General advice on disease prevention and a healthy lifestyle can be found in the library article "General Advice - for healthy as well as for ill ones" in the VitaHealth section under Focus Articles. You can also test your health by taking our "Health Check".
Weight loss
Overweight rheumatic sufferers can attain remission of symptoms by losing weight. The diet should be restructured in direction of a more vegetarian and less purine-containing diet (meat and eggs should be excluded).
Cleansing
Many people benefit from irrigations, detoxification, and cleansing of both stomach and intestines, kidneys, and liver.
Tea made of e.g. field horsetail, golden rod, and lime blossom has a detoxicating effect. Moreover, it is recommended to eat a lot of garlic.
A regular juice fast also can cleanse the body of accumulated toxins.
Potato water
A good and cheap old household remedy for arthritis as long as you do not suffer from allergy towards Solanaceae. There are several ways of making potato water:
Cut a scrubbed, organic potato into thin slices, put them in a glass of water and leave it to draw for the night. In the morning, the potato water is to be drunk on an empty stomach.
Put scrubbed organic potatoes with peel in a juice extractor. The extracted juice can be drunk as is or be diluted with boiled water or spring water.
Boil very thick pieces of potato peel. Strain the peel off and drink the water.
Salt should not be added to the potato water and it must be basic. This can be checked with indicator paper.
The dosage depends on whether the potato water is consumed as a cure or prophylactically. Prophylactically: take 1 glass of potato water every morning on an empty stomach. As a cure for rheumatic sufferers: ½ - 1 litre a day during the day.
Pain-relieving compresses:
- Warm cabbage leaves.
- Honey and comfrey; heat 4 tbsp. of honey in a water bath and a decoction of comfrey plus some carob oil if you like. Put the mixture on the painful areas during the night. Cover the area with a piece of gaze, a cotton cloth, and plastic.
Vitamins
- Vitamin B9, folic acid, inhibits the enzyme of xanthine oxidase which takes part in uric acid production.
- Vitamin E is beneficial to the immune defence and counteracts inflammation.
Other :
- The bioflavonoid of Quercetin and the pineapple enzyme of Bromelain reduce the amount of uric acid and counteract inflammation.
- Shark cartilage has a good effect on true arthritis. However, there have often been reports that a seeming aggravation of the symptoms occurs before palliation sets in.
- The amino acids of Alanine and Glycine reduce the level of uric acid in the blood.
- The sulphur preparation of MSM is well-suited for rheumatic sufferings. People affected by arthritis have a significantly reduced amount of sulphur in their articular cartilage than other people. Sulphur is necessary for the regeneration of broken down cartilaginous tissue. Furthermore, it inhibits inflammation in the articular cartilage and relieves pain.
Herbs:
- Bittersweet nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, has an anti-rheumatic effect and relieves rheumatic pain.
- Butterbur, Petasites officinalis, in the form of tablets can be taken in case of arthralgia and muscular pain (2 - 6 tablets a day or according to need).
- Rosehip (rosa canina): Recent research indicates that rosehips can soothe arthritis and rheumatism.
- Cherry has been known throughout folk medicine as a cure for podagra. The bioflavonoids in the berry reduce the outbreaks by reducing the blood's level of uric acid. Eat 250 g. of organic cherry a day. Blueberry and pixie-pears have the similar effect on inflammation.
- Cone flower, Echinacea, strengthens resistance and is beneficial in case of inflammation of the joints.
- Devil's claw, Harpagophytum procumbens, breaks down uric acid and reduces too high blood cholesterol levels; it furthermore has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. The plant does not have any toxic side effects but should not be used by pregnant women.
- Hemp nettle, Galeopsis tetrahit, has a cleansing effect and builds the lymphatic system.
- Lignum vitae, Guaiacum officinale, has an inflammatory effect and helps relieve arthralgia and swelling when taken internally. It also cleanses the body of toxins. Externally, it is used as a tincture on the painful rheumatic areas. A decoction of the wood chips has a local anaesthetic effect and can be used on rheumatic joints.
Regarding essential fatty acids (EFA):
- Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, cod-liver oil, fatty fish and fish oil, purslane, rape, green vegetables, sesame seeds and -oil, soya and walnuts. 1 tbsp. of cod-liver oil a day or 1 tsp. of grained flaxseed or walnut oil every morning is cheaper than fich oil capsules. You can add a couple of capsules of vitamin E to the flaxseed oil to avoid rancidity.
- Omega 6 fatty acids (GLA) can be found in nuts, almonds, borage, black currant, cold pressed maize-, rape-, sesame-, sunflower, thistle-, and evening primrose oil plus seeds.
Therpy
Experience shows that treament with acupuncture and homeopathic remedies often have a good effect on arthritis and rheumatic sufferings.
