Osteoarthritis

What you need to know

Keeping mobile is essential for anyone with this condition as it keeps the muscles supporting the affected joints strong and healthy, which reduces the pain. The type of exercise you should choose will depend very much on how much pain you have, but even a walk around the garden will help - and swimming is ideal because your painful joints are supported by the water.

Some complementary therapies can help keep you mobile, too. They include the Alexander Technique, Yoga, massage and Reflexology, but the most important is Osteopathy.

The most useful Supplements:

A good hi-potency multinutrient formula taken daily is useful to assist in correcting dietary deficiencies caused by a poor or restricted diet.

The most useful Herbs:

Take 1,500mg to 2,000mg of any single herb or a proportion if taken in combination.  Most useful (in alphabetical order):

Other herbs that could help:

Boswellia, Curcumin (Turmeric), Dong Quai (Chinese Angelica), Horsetail, Prickly ash, Yellow Dock, Yucca.

Topical Herbal Preparations include:

Homoeopathy

It is best to consult a professional as the severity, cause and sites of Osteoarthritis vary so much between individuals. A topical application of Arnica cream or Balm may give some relief.

Homoeopaths often use the following remedies to treat this condition

• Calcarea carbonica
• Pulsatilla
• Rhus toxicodhendron

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can be enormously relieving and there are several oils which can soothe pain. Use them, properly diluted in a foot bath if your feet are affected, in an ordinary bath or added to a carrier oil for massage. But don’t massage any oils into areas which are inflamed or where skin is broken.

Dietary changes that may be beneficial:

Certain foods may be aggravating your symptoms. An elimination diet can often identify the offending foods. Please see the section on Exclusion diets for more information. Common culprits are the nightshade foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines and peppers, due to a chemical they contain called solanine.  You might try a gentle bowel de-tox with Probiotics and soluble fibre.

Provided you do not have a problem with any food to eat more:

• Oily Fish and shellfish - for their omega-3 content
• Sweet potatoes, broccoli, mango, spinach, canteloupe melons, apricots, carrots, liver (but not if you are pregnant) - for Vitamin A and Betacarotene
• Citrus Fruits, strawberries and other available berries, kiwi fruits, peppers, dark green leafy vegetables - for Vitamin C.
• Olive oil, sunflower seeds, unsalted nuts and avocadoes - for  Vitamin E

Reduce intake of:

• All Meat products

It is also important to keep the joints well hydrated, so drink at least 2 litres of water every day.

Traditional remedies

There are several remedies which you might have sitting around in the kitchen or bathroom cupboard:

Cabbage poultices:  This old country remedy really does work. Take two or three outside leaves from a dark green cabbage, bruise them with a wooden spoon, warm in a microwave, steamer, oven or on a hot radiator. When they’re still warm, but cool enough to handle, put them on the painful joints and hold in place with a tea towel or large bandage

Ginger tea:  Peel and grate 1cm of Ginger root, put into a mug with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Strain, allow it to cool and drink with a teaspoon of honey added

Epsom salt baths:  Add three tablespoons of the salts to a warm bath and soak in it for 20 minutes

Other useful advice:

If you are already taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it is important to know that some may cause you to loose certain nutrients. A general multivitamin and mineral supplement will help to offset these loses. 

It may be useful to take DGL Liquorice to help protect stomach lining from the damaging effects of certain types of these drugs, especially aspirin. slippery elm or marshmallow is also protective to the digestive system.

The herbs, Milk thistle and Artichoke will also protect the liver from the burden of certain medicines, in particular paracetemol.

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This information is licensed for use by Wellbeing Information Systems Ltd ("WIS"), and protected by international copyright law. All rights are reserved. (email info@wisinfo.co.uk). The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.