There are countless herbal remedies for arthritis. Among my long list, the following herbs are some which are mentioned:

pineapple juice, garlic, bananas, celery, apple, carrot, celeriac, lime, parsley, sultanas, green tea, alfala, ragwort, honeysuckle, orange, lemon, watercress, cherries, cabbage, yarrow, dandelion, coltsfoot, oats, chillies.

Ginkgo biloba is also used, and the one which stands out in my mind is Pennywort (Gotu kola) Centella asiatica, which is also called the Arthritis Herb.

There are many others. If you know your herbs, you will see that many of the remedies act as diuretics - herbs which encourage urination - to clear out the system. Water does a pretty good job of that on its own.

One remedy not mentioned in most herbals is EXERCISE! With arthritis, it's often a case of 'Use it, or lose it'.

A couple of specific remedies, provided with the usual cautions (seeking medical advice first):

Blend 3 grapefruit, 3 oranges and 3 lemons including the skins. Remove pips, add 200ml water and leave overnight. Next day, pour 1.5 litres boiling water over a mixture of 50g cream of tartar and 50g Epsom salts. Allow to cool (but do not let it get cold), mix in citrus solution, and refrigerate. Dosage: Take 2 dessertspoons on an empty stomach in the morning. Follow with a glass of warm water 10-15 minutes later. This is not a snap 'cure' but if taken for several months is a definite 'control'.

HOT OIL:
30g cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons dry mustard powder
5cm piece ginger root, or 1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
300ml vegetable oil

Place all ingredients in a large jar, shake vigorously. Leave on a sunny windowsill for at least 3 weeks, shaking every couple of days. Use as a rub for muscle aches, cramps, rheumatism, arthritis, to warm cold joints and banish chills.

'Arthritis' is an umbrella term covering several somewhat different conditions. Only an expert can properly advise you on appropriate treatment for YOU.

Arnica is excellent for arthritis pain. If you go to a health food store find a cream or gel with arnica as one of the main ingredients. If you like to make your own aromatherapy oils and can get it, then you can use arnica oil.

This is just my personal favorite.

I have advanced arthritis in my hip from a motorcycle accident. I take a Chinese mixture called Du Huo wan. There are a number of herbal mixtures for arthritis, depending on the cause and your body type. For instance my arthritis doesn't swell to speak of and is cold more than it is hot. So my mixture may not work for you if you swell or have hot arthritis. The things that work for me the best are: 1. EXERCISE,EXERCISE,EXERCISE. I know it hurts. But it really is the best medicine. Stretches for your joints to keep them mobile and weight lifting,swimming,exercise bike. 2.Limit sugar. Sugar takes vitamins to process, vitamins you can better use to keep from getting worse. 3.Heat. Hot baths. They help relax you. 4.Meditation. Visualize yourself doing what you want to do. relaz all you muscles, relax your mind, stop the stress for 20 minutes a day. You would be surprized at how much better the world is when you don't worry about it for just that small amount of time a day. And how much hurt is influenced by how you feel.
Those are the best. Du huo helps when I really hurt. Take it after eating, usually 5 pills. They are pretty cheap usually. There is another more expensive one that Root to Health puts out but I can't find it on their website. I will try to see how to get it for you if I can remember to. It is better but 16.00 a bottle.

I have rheumatoid arthritis. I can tell you that I was SHOCKED to see how well curcumin (turmeric) works. I have been on some heavy medicines and steroids off and on for the last couple of years. My aunt turned me onto tumeric...I am out in the garden again it is working so well!!! I hope to be able to come off of my anti-inflamatory med very soon because of this stuff! When she told me about it, I was like "yeah yeah, okay I'll try it". I researched it and found no real "cons" to it and only pros...so I got some from Walmart. How can something so simple work so well?? I am going to get some online from a place that has more naturally produced products instead of getting more from wallyworld next time.

-Amy

thanks for all the great tips.

lilamy, in what form do you take tumeric? Have you experienced any side effects?
How much do you take?
Thanks

The stuff I take is Rexall brand (about $7 from walmart)and is in little capsules. I take it three times a day instead of the once a day it says on the bottle since that is the amount used in the studies I saw reports on from the University of North Carolina(which is where I see my specialists) website as well as the University of MD website. I tried taking the fish oil gels and man oh man...I was burping fish taste for half the day....made me want to vomit!!! That didn't last more than a day! With the tumeric I get no burps. lol No side effects at all so far--and I am pretty sensitive to such things. My rheumatologist said it was fine to try, so I am giving it a shot. We have to be very careful with medications because of my liver damage from my blood iron disorder and this looks to be a great help so far. I sound like an infomercial now. LOL

-Amy

hmmm.... okay... now I am all het up to get turmeric... I have arthritis all over. Cool! Thanks!

Some of the arthritis supplements for dogs contain Vit. C., which should never be given to dogs. Dogs produce their own Vit. C in their livers. Supplemental Vit. C can cause tumors in dogs. I personally saw it happen to one of my own dogs, an elderly Lab. She developed a large tumor in a spot which would have eventually interrupted nerve function, if it continued to grow. I discovered the supplemental Vit. C was the culprit, discontinued the Vit. C, and the tumor dramatically reduced in short order.

I now give my elder dogs oil of oregano (capsules which are 50/50 oil of oregano and olive oil) to treat their arthritis. One very large, older Rottie/Golden cross I have, who has no cartilage in his hips, also takes an Australian herbal blend called DGP (DogGonePain). The DGP has definitely decreased the pain, which used to make him cry out. He hasn't cried in months.

Last year my elderly Samoyed had such serioius spinal degeneration, he could hardly walk. After putting him on DGP, his mobility increased tremendously for several months. He has since died of old age.

Oil of oregano capsules have been very beneficial for my own arthritis, particularly for the problems I have had because of degenerative disk disease (a form of arthritis). A person can suffer from multiple forms of arthritis. I have two types.

Weight loss and diet can also be very helpful in controlling arthritis. Raw olive oil, consumed daily, is supposed to be helpful in lubricating joints (and skin, too). I avoid the deadly nightshade family of foods because those foods makes my arthritis worse. I also avoid Vit. D fortified dairy products. I believe that exercise is very beneficial for arthritics.

how funny, i am currently working on an arhiritis brew. well more of a cream, i have to find either beeswax, or just use an already made cream. but my active herb in the cream is Yucca root. hope it helps!

I'm confused! Lorna-organic said "I also avoid Vit. D fortified dairy products". I've read, from many different sources, that vitamin D HELPS arthritis. ??

Vit D from exposure to sunshine is good. The Vit. D in fortified dairy products is synthetic. For some people, synthetic Vit. D causes arthritic reactions. There are some doctors who claim that dairy products can cause arthritis. I think those doctors have not considered the sythetic fortification of milk, which is required by law in many states. I have no problem with non-fortified dairy, but fortified milk will cause me joint swelling within an hour of consumption. I have the same reaction, if I eat foods from the deadly nightshade family, such as tomato and potato. It takes up to three days for my joint swelling to subside.

There are many different types of arthritis, different causes. So you will find plenty of things that may work for one person, not for another. This is especially true of diets, where a food allergy or intolerance can trigger inflammation.

Turmeric/curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Good for many things - lowers LDL cholesterol, raises HDL. May possibly prevent colon cancer and alzheimers, thins the blood slightly.

The boswellia Eric referred to (aka Frankincense) has a long history of use in India and the Middle East for arthritis. According to Ayurvedic traditions, various guggul preparations from a related resin are the most effective for arthritis.

Here's a pointer to the PubMed research at Shrubmed. Note that website justs indexes the research ... it does not mean that all the herbs listed are good for treating arthritis, just that they have been researched.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shrubmed Page on Arthritis (herbs and natural therapy index)

Cod liver oil is a good source of Vitamin D in an active form, and omega-3 fats that are anti-inflammatory. Cod liver oil is not quick acting, but over the long term, is beneficial for many types of arthritis.

This food should not be consumed in excess - the vitamin A and D can build up to toxic levels if the normal guidelines of a spoonful or so a day are ignored. The fish oil capsules generally have the vitamins removed, and can be consumed on top of cod liver oil if extra omega-3 is desired. Flax oil and borage oil are also good.

Fresh ginger root, sliced thinly and brewed in a tea form is also an anti inflammatory. It causes thinning of the blood, thereby reducing the ratio of roque immune cells in the blood in rheumatoid arthritis. I've found some relief in ginger tea, but also am anemic, which made thinning of my blood cause worse anemia symptoms. We just have to be careful, since many prescription arthritis meds also cause thinning of the blood. It's a smart thing to run it by your doctor first, so you can have a CBC and liver function test done after a few weeks for using an herbal remedy.