Arthritis Treatments —
You Have A Choice, Naturally
Traditional arthritis treatments may be driven by pharmaceutical drugs, but millions of Americans are seeking natural alternatives such as glucosamine, boswellia, fish oil and GLA, because they worry about harmful side effects from long-term drug usage or aren’t happy with current results.
These facts are substantiated by the use of glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis, which has exploded since 1997.
My husband and I have had wonderful results using dietary supplements containing the above natural substances for relief of pain and management of arthritis stiffness and swelling.
My husband has knee osteoarthritis in both knees; they are now in the best shape they’ve been in for ten years. He plays tennis three and four times a week. My neck arthritis symptoms are completely under control. Neither of us takes drugs of any kind. Because of their solid science and safety record, we began to trust just one company for all of our natural supplements.
The 2006 Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), a 6-month study of 1583 knee arthritis patients sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), surprisingly showed 79.2% experienced pain relief compared to 69.4% from the prescription drug celecoxib (Celebrex) for patients experiencing moderate-to-extreme pain and symptoms of swelling, inflexibility or stiffness.
Glucosamine arthritis treatments had zero negative side effects in study
During the GAIT study, participants reported zero negative side effects from the use of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, which also helped prevent cartilage damage.
Roland Moskowitz, MD, professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said having the study participants take their dosage once a day instead of spreading it over three times a day, would have given a higher glucosamine peak effect, increasing the odds of significant relief.
The take-home message: Dr. Moskowitz concluded of the study, “We have to say something is going on. A three month trial is reasonable for people who have a lot of pain. If it’s working, by all means continue using them, as these supplements are extremely safe.”
Arthritis treatments include both drugs and natural dietary supplements
Millions of people suffer the painful symptoms of arthritis and related diseases, which include inflammation, swelling, redness, pain and stiffness. There are about one hundred different types of arthritis, with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout are the three most common.
When seeing a physician, arthritis treatments usually begin with the lowest-strength drugs and work up. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed over-the-counter, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are recommended, or acetaminophen are prescribed. For moderate to extreme pain, prescription celecoxib (Celebrex) or hydrocodone and acetaminophen are popular.
When the above drugs are not effective, doctors may prescribe stronger medicines, such as steroids, or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), used with cases which involves damage to the immune system such as by rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Biologic response modifiers (BRMs) are increasingly being used in the treatment of arthritis. They were used to treat severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis, however now they have assumed a new role and are used to treat patients in the early stages of arthritis, so to prevent profound damage to the joints. Although many people with rheumatoid arthritis find BRMs effective, it is still not suited for everyone with arthritis. The downside of these products is that they are expensive and can only be given through injections or infusion.
Arthritis treatments with drugs produces harmful side effects
All medicines contain some side effects that may vary from patient to patient. Many patients undertaking arthritis related medicines experience certain side effects such as stomach pain.
Nevertheless arthritis medicines can be very powerful and can have a profound effect on the body.. Another important aspect to be taken into account is that the benefit of taking the medicine shall be weighed against the harm of not taking them. Arthritis can get worse if no medication is taken.
The reason so many medicines for arthritis has been produced is to meet specific demand of arthritis patients. Also using one can have side effects. Therefore the range of medicines allows a person to choose ones that gives least side effects to him or her.
Arthritis patients are frequently dissatisfied with the effectiveness in the drugs they are taking to reduce their arthritis symptoms. Many more are terrified of the damage that long-term use of these arthritis treatments may be doing to their overall health and are seeking safer, natural alternatives.
Ten natural arthritis treatments provide effectiveness and safety
You may be surprised to learn that many natural arthritis treatments can be as effective if not more so than prescription and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, and as such might be a better solution for those that suffer the debilitating joint pain, swelling and inflammation of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
We feature a company you can trust for making top quality natural dietary supplements. There are ten arthritis supplements that are beneficial for people with arthritis.
(Note: The following links for the ten supplements will take you to the product pages of the featured company for natural supplements):
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Fish oil-omega-3-fatty acids
Numerous studies have shown the benefits of omega-3’s (EPA in particular) which helps the body tip the balance towards an anti-inflammatory state. To get in your sufficient omega-3’s in the amounts used in studies, you’d have to eat three servings of fish daily. Fatty acids must be consumed as the body cannot make them for itself. Top notch fish oil supplements, free of impurities, helps your cells stop inflammation—a root cause of rheumatoid arthritis and, to a lesser degree, osteoarthritis. If you’re on blood-thinners, including aspirin, you should always check first with your doctor before starting a supplement program. Click on this link for more information on fish oil.
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Glucosamine
Clinical studies indicate that glucosamine hydrochloride is most effective when arthritis symptoms are moderate to severe. Glucosamine hydrochloride actually rebuilds the cartilage between the joints. With these natural supplements, you’re not just treating the symptoms of pain, swelling and stiffness, you’re regenerating cartilage. You’re actually regaining the health of your joints. Glucosamine is widely available as a nutritional supplement in different formulations. The market is saturated with glucosamine products. There are many brand names, many claims, many testimonies and a lot of hype. Buy from a reputable manufacturer. Know what you’re getting. Click on this link for more information on glucosamine natural supplements.
- Boswellia and
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Safflower Oil
When the boswellia herb and oil from the safflower are used in combination, it creates a potent, natural arthritis pain relief supplement without gastrointestinal side effects. In studies, these two ingredients together are more effective when combined, than they are separately. The safflower extract contains a potent ingredient that is a very selective Cox 2 inhibitor. The boswellia extract is a very potent 5 Lox inhibitor. With optimized extraction procedures to get the most potent formulations of the inhibitors, you have a product that’s effective against both the 5 Lox and the Cox 2 pain pathways—both of the major pathways—which is the only product on the market of its kind. Its formulation and synergy is so unique that there is a patent pending on this arthritis supplement. Click on this link for more on boswellia. Click this for more on safflower.
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500mg Sustained Release Vitamin C
A sustained release Vitamin C supplement is very important in building collagen, which is an important component of cartilage. Vitamin C is needed to help with the cartilage rebuilding process. Vitamin C is also important for building the matrix upon which the bone is laid down. It is also an essential anti-oxidant, which sweeps the body of destructive free radicals, which are destructive to joint health. The clinically proven delivery system used in the all natural sustained release 500 mg vitamin C supplement my husband and I use has been shown to maintain vitamin C levels for 12 hours. A 100 mg chewable vitamin C is also available. The Framingham osteoarthritis study found that people whose diets routinely included high amounts of vitamin C had significantly less risk of their arthritis progressing.
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GLA (Borage Oil)
GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) from borage seed oil is an effective natural supplement for reducing inflammation in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis with few side effects, several studies show. The human body produces its own GLA from linoleic acid, but production diminishes with aging, disease states, and specific dietary deficiencies.
Good news for arthritis sufferers, the body uses GLA to form prostaglandins—potent, hormone-like substances that help regulate bodily processes such as metabolic rate, pain, inflammation and circulation. GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid. When taken orally, GLA promotes improvements related to joint pain and stiffness and strength of grip. Click this link for more on GLA.
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Calcium
Everyone has heard about the benefits of calcium. But did you know that 44 million Americans are at risk for osteoporosis, including half of women over the age of 50. Also, 78% of women over age 20 get less than their 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium. The U.S. has one of the highest rates of dairy consumption and calcium intake, yet has one of the highest rates of osteoporosis.
Think of calcium as the bricks to building strong and healthy bones. Bricks can only be strong and stable when combined with mortar. In the case of calcium, the mortar consists of vitamin D, magnesium, boron, vitamin K, zinc, copper and manganese. The calcium complex supplement my husband and I use is the comprehensive, clinically proven, easy to swallow formulation described above, which is beneficial for everyone, but especially those with arthritis.
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Lecithin
Lecithin contains important fatty acids. The supplement we use for lecithin is sourced from organic non-genetically modified soybeans. Lecithin is sometimes referred to as nature’s natural emulsifier. Lecithin provides an excellent source of choline, which is essential for every living cell and is one of the main components of cell membranes. Choline is also an important component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in the transmission of messages throughout the brain and nervous system.
Lecithin also helps to absorb fat-soluble nutrients in our diet, like beta carotene and the Vitamins A, D, E and K, so having lecithin in your intestinal tract will help you to protect your bones, because both vitamin D and vitamin K are bone builders.
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Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant (like Vitamin C) that protects the body and its joints from free radicals. There are no conclusive studies showing that Vitamin E is markedly effective protection against arthritis. However, its properties indicate that it can help prevent or slow joints from becoming progressively worse. When choosing a top quality Vitamin E supplement with 400 I.U, be sure it has d-alpha tocopherol concentrate and mixed tocopherols concentrate. Look for it in combination with at least 65 mcg of selenium and 38 mg of grapeseed extract as these three components combined deliver potent antioxidant protection from free radical cell damage. Also look for natural Vitamin E as it is more biologically active than the synthetic form and is better retained by the body for more effective antioxidant protection.
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B-Vitamins
Vitamin B6 and folate (folic acid) are the two B-vitamins most likely to be lacking in people with arthritis. These two cousin chemicals from the B-vitamin family are lacking in the population at large—for example, one study found 90 percent of women don’t get enough B6 in their diets. There’s also evidence that the inflammation process in people with rheumatoid arthritis rapidly uses up these B vitamins. This is not good news for arthritis sufferers as these B vitamins are active in a variety of bodily functions, including the manufacturing of protein, the building block for tissues such as cartilage.
While B-vitamins are available separately, a preferred way is to take a vitamin B complex supplement that contains all of the B-vitamins in balance (the same as B's are found in nature). Biotin and folate should be at least 100% of the Daily Value, the remaining B's higher, but none higher than 1350% DV.
Another way to take B-vitamins in natural supplements is to choose a balanced whole food multivitamin. Stay away from high-dosage, single nutrient B supplements that may pose nerve damage risks. B-vitamins taken within the formulation of a multivitamin with vitamin K for ages 50 and over (also available without vitamin K) should be well balanced.
When choosing B-vitamin supplements, do so in a multivitamin that provides 100% of the RDA of 2 mg for B6 and 400 mcg (0.4mg) for folate. Look also for Vitamin B12 at 6 mcg (100%) which works in tandem with folate. Click on this link for more information on multivitamin multimineral supplements Click on this link to compare leading multivitamin brands
Featured natural arthritis treatments
In 2003, the company we feature on this site introduced a science-based pain management program consisting of three separate products that work together synergistically as arthritis treatments.
If you’re looking for alternative answers for arthritis treatments, I highly recommend this pain relief trio for joint and muscle solutions.
Arthritis treatments Disclaimer: Health statements on this arthritis treatments page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Natural Arthritis Pain Relief. Millions choosing herbal arthritis supplements when conventional arthritis treatments are of concern or haven’t provided acceptable results. How to find the best pain relief….Click here for more on natural arthritis treatments
Arthritis Products 3 safe natural arthritis treatments scientifically designed to fight pain and reduce dependency on pharmaceutical medicines. Each unique for rapid relief and joint health …. Click here for details\
Vitamin Supplements There are no vitamin supplements proven to reduce symptoms of arthritis, a debilitating disease. A natural multivitamin can improve overall health and vitality. Click here for recommended multivitamin.
Joint Pain Relief. Wouldn't it be great if you could have a drug-free future with no harmful side effects and have complete control over your joint pain? It's not a dream--all of this is possible.... Click here for more on arthritis treatments through natural joint pain relief
Herbal Pain Relief. In the last twenty years in the United States, the public has become increasingly dissatisfied with the cost and side effect risks of prescription medications such as those for arthritis treatments. This, combined with an interest in returning to natural or organic remedies, has …. Click here for background on herbal medicine
Osteoarthritis Relief. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It affects joints of the knees, hips, fingers, lower spine and neck. Click here for more on osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief. Many of the natural arthritis treatments for osteoarthritis are also recommended for rheumatoid arthritis. Click here for RA natural treatment options
