Do you experience morning joint stiffness that lasts half an hour or longer? What about pain in the knee when climbing the stairs or difficulty opening the lid of a jar? These are just a few common symptoms often associated with a condition known as “arthritis”. Arthritis literally means inflammation of a joint (the place where two bones meet), causing swelling and pain. It can occur in any joint but usually begins in the fingers, knees and hips. There are more than a hundred types of arthritis. However, the most common is osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Regardless of the type, the end result of arthritis is always the same - stiff, painful, swollen and inflamed joints.

Those with osteoarthritis suffer a wear-and-tear condition whereby the bone cartilage of the joint is destroyed. This is commonly seen in elderly people. On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis can affect both young and old people. It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis is a whole-body condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own joint tissues and causes inflammation. This inflammation creates distortion of the joints, clearly visible from the outside. The joints involved are typically in a symmetrical fashion (for eg. both wrists, both knees or both ankles). One distinguishing characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis is that the skin around the affected joint is purplish in colour, warm and spongy to the touch, rather than cool and hard as in osteoarthritis. Gout, sometimes regarded as "rich man’s disease", is caused by uric acid crystals forming at the joints and affects mainly men between the ages 40 and 50. The first attack commonly occurs at night and is characterized by intense pain of only one joint, usually that of the big toe.

Are You Allergic To Certain Food?
Certain food can aggravate arthritis symptoms. The most common include cow's milk (and other dairy products), wheat, corn and soya bean. Some arthritis sufferers also seem to have problems with nightshade family of plants: tomato, potato, eggplant, bell pepper and tobacco. One way to identify the culprit is to eliminate a suspected food for four weeks and observe if your condition improves. This exercise is particularly important for people with rheumatoid arthritis where the situation is aggravated by a condition known as “leaky gut”. The leaky intestines allow semi-digested food particles to be absorbed into the blood stream causing a delayed allergic reaction.

Herbal Relief For Arthritis
Cat’s Claw (for rheumatoid arthritis) – found naturally in the rain forests of South America, Cat’s Claw has a long history in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed that this herb works on the immune system in such a way as to bring balance once more.

Nettle – a very nutritive plant that supplies all the right kind of nutrients to ease joint pain. Recent research also shows that Nettle has anti-inflammatory properties making it excellent choice for all kinds of arthritis

Ginger & Turmeric – these roots have traditional usage in India to treat joint pain. They work best in “cold|” conditions such as the kind of arthritis that affect senior people.

Feverfew - this herb has a long history in the treatment of arthritis and migraine. Studies show that Feverfew has greater anti-inflammatory power than aspirin.

Celery seeds - act to soothe the pain of inflammation, in particular those involving the joints.


SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP
RELIEVE ARTHRITIS

Glucosamine sulphate
Fish oil
Flaxseed oil
Evening primrose oil
Vitamin E
Zinc



WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

Practitioners of natural therapies note that diet is
strongly linked to many forms of arthritis. Thus, what
you eat could make a big difference in reducing the pain.

- Eliminate all animal fats-Reduce consumption of fried food, red meat, sugar refined carbohydrates and eggs
- Eat 3 servings of steamed, baked or boiled (but not frie fish weekly
- Enjoy more fresh fruits & vegetables
- Avoid alcohol
- Drink 10 – 12 glasses of water daily
- Gout sufferers need to cut back on purine-rich foo(ikan bilis, Brewer’s yeast, mackerel, sardine, prawn, crab, asparagus and spinach)

Patricia Loh is an educator and writer on natural therapies. She is a qualified clinical herbalist and operates a herbal centre in Subang Jaya. Comments and inquiries: herbz@tm.net.my or 03-5631 7751.

THE SUN Insertion Date: 13 May 2003