Arthritis Herbal Remedies

My grandfather suffered from arthritis.

I remember that as he got older, he went from one walking cane to two, followed by a walking frame and finally ending up in a wheelchair. His fingers were no longer straight, they were angled outward at the knuckles. He could no longer write and had difficulty eating by himself.

Even though I was a child at the time, I was aware that he used to take aspirin each day for the pain.There seemed to be no quick fix. It was just something that he had to learn to live with.

Quite simply, arthritis refers to joint inflammation. The symptoms can include stiffness and pain in the joints, as well as swelling and deformity resulting in diminished mobility. Some people with arthritic joints note that each time they move the affected area, it makes a noise.

There are many different forms of arthritis. The most common are rhematoid arthritis (an inflammatory form of arthritis that damages cartilage and tissue around joints) and osteoarthritis (resulting from "wear and tear"). It is not a new disease - archaeologists have actually found evidence of condition in Neanderthal skeletons.

Arthritis treatments, in the absence of a cure, are focussed on reducing the pain and slowing down or halting the degenerative process. Arthritis herbal remedies are one option.

Here is a quick list of known herbs that are beneficial to people with arthritis:

• Alfalfa - for bone formation
  
• Boswellia - for reducing inflammation (made from frankincense)
  
• Cat's claw ^# - for relieving arthritis pain
• Feverfew ^# - good for pain and soreness
  
• Ginger - powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects
• Cayenne - in capsicum, contains a pain relieving compound
• Olive leaf extract - good for infectious arthritis (also for general wellbeing)
• Turmeric &
• Willow bark - are also good anti-inflammatories with pain relieving properties
  

^# Warning - do not use with pregnancy.

Dorothy Hall is a famous Australian pioneer in iridology and natural health. In "The Natural Health Book" she writes:

"I firmly believe that arthritics are born and not made. I have never yet had an arthritic patient who was not a person who suppressed his angers and frustrations and stresses, went bravely on doing his duty, and never let the side down. If you look at health as a whole picture of a whole person, you will see how this burying of 'acid' emotional reactions can trigger off or complicate an acid condition of the body tissues [like arthritis]"

It follows that one needs to learn to find acceptable and perhaps creative ways of reducing stress and releasing bottled up emotions. Doing so will benefit one's entire health and wellbeing, let alone one's arthritis!