Arthritis from The One Minute (or so) Healer

[Guest guest]

NOTE: The remedies presented here have taken from the book: " The One

Minute (or so) Healer " by Dan Ullman, MPH. While we present 12

suggestions here, the book contains 26 one-minute strategies for

arthritis.)

Use it, or you lose it

Range-of-motion exercises are very important in increasing circulation

and reducing stiffness. Although one should avoid exercising a joint

that is currently

inflamed or " hot, " these joints can be gently moved along their range of

motion. Swimming is a particularly good exercise for people with

arthritis. Although

jogging is not associated with degenerative joint disease, you might

consider walking as an alternative form of exercise if you experience

any joint pain

during or after jogging. Don't overdo any exercise, but don't underdo it

either. Try to exercise 15 to 20 minutes a day, five days a week.

Avoid arthritis " cooperators "

Some evidence suggests that certain foods can aggravate an arthritic

condition. Although such foods are not thought to " cause " arthritis,

they may " cooperate "

with it and make it worse. Experiment by avoiding foods from the

nightshade family, including tomatoes, eggplant, peppers (except black

pepper), and potatoes

(except for potato juice - explained further on). Tobacco is also a

member of the nightshade family that can aggravate arthritis. Milk,

fats, and citrus

fruits are other possible cooperators. As an experiment, avoid, or at

least significantly reduce, ingesting them.

Apply some herbal heat

Cayenne pepper is known to contain a painkilling chemical called

capsaicin. There are now some over-the-counter drugs as well as some

herbal products that

are primarily composed of capsaicin. Apply it externally directly to and

around the source of pain. Ideally, use a standardized cream with

0.025%-0.075%

capsaicin. Expect your initial applications to produce a burning

sensation.

Glucosamine what?

Glucosamine is a natural substance found in high concentration in the

body's cartilage and joints. Although it doesn't exhibit significant

anti-inflammatory

or analgesic properties, it provides structural support to the joints

and helps relieve the pain and discomfort in many people suffering from

arthritis.

Consider taking 500 mg three times a day, preferably on an empty stomach

-- but if irritation occurs, take it with food. By the way, most of the

best research

on people with arthritis has been with glucosamine sulfate; consider

using this type of glucosamine first. By the way, some sources suggest

that people

with a heart condition should avoid taking this supplement.

Water yourself

Stimulate circulation in the affected areas by taking a hot shower or

bath, and then turn on the cold water. Repeat the hot cycle, and then

return to the

cold. If your hands, knees, or feet are the primary sources of pain, you

can simply place them in a tub or sink of hot and then cold water.

Another alternative

is to place a hot pack on a specific area and alternate with a cold

pack. Try this at least twice a day.

Cast castor oil on the pain

Make a castor oil pack, and place it on a joint where there is pain, but

not when there's acute inflammation. To make it, pour three or four

tablespoons

of castor oil in a pan, heat the oil until it simmers, then saturate a

flannel cloth with the oil. After you place this cloth on the affected

joint, cover

it with a larger towel and place an electric heating pad over it. Keep

it in place for 30 to 60 minutes. This castor oil pack can be saved for

future use

by simply rolling up the cloth and placing it in a Ziploc bag.

Become a juice potato

An old folk remedy for arthritis is to drink raw potato juice. To make

it, wash a potato (don't peel it), cut it into thin slices, place it in

a glass of

cold water, and leave it out overnight. Drink this water in the morning

on an empty stomach. The lowly potato is known to have antiviral

inhibitors and

is rich in chlorogenic acid, which helps prevent cell mutations that

lead to cancer. Whatever it is in potatoes that helps arthritic

sufferers is yet to

be found, but personal experience suggests that it can be helpful.

Fish oil can lubricate you

Research has recently shown that fish oil supplements have

anti-inflammatory effects that may be helpful to arthritis sufferers.

One important study showed

beneficial effects when people took 15 capsules a day, although most

people will probably experience benefits by taking four to eight

capsules daily. Recent

research has also suggested that extracts from the New Zealand

green-lipped mussel, now available in supplement form, are particularly

good for people

with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Although this supplement

may sound strange, would you rather suffer, or try something that might

make you

feel better?

Bejewel yourself in copper

People suffering from arthritis have been known to experience relief

when they wear a copper bracelet. Although skeptics point to this

treatment as a classic

example of quackery, or simply the placebo effect, it is known that some

people with arthritis have difficulty assimilating copper from the food

they eat.

Perhaps wearing a copper bracelet provides them with a subtle but

biologically active source of this mineral. Lending further support to

the use of copper,

homeopathic physicians commonly prescribe microdoses of copper (Cuprum

metalicum) to those people with arthritis who experience cramping pains

in the joints

and jerking or twitching of muscles.

Bee stings for arthritis?

It is a well-known bit of folklore that beekeepers have a low incidence

of arthritis. It is also known that one folk remedy for treating

arthritis is getting

stung by a bee. An easier way to try this remedy is to get a homeopathic

dose of bee venom in Apis mellifica 6 or 30. This medicine is primarily

helpful

if you have arthritic pain that is similar to the type of pain that bee

venom causes: burning pain, aggravated by heat, alleviated by cold or

cool applications.

Are you too resistant to change?

Is the stiffness in your character creating stiffness in your body?

There's the story of two caterpillars who look up and notice a

butterfly. One caterpillar

says to the other: " You'll never get me up in one of those. " Are you

resisting any inevitable changes in your life? Loosen up. Say to

yourself: " I expect

change, and I will bend with it. "

Dear, Dear Diary

Keep a diary of your symptoms. Look for patterns of what might aggravate

the pain that you experience. Finding a pattern might not " cure " you,

but it may

help you avoid those things that trigger your pain syndrome. Also,

recent research has found that simply writing about your experiences

with arthritis

has a therapeutic benefit. Write on!

This article was

excerpted from

" The One Minute (or so) Healer "

by Dan Ullman, MPH

[Guest guest]

I believe this is Dana Ullman, not Dan. I have several of his homeopathic

books.

Sharyn

-----Original Message-----

From: health

[mailto:health ] On Behalf Of TerriLynne

NOTE: The remedies presented here have taken from the book: " The One

Minute (or so) Healer " by Dan Ullman, MPH.