There are two
main types of arthritis: inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Inflammatory arthritis can be treated naturally without drugs.
Inflammatory arthritis' symptoms (such as Rheumatoid Arthritis)
are exactly what they sound like: inflammation, redness and swelling
in the joints. Sometimes there will even be a temperature change
in the area affected. Also, in the hand, you may notice that some
fingers may look like they are turning away from the thumb (ulnar
deviation).
This type of arthritis is primarily an auto-immune
response. This means that the body believes it is under attack
by an invader, such as an infection of some kind. However,this
is not the case and the body ends up "attacking" the
toxins that have built up in the joint capsules. Alternative treatment
for this type of arthritis is fairly simple. Since the problem
is caused by toxins in the joints, then the solution is to remove
these toxins.
There are actually several ways to detoxify the
body. One of these is fasting. Using juice fasts,fruit fasts or
other types of fasts can be very effective. However, it takes
a very disciplined individual to actually finish one of these
programs. There are several good books to help you if you planon
doing a fast, one of my personal favorites is "Dr. Jensen's
Guide to Better Bowel Care"", by Bernard Jensen.
Another way to detox is cleansing the colon with
a colonic irrigation or similar procedure. This procedure should
be done by a professional since there are some minimum hygiene
standards that should be followed. In this procedure, a tube is
inserted into the rectum and filtered water is constantly irrigated
into the colon-and fecal matter and other wastes flowing out at
the same time. People that have this performed often report they
see waste products from foods they have not eaten in years.
A third way to cleanse is by supplementing your
diet with large quantities of fiber and herbal supplements. This
method is probably best for most Americans. Not because it is
more effective than the other two, but because of it's ease of
execution.
One good way to see if this type of treatment
will help is to buy an inexpensive psyllium supplement and take
it three times per day for two days. If you do notice an improvement
in your symptoms,then go ahead and purchase a complete cleanse
program of some kind.
If you are performing a cleanse you should modify
your diet in several ways: increase the consumption of leafy green
vegetables, decrease the consumption of dairy, red meat and other
mucus-producing foods. And probably the most important-increase
your intake of clean filtered water to at least a gallon per day.
One note of caution: when doing any type of cleanse,
you may experience a healing crisis. On the third or fourth day
or a cleanse regimen, you may experience symptoms such as sore
throat, headache, lightheadedness, bad breath or pimples. Don't
panic! this is a normal response and indicates that the cleanse
is working and the toxins are beginning to leave your body. Depending
on your toxicity level, you may experience some relief by simply
having a bowel movement.
If the healing crisis becomes too uncomfortable,
then be sure to discontinue the program and consult a health care
professional. The goal is to find the type of treatment that is
correct for you and see it until the end. You will find that these
treatments are more successful in helping arthritis than the traditional
medical solution of pain killers and drugs.
© 2000 Daniel DeReuter, D.C.
Daniel DeReuter, D.C. is a chiropractor
practicing in Dalton, GA. He operates a website http://www.deepdownwellness.com
that provides alternative health tips and information.
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