Arthritis: Get Powerful and Safe Relief of Joint Pain from Your Own Kitchen

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These very popular drugs, known as Cox-2 inhibitors, arent as safe as pharmaceutical companies would have you believe. Ive seen patients who took Cox-2 inhibitors who werent up for jogging far from it. One man suffered stomach erosion. Several had liver damage. Another suffered hives, itching and difficulty breathing. If these sound familiar, its because theyre the same side effects of the older NSAIDs toxic effects the drug peddlers originally assured us these new drugs would not produce.

In each of these cases, the side effects were severe enough that the patient had to stop the drugs completely. Thats when I further researched alternatives. I discovered natural pain relievers that can give you the same joint pain relief without the side effects.

This month, Im going to show you why Cox-2 inhibitors work well, and Ill reveal some natural alternatives that work by the same mechanism. They can deliver the pain relief you need, without the risks and side effects.

Youll learn:

• Why a low-carb diet isnt just good for losing weight, but will decrease your joint pain too.
• The one essential fat you need to decrease your joint pain maybe even eliminate it altogether.
• Which vitamins and supplements are working but no one is using.
• Which highly recommended natural alternative doesnt work, and why you should completely avoid this most popular natural pain reliever.
• Plus, one supplement that works wonders, and four more safe ways to relieve your pain and inflammation that you wont find at the pharmacy.

Arthritis: Celebrex Safer? Dont Bet On It

The science behind Cox-2 inhibitors is a breakthrough. Your pain has to do with an enzyme called Cox it stands for cyclooxygenase. Cox takes on two different forms. If youre in chronic pain, Cox-2 is overproduced. The other Cox, Cox-1, has nothing to do with pain. Instead, it protects your stomach lining and your bodys other delicate membranes.

The old NSAIDs worked by wiping out your bodys Cox enzymes entirely. Sure, they helped your pain, but you could also experience serious stomach and vascular problems, because you lost the protection of Cox-1.

The new NSAIDs are smarter versions of the old ones. They are able to differentiate between Cox-2 and Cox-1. But does that mean there are no side effects? Im afraid not. Independent testing shows these drugs have all the same side effects and cause the same kidney, stomach, and vascular problems even serious gastrointestinal problems and bleeding as the old NSAIDs did.

But there is some good news here. The creation of Celebrex shed light on how Cox-2 inhibition works. And it opens the door for natural alternatives to ease agonising pain and swelling in your body.

Arthritis: Shrink Your Carb Intake & Shrink Your Joints!

Most people who suffer from arthritis have no idea how much their diet affects their pain so thats the first place I start working with my patients. The biggest offender? Refined carbohydrates.

They actually inflame your joints and generate Cox-2s. People with rheumatoid arthritis have high levels of complex carbohydrates called glycosaminoglycans (or GAGs) in their joint tissues. Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates like grain products and sugars, and you can lower your pain.

Heres something else you may not know: Mother Nature designed some foods specifically to ease your chronic joint pain and swelling. The best are high in Omega-3 fatty acids foods like wild fish and grass fed beef. Omega-3s have natural anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. In fact, increase your intake of Omega-3, and you could slow or even reverse your arthritis entirely! Ive seen it happen in my practice. When my patients apply this recommendation, they experience a tremendous improvement in their pain and mobility.

You may have heard by now that fish oil supplements can help increase your levels of Omega-3. Its true they can but theyre no replacement for getting your Omega-3s from natural sources. Try using a combination of supplementation and diet changes for the best results. For supplementation, I recommend 1 tablespoon of cod liver oil each day.

Arthritis: Could Your Arthritis Be An Allergic Reaction?

Some of your worst arthritis pain could be the result of an unidentified food allergy. Food allergies are much more common than most people realise, and they can cause you to do more than break out in hives. Heres how you can tell if food allergies are making your arthritis pain worse

Start looking for foods that increase your pain and swelling when you eat them. It may take a little detective work. I recommend using a food diary for a few weeks. Record everything you eat, and develop a system where you also record your level of arthritis pain within a few hours of your meals, using a scale of 1 to 10. One patient who suffered with rheumatoid arthritis for decades and had taken almost every NSAID on the market set out to identify his pain inducer. He was shocked at what he found. One of his swelling triggers was his favourite food pizza! By avoiding it, hes eliminated his painful inflammation. 

One of those vitamins is vitamin C. In clinical studies, pain sufferers taking average doses had a threefold reduction in pain and osteoarthritis progression. Beta carotene got similar results. But the most important vitamin for arthritis patients is vitamin D.

In study after study, supplementing with even small amounts of vitamin D eases inflammation from arthritis  and slows the progression of osteoarthritis. In fact, vitamin D deficiency may play a large role in the development of osteoarthritis to begin with. Researchers are now hypothesising that vitamin D deficiency may be an early indicator of not only arthritis risk, but risk of other inflammatory diseases such as heart disease.

Arthritis: Myths of Natural Pain Relief: The Truth Hurts
Glucosamine. Youve heard about it by now. Its been vigorously marketed for arthritis especially osteoarthritis. But Im sorry to say glucosamine is not very effective. So what about the studies used by the marketers?

As it turns out, more recent research has uncovered quality problems with those earlier trials. In fact, these new tests suggest glucosamines actual benefit is far less than originally reported. If you feel it has helped you, it is harmless and you could continue it, but most of my patients get better results with the other strategies outlined in this article.

Vitamin E is another nutrient sometimes touted as a solution for osteoarthritis pain. But controlled clinical trials found placebos worked just as well as vitamin E at reducing pain or stiffness and improving mobility.

Arthritis: Chondroitin Minimally Effective but Potentially Dangerous
You may be one of the thousands who have relied on this animal by-product to relieve your pain and inflammation. Chondroitin does work for mild inflammation. But I do not consider it safe. In fact, if you had to choose between chondroitin and the popular NSAIDs I mentioned above, youre probably better off with the NSAIDs especially if theres a history of prostate disease in your family.

Chondroitin can result in problems ranging from painful benign prostate hyperplasia to deadly prostate cancer. In fact, samples of diseased prostate tissue test positive for high levels of chondroitin. If youre taking chondroitin, stop. There are safer and more effective natural or herbal Cox-2-inhibiting pain relievers.

In place of chondroitin, I recommend MSM (methylsulfonylmethane). Ive seen arthritis patients find the kind of relief from pain and swelling with MSM that theyve only been able to achieve with prescription drugs.

MSM is an organic source of the mineral sulphur. (Dont confuse it with allergy-causing sulpha drugs.) The sulphur in MSM can regenerate your injured, overused, or damaged joint tissues and relieve arthritis pain. It is vital to maintaining your bodys pH balance and creating new tissue, including delicate joint and cartilage tissue.

Arthritis: Four Natural Ways to Relieve Pain & Inflammation
I always recommend trying dietary changes first. Then add in vitamins and nutrients. Finally, for more symptomatic management, you can try these four effective herbs as well:

Boswellin is a natural arthritis fighter worth trying. Its an Indian herb, frankincense actually. Although you probably wont hear people talking about it much, its not because it doesnt work. In fact, Ayurvedic medicine has used it for centuries to maintain joint health.

Today, boswellin has shown promise in relieving stiff, swollen joints of rheumatoid arthritis. It works by increasing blood supply to joints and reducing joint levels of glycosaminoglycans those inflammation-causing complex carbs I told you about earlier. You can buy it at health food stores in capsules.

White willow bark is an ancient joint-pain remedy dating back more than 2,400 years. According to ancient Greek manuscripts Hippocrates used it.

Some arthritis sufferers not only experienced pain relief, but increased mobility in their backs, knees, hips, and other joints. Youll find Cox-2-inhibiting white willow bark in a number of joint-pain remedies as well as individual supplements.

Red grape leaves also block Cox-2-induced pain naturally. Red grape leaves contain a powerful phytochemical called resveratrol. Its the same phytochemical found in grape juice and red wine. You can also find red grape leaves in 600mg capsules.

Holy basil is a special type of basil that contains dozens of Cox-2-blocking phytonutrients, including one called ursolic acid. I recommend 150mg capsules four times a day.

Arthritis: Add A Little Tea & Spice For Taste & Pain Relief
Finally, you can grab a little spice right out of your kitchen cabinet and get a little extra relief. The next time youre cooking dinner, throw in some extra ginger, turmeric, rosemary, or oregano.

These spices contain anti-inflammatory compounds and Cox-2-blocking phyto- chemicals. Theyve reduced arthritis pain and inflammation, while increasing mobility, in study after study.

Instead of your morning cup of coffee, choose a mug of nutrient-rich green tea. Green tea contains 51 anti-inflammatory compounds, including Cox-2-inhibiting salicylic acid and polyphenols.
In a 1999 study, these compounds resulted in a marked reduction in Cox-2-induced arthritis. Try four cups of green tea a day and watch what happens. By the way, green tea and these other spices are all sold in capsules at your local health food store. But, like everything else, if you can eat or drink the real deal, its better.

Arthritis: Choosing The Natural Alternative Thats Right For You
You dont have to live with pain. Before you take prescription drugs with uncomfortable or even dangerous side effects, try natural pain relievers first. These work in similar ways as the prescription drugs do, and, in some cases, they do a better job of tackling your arthritis pain and swelling.

Not all of these will work for everyone, because everyones joint pain does not share the same root cause or the same triggers for swelling. Its a good idea to experiment until you find one (or a group) thats best for your body. You may discover you dont have to rely on over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers.
Arthritis - Related Reading:
Osteoarthritis Update: New Ways To Promote Healthy Joints And Alleviate Crippling Pain

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Osteoarthritis: Aching joints? Find relief with ginger and glucosamine

How to alleviate pain caused by osteoarthritis of the knee

Vioxx lawsuits: The Vioxx saga continues

Pharmaceutical industry: More shocking tactics used by drug giants

References used in this article include: