by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure or treat any illness.
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