Effective Natural Remedies for Osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Arthritis is a painful and devastating conditions and even though it’s normally associated with older people it can impact people of all ages.

Your doctor can prescribe to you any number of prescription medications to help you cope with your arthritis but you can take a more natural route to help yourself. This is a very smart and healthy choice that does not come with the worry over any side effects.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a painful and debilitating medical condition that affects the joints. It is broken down into two categories- there is osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There are effective natural remedies for arthritis that are worth learning about.

Natural Arthritis Remedies:

Silicon is one kind of mineral that can offer joint pain relief as it has the ability to nourish joint cartilage. You need to take in an abundance of minerals that build tissues on a daily basis in order to keep your bones as healthy and as strong as possible. This will help to prevent bone spurs from developing.

Researchers have found that following a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (which means a diet that includes dairy products and eggs but no meat of any kind) for at least one year’s time can improve the condition for those those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis relief can be found if you can figure out what plays a role in worsening your condition. It is believed that for some individuals’ allergies to food or food sensitivities has an arthritis association.  For instance wheat, potatoes and tomatoes seem to aggravate some sufferers but not others. Discuss this with your doctor.

More Natural Remedies for Arthritis:

Paying attention to your daily diet is important but there are other herbal remedies for this condition that can help to stop joint pain. Herbal treatments do not just relieve pain but they also reduce inflammation in the joints, eliminate toxins that have built up in the joints and protect and support the joint cartilage.

Cayenne pepper is thought to be an herb that can relieve joint pain for arthritis sufferers. A cream made from this pepper has been found in a variety of studies to help those who suffer from both OA as well as RA. Cayenne pepper is also an herb that can be added to food and included in recipes and therefore consumed orally.

Arnica cream can be applied topically to the affected areas and is a relatively strong pain reliever for those who suffer from arthritic hands and joint pain in other areas of the body. Arnica can be used in an ointment or massage oil and then carefully and gently rubbed into sore regions.

Other herbal remedies for arthritis that act as mild analgesics include chamomile, mint, juniper, rosemary, thyme, wild yam and yarrow. Mint, wild yam and yarrow can also be made into a tea for relief from symptoms.

Samantha

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Exploring the Basics of Alternative Medicine and Care – Part I

When you hear the words “alternative medicine” what do you think of?

If you are like some people then you probably think of meditation, herbal remedies, acupuncture, hypnosis or something along those lines. All of these practices are treatments that fall under the larger subheading of CAM or complementary and alternative medicine.

But what is alternative medicine all about and more specifically what does it mean to the individuals that seek it out when they are experiencing health and wellness issues? Let us look at this closer.

The Definition of Alternative Medicine:

Alternative medicine does not have a definition that is set in stone. It is often described and determined differently by various individuals. It may mean something different to you than it means to your mother or father, brother or sister, spouse or child. In most cases alternative medicine includes any “healing practices that are not part of mainstream medicine.” This means that it is practices that are not commonly taught to physicians in training when they are in medical school and it is not often used by doctors in their offices or in hospitals throughout the country.

Alternative care is always in flux and is constantly evolving and changing as it becomes more and more acceptable by physicians. It is also becoming more requested and understood by patients with any number of health problems. Many practices that were brushed aside as strange, silly, harmful or downright useless 20 to 30 years ago are now viewed as beneficial therapies that complement traditional medicine that is used in the Western world.

In the United States the agency that does the vast majority of scientific research into alternative therapies is The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) that is found at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH breaks down alternative care into four general categories. These categories include mind-body medicine, biologically based practices, manipulative and body-based practices and finally, energy medicine. These areas often overlap. Once you understand more about each one of these alternative therapy categories then you can determine which one of them or which varieties of them are well suited to your life and your aches and pains.

In part II you can read about the breakdown of the categories of alternative treatments.

Samantha

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Seeking Out Alternative Treatments for Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic disease that can cause a great deal of pain, bleeding and scarring for the woman who develops it.

This disease takes place when the tissue that lines the uterus (known as the endometrium) grows outside of the uterus and into the abdomen. In some women it may grow on the ovaries or in the fallopian tubes.

This disease affects in the range of eight to 15 percent of females. It is most commonly found in women in their early 20’s and those in their early 30’s. Endometriosis can make getting pregnant difficult. It can also increase a woman’s chances of developing certain types of cancers, such as breast cancer and ovarian cancer. If not treated and diagnosed in its early stages endometriosis can get worse over the passage of time.

Alternative Treatment Options:

Alternative therapies can be beneficial to those women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis.

Those who practice Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are of the belief that this disease is caused by the stagnation of qi (blood stasis), damp heat or dampness and phlegm combined. They are also of the mind that endometriosis may develop if the organs of the body are not as strong as they could be. Many TCM practitioners believe that a constant insufficiency in a combination of the body’s organs can lead to negative patterns that take place over a long stretch of time.

It is these negative patterns that they seek to eradicate with alternative treatments.

TCM is all about herbal treatments. The herbs that characterize TCM are often combined with the practice of acupuncture to regulate the progression of the disease as well as the rate at which the blood is stagnating. When these therapies join forces they can find the root of the problem and then can work from there to improve the health of the sufferer.

Aromatherapy has also shown promise for those women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis. Aromatherapy uses oils to heal the body.

The adhesions that take place as a result of this chronic disease can be reduced with the application of a selection of oils. The most beneficial ones for this purpose are chamomile, jasmine, lavender, neroli and rose. Not only are these oils healing in nature but they are also anti-spasmodic which means that they prevent and/or reduce the occurrence of muscle spasms.

Both of these significant properties of oils can make them very useful for muscles and tissues.

If you suffer from endometriosis then you may wish to see what the world of alternative medicine has to offer you. You do not have to abandon conventional treatments all together but can look to other more natural and holistic means to help your condition.

Samantha

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Treating Minor Cuts and Burns with Herbs

Minor cuts and burns can happen at any time and can happen for any number of reasons. Instead of reaching for antibiotic cream or burn salve to start the healing process there are plenty of natural remedies that can be used when you hurt yourself but it is not serious enough for a trip to the emergency room.

After all minor cuts and burns happen to everyone at some point in their lives. The important thing is to know how to deal with them quickly, safely and effectively. Wounds need your help to heal properly.

Cuts and other small wounds can benefit from the use of turmeric which is an antiseptic herb. You may already have turmeric in your kitchen as it is used in the preparation of many tasty dishes. Turmeric has a variety of anti-inflammatory and medicinal properties that can be used not only to help to heal cuts but also scrapes, scratches and bruises.

Aloe is an herb that is fantastic to have around if you cut or burn yourself. Whether you buy aloe gel or buy an aloe plant it can help to heal minor skin injuries.

Aloe or aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties as well as anti-bacterial properties. Aloe gel is a multi-purpose kind of herb that can also be used to relieve the sting of sunburn and mosquito bites as well. Please note that aloe can be purchased as a drink and is safe to ingest. However for the purposes described here applying it directly to the skin will offer the fastest results and the fastest route to healing.

Calendula is an herbal ingredient that is often added to natural hand creams or lotions. This herb has antiseptic properties that make it very useful in terms of treating minor cuts and burns. It also has astringent and anti-inflammatory properties that inhibit bleeding when you injure yourself and promote the growth of the new skin.

Comfrey is another herb that works well when you wound yourself in a minor fashion. This herb is beneficial for topical application in the event of abrasions, burns, cuts bruises and scrapes. If you get a small paper cut or your cat scratches you then reach for comfrey.

Comfrey is an herb that should never be taken orally. It is meant to be applied directly to the skin in a topical manner and that is it. Not only can comfrey speed up the process of healing of the skin but it has also been known to help with the healing of bones that are broken.

If you are at home or work and get a small wound then to encourage the healing process to get started try one of these herbs. The natural method of relieving and repairing the skin when a cut or burn has taken place is a safe and healthy way to get your skin back to its normal state.

Becca

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Simple Herbal Remedies for an Aching Tooth to Tide You Over

You groan in pain as your hand reaches up to gingerly cradle the side of your face. Your tooth is aching and you can think of nothing else but the pain it is bringing with it!

If your dentist appointment could not come soon enough but it is not here yet then you need to find a way to reduce the pain in a manner that is natural, safe and effective!

Many of the herbal remedies for an aching tooth you likely already have in your home. If you don’t then they should be easy to find in most grocery stores and pharmacies. Hopefully relief is no further than your kitchen cupboard or spice rack.

Clove oil is believed to be one of the most effective herbal remedies for a tooth that is in pain. Take a small amount of clove oil and combine it with a pinch of black pepper. Now open wide and apply it to the affected area(s) of your mouth.

Mustard oil is also highly regarded as a natural way to make a sore tooth feel better. Take the mustard oil and combine it with a pinch of salt. From there massage it gently into the gum area around the sore tooth.

Lemon can serve as a balm for a toothache that just won’t quit. If you have lemon juice then take several drops of it and apply it to the affected gum region. You can also squeeze some juice from a fresh lemon and dab it onto the area. It may sting a little bit but it will start to alleviate the discomfort afterward.

If a toothache appears out of nowhere and the gum around the tooth is red and inflamed then add some tea tree oil to a glass of lukewarm water and use it as a mouthwash. Apple cider vinegar also makes for a soothing mouthwash that will help bring down the inflammation and puffiness of the swollen gum. You can also make homemade alternative mouthwashes from calendula and sage.

If a toothache comes calling and you have none of these herbs in your home then reach for a fresh onion for relief. Cut a slice of the onion and place it over the sore tooth and gum. Hold it there for a couple of minutes to let the essence of the onion absorb into the gum. Why this works is a mystery but it does so try it if your mouth is in pain!

When you have a throbbing tooth you do not want to do anything to irritate it further or to make the condition any worse. For this reason you should be careful about what you eat and drink. Stay away from foods that are hot and spicy, as well as anything that is too cold. You should also avoid eating anything that is too sugary.

For the sake of your teeth eat a diet that is composed of a large portion of vegetables and fruits. Foods such as apples are very good for your mouth and can improve the health of your gums.

Samantha Young

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