i have heard of it many times don't know anyone who actually tried it. why don't you try it and see what happens? Interestingly, Teresa Kerry told that same remedy to the press recently and was, of course, soundly criticized for it. But who knows it may work.

Thank for your response, I think I will give it a try, why not. It may at least help, surely won't hurt. T

In one of his books, on Ayurveda, Johari mentions that one remedy for arthritis is to swallow a piece of unchewed garlic with warm water every day, first thing in the am, prior to ingesting any other food, for 40 days.

I have tried the above, along with a constellation of other remedies. Something seems to be helping.

There is also a set of accupressure points that is recommended for use for arthritis.

Exercise, preferably under the direction of a qualified physical therapist, can also be extremely helpful. Apparently this approach is under-utilized by our medical doctors presently. Very few of them seem to be willing to refer patients for physical therapy until they suffer an overt injury or have been operated upon.

Thanks for all the info. You folks are so smart and knowledgable on how the body works, how do you remember all this stuff! It can be so confusing to me.

I don't know about others health care providers but mine encourages excercises. I have gone to P.T. so I get the correct excercises, and they do help. But at times they don't seem to be enough.

Update on the raisens/gin mix: This is day 3 of them sitting, they are soaking up the gin and rehydrating the raisens. I did place a thin kitchen towel over the bowl just to keep any dust out, don't know if I was suppose to or not as the recipe didn't say to or not. Thats all I can tell by it at this point. trudyjean

Some people identify arthritis with auto-immune conditions. While there exist some products that intend to balance the immune system, a simple approach might be to choose foods carefully, thus avoiding immune system responses that are overdone.

Some foods may be inflammatory, such as refined sugar. Some people believe that certain nightshade family foods like white potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and such trigger immune response. Our immune system cells release Reactive Oxygen Species in the presence of materials that the body has identified as "non-self." These cells also increase nitric oxide release, which is one trigger of swelling and redness.

Other foods, like Omega 3 oils found in fish oils and flax seed oils may aid in pushing metabolism of arachodonic acid away from the Prostagladin E2 and from leukotrienes. These metabolic products are inflammatory.

Two common herbs show evidence of lipoxygenase inhibition. These are ginger and boswellia (the active is boswellic acid.) These are available widely. Some types of flavones are indicated by patent that they are effective inhibitors of the same enzyme pathway.

Finally, restoration of healthy flora in the gut may quiet immune response by bringing down the amounts of certain bacteria. These unhelpful bacteria can trigger immune response unnecessarily, thereby inflaming the tissues. There is some belief that certain supplements that contain scFOS (Short Chain Fructo-oligo Saccharides) will feed and restore the populations of the proper bacterial strains. Of course, there are supplement and food products that contain bacteria strains that are desirable as well.

Green tea and green tea extract are believed to aid in the benefit of gut flora as well. There is some evidence that the EGCG and other flavonoids in green tea interfere with Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFalpha). The TNFalpha molecule drives production of cyclooxygenases, another pro-inflammatory pathway. While EGCG does not inbibit the COX-1 and 2 pathway directly, the inhibition of TNFalpha goes a long way in dealing with it.

Richard

There's been considerable research into dietary factors that may help prevent or lesser the severity of arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis.

A recent review in Current Opinions in Rheumatology (Choi) indicates that a "Mediterranean diet" may be protective:

"The Mediterranean-type diet is characterized by less red meat and more fish, in addition to olive oil as the principal source of fat, an abundance of plant food (fruits, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, nuts, and legumes), poultry consumed in low to moderate amounts, and moderate consumption of wine... For example, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, including significant reductions in the release of inflammatory cytokines (e.g. interleukin 1 from monocytes, leukotriene from neutrophils) that are thought to be involved in the inflammatory processes of RA [5]...Shapiro et al.[11] conducted a case-control study based on a western Washington population and reported that the consumption of broiled or baked fish was associated with a decreased risk of rheumatoid arthritis...trials collectively showed modest antirheumatic benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, including reduced morning stiffness, tender joint counts, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [12-24]. Furthermore, a recent 3-month randomized trial of patients with active RA demonstrated that the traditional Cretan diet resulted in a reduction in inflammatory activity (including reduction of C-reactive protein levels), an increase in physical function, and improved vitality, whereas an ordinary omnivorous diet did not [6]. The well-documented cardiovascular benefits of Mediterranean diets may add substantial therapeutic benefits in RA management, given the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with RA [4,25-28]."

So a diet with more oily fish (and less meat) consumption and lots of fruits and vegetables may be helpful in protecting and lessening the severity of rheumatoid arthritis, and be good for your heart as well.

Osteoarthritis (so-called wear-and-tear arthritis) has not been linked to this sort of dietary intervention, to my knowledge.

There have been conflicting findings about whether coffee or tea may affect rheumatoid arthritis positively or negatively, but no firm evidence yet. Refined sugar is a popular whipping boy for every ailment under the sun (including cancer and criminal activity), but beyond the fact that if you eat too much of it you'll get fat, there's no reason to think that it causes arthritis or the other myriad ailments for which it's claimed to be responsible.

I tend to be wary of dietary claims in general. Even findings based on well-conducted research have changed over time (as in the case of diets high in fiber and certain vegetables, which don't appear as protective against colon cancer as once thought, and vitamin E, originally believed to have anti-cancer and cardiac health properties which to this point have not been borne out). Claims based on even more limited information (including those which are backed by no research at all) and which are accompanied by efforts to sell you supplements, should be regarded with skepticism.

I don't think the booze-soaked raisins could hurt. Eat enough of them and you are almost guaranteed to be feeling no pain. :)

Have you tried taking feverfew capsules? It's relieved the pain and stiffness in my hands. I grow my own, dry it, grind it and make my own capsules. That way I'm getting the whole plant. I think alcohol probably would relieve pain all by itself (but it can have negative side effects).Good luck.

I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both wrists and hands and most fingers about 5 years ago. I eat well and exercise. After trying NSAIDS, Cox2 inhibitors, glucosamine & chondroitin together, I did my research. Cat's Claw didn't do anything for me. Or Feverfew. Or topical Arnica. I got my mobility and life back with fish oil capsules and magnesium (which is a muscle relaxer.)

My Aunt Edwina used the gin-soaked raisins for years.
She said they worked, but they tasted like "he!!".
strong language for her!

On the subject of osteoarthritis: what is going on is not
wear and tear of the joints. What is going on is infection.
Doctors are NOT paying attention to the current research,
and in general they are 10 years behind as a rule of thumb)
but a growing proportion of osteoarthritis is being found
to be due to infection. Tetracycline antibiotics are
treating more cases of arthritis thought to be due to "wear
and tear". Bacteroides infections from hospitals, childbirth
and Mycobacteria from sexual contact are major culprits.
This is why garlic and probiotics work for many of these-
because they fight bacteria. They will not, however, get
rid of the problem. And unfortunately, few doctors test
for any of this.

Post-infectious changes are responsible for a small minority of cases of osteoarthritis. I have not heard of any research documenting that many such cases are due to active infection, or that antibiotic therapy in the absence of signs of infection (such as redness and swelling) is an effective treatment.

Are you thinking of reactive arthritis? Reactive arthritis can occur after an intestinal infection or a chlamydia infection. Most rheumatologists recognize this but GPs usually are not as familiar with the condition.

I have reactive arthritis after drinking well water tainted with yersinia. NOTHING has been the same since. (going on 6 years) My immune system is completely wacked out. Arthritis and intestinal issues are an ongoing problem along with rashes, chemical sensitivity, and general puffiness.

A change of diet has helped mildly. Green tea with ginger- no coffee. No alcohol. Flax seed oil supplements help a little too. (the fish oil worked better but I was concerned about mercury)

Externally, tea tree oil mixed with emu oil helps with pain in the inflamed areas. Gentle (and I mean really gentle) yoga makes me feel better too.

If anyone has any other ideas I'd love to hear them.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not limited to developed countries. From this review:

"Studies conducted over the last three decades in Third World countries have confirmed that rheumatoid arthritis occurs throughout the world...In India, the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (0.75%) is similar to that in the West. In China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, in contrast, rheumatoid arthritis appears rare (prevalence below 0.4%), in both urban and rural settings. The rarity of rheumatoid arthritis in rural Africa contrasts with the high prevalence of the disease in Jamaica, where over 2% of the adult population are affected...These differences probably reflect variations in the interactions between genetic and environmental factors."

There are genetic susceptibilities to rheumatoid arthritis that differ among various populations, and these are key - not diet.

Very few clinical studies of infectious arthralgias have been done. This does NOT in any way mean they are rare. Very few studies of reactive arthralgias have been done. Same same. I have long noted the medical community's ability to ignore things they don't want to deal with. Yeast syndromes, for a long running instance. Just about any parasitic disease for another group. Reactive arthritis is not necessarily AFTER a chlamydia infection. The current tests for chlamydia are inadequate. Many doctors, if they are honest with you, will tell you that men generate a LOT of false negatives. Chlamydia can hang on in the body after a number of treatments in dormancy, waiting for a good time to flare up. Arthralgias due to chlamydia can be helped with neem.

I just looked up Chlamydia and arthritis in the PubMed journal database and there are 627 studies listed.

A search of "infectious arthritis" turns up 8,654 studies.

Search under "parasite" and you'll find over 56,000 studies.

You can access these studies using this link.

WOW this post has been very active, sorry I haven't been checking it (in awhile). Life kinda got in the way (yes for a long while now). Between work an family illness I haven't had much time on my hands. Thanks for all the info, it is very helpful. trudyjean

on the subject of studies:Did you see how many studies are done on say, heart disease, for instance? Or how many of the parasite studies are for animals? When I say few cinical studies are done, I do mean in comparison to other research. Consider how many people are estimated to get Chlamydia just this year alone. Also, bear in mind that many studies are repeats of other research. Go ahead, tell us how many studies are for heart disease. Just to see the numbers.

I was responding to your contention that "very few clinical studies of infectious arthralgias have been done" (if you want to see only review articles (relating to diagnosis, treatment and other research) try this link.

I'm not entirely sure if you think insufficient work has been done, or if arthritis secondary to infectious agents is underdiagnosed or inadequately treated.
There's a strong body of medical opinion that certain alternative practitioners are overdiagnosing and treating disorders alleged to be due to infectious agents/parasites that are common in the environment (the Candida "epidemic" is one example).

It's likely much more research has been done in the U.S. on heart disease than on parasitic infection. This probably reflects a much greater incidence of cardiovascular disease and more serious consequences.

Thanks, I'll check it out. trudyjean

There are supposedly 150 types of arthritis. I've had arthritis all of my life, runs in my family. I have found that fortified milk causes me problems. It isn't the milk, it is the Vit. D that the dairy industry adds to the milk. I am also affected by the deadly nightshade family. For instance, tomatoes cause me an arthritic flare-up within fifteen minutes of eating them. My pain and stiffness reduced significantly when I quit consuming Vit. D fortified milk and the vegetables which contain solinase (deadly nightshade family).

I have found oil of mediterranean oregano capsules to be very helpful. The capsules must be cut with olive oil, 50/50 oil of oregano and olive oil. Pure oil of oregano is caustic. The price for this product varies widely. I am not sure if I am allowed to mention a brand name, but there is one which is significantly less expensive. (If anybody wants the brand name, I can send it in a private Email.)

Exercise is very important. For me, consistency is the key. I need to keep up a routine. If I get less exercise than usual, I will have pain and stiffness.

As one person mentioned, I do agree that refined sugar can increase arthritic symptoms. For some people, spinach causes problems--it doesn't bother me. For other people citrus fruit causes a bad reaction. I have found that I need to eat organic fruits and vegetables. For me, the chemicals used on conventionally grown produce trigger arthritic reaction.

I make my own rosemary oil. I rub it on my sore spots at night. It will stain the sheets because of the oil. I use a handful of fresh rosemary added to a cup of olive oil. Just plain olive oil. I didn't see the need for using extra virgin. I simmered it on the lowest setting in a pot on the stove for an hour. I kept it in a jar in my bathroom. It has a very soothing smell. Meds don't work for me. This oil takes the edge off of my pain and helps me get to sleep.