There are few areas of medicine in which the contrast between conventional and alternative therapies is sharper than in the treatment of arthritis. Most mainstream doctors recommend aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as standard therapy for arthritis pain and stiffness. You can buy most of these drugs over-the-counter at any drugstore or grocery, and when they cease to be effective (which they eventually will) your doctor can prescribe even stronger versions. Eventually, the joints may deteriorate to the point that you need surgery to replace the joint.
Although they can temporarily decrease pain and inflammation, I hate to see people with arthritis embracing NSAIDs as a way of life. Adverse side effects like gastrointestinal bleeding are extremely common, sending about 100,000 people to the hospital every year. With long term use (and most arthritis patients require long-term therapy) the risk of serious kidney and liver damage is significant. In fact, any herbal or nutritional therapy with this kind of side effect profile would be yanked from the market as a matter of public safety.
But what disturbs me most about NSAIDs is that some studies show that they may actually hasten the deterioration of the joints—hardly helpful for arthritis sufferers. Still, I know that the pain of arthritis can be severe, often interfering with work-related activities, not to mention recreational pleasures like golf or gardening. And I wouldn’t ask you to give up your NSAIDs if I didn’t have something better to offer you.
Arthritis is not a disease, it’s a symptom
Arthritis is a loose term for dozens of very different types of medical conditions that all have one symptom in common: the gradual destruction of the joint tissue. Osteoarthritis, the so-called “wear and tear” form, is by far the most common cause of arthritis symptoms, affecting virtually everyone over the age of 50 to some degree. Osteoarthritis is nothing new, either. Archeologists have discovered evidence that arthritis plagued early humans (and other vertebrates) half a million years ago.
Most rheumatologists (doctors who specialize in diseases of the joints) agree that the arthritis process actually begins sometime during our 30s, as an occasional twinge or ache in the knees, neck, or back. We might chalk it up to strain or muscle tension, but that runner’s knee or aching back may actually be the first signs of cartilage damage that will evolve into full-fledged arthritis twenty years later.
Everyday activities like walking, lifting, or working with our hands cause a certain amount of friction in our joints, the “moving parts” of our bodies. As the joints are used, this friction can break down the cartilage that lines and protects your joints. Repetitive motions like running, typing, or even playing tennis, can put extra stress on a joint, hastening the deterioration of the cartilage.
If the cartilage is being worn down faster than the body can repair it, arthritis symptoms appear. The bones can begin to rub directly against one another, resulting in mild to severe pain, stiffness, and loss of flexibility. Unless the damage is halted, it can eventually cause permanent and irreversible damage to the bones of the joint.
The conventional medical community has always viewed arthritis as a normal and inevitable part of the aging process. But in this respect, I disagree with many of my more traditionally minded colleagues. Our bodies are designed to constantly repair and renew worn out and damaged cells and tissue—including cartilage and joint tissue. In other words, the problem is not just the degeneration of joint tissue. The problem is that, for some reason, our bodies are not replacing and regenerating the tissue as quickly as it is breaking down.
Time for an “oil change”?
In order to keep a car engine from “locking up,” we lubricate the moving parts with motor oil. Over time, the friction of normal operation causes the oil to break down and lose its viscosity. We have to replace the used fluid with fresh, clean oil on a regular basis to prevent engine damage.
Maintaining healthy joints is very similar. It is perfectly normal for the cartilage to break down with use. In fact, there are special enzymes in the joint that dissolve and remove old, used-up cartilage. We just need to be sure that we are feeding the body the nutrients it needs to rebuild the cartilage that wears away through every day use. Given the necessary nutritional support, our bodies can keep our joints youthful and healthy indefinitely. If we have early indications that the joints are feeling stress, such as a dull ache or twinge, we can take extra steps to prevent more serious problems from developing.
Nutrients that build and protect the joints
The most important nutrient for joint health is one we often take for granted: plain old H20. Although it may seem obvious, our joints need to have enough fluid in the tissues in order to stay lubricated. And yet, many people look at me in disbelief when I suggest that drinking more water may give them significant relief from their arthritis pain. In fact, I’ve seen patients cut their NSAID use in half or even more, simply by increasing the amount of pure water they are drinking.
Healthy cartilage tissue itself is made up of over 70% water. If the cartilage dries out, it becomes more brittle and loses its flexibility and resilience. This can make the cartilage more susceptible to small tears and ruptures.
If you don’t already drink a lot of water, it is a very good habit to develop. Not only will it decrease your joint pain, it can help clear your complexion, keep you regular, and even help you lose a little weight. Try to drink at least 64 ounces of good-quality water every day. It is easiest (and more comfortable) if you spread your water consumption throughout the day. To avoid a middle-of-the-night call of nature, don’t drink too much after 7:00 p.m. It’s also a good idea to avoid drinking a lot of water with meals, which can interfere with proper digestion. The best time to drink water is immediately upon rising, an hour before meals (it will help take the edge off your appetite), and following exercise or exertion.
Glucosamine sulfate:
the arthritis miracle
In addition to water, cartilage is made up of a fibrous substance called collagen. Collagen is a very strong but flexible type of tissue that is found in bones, tendons, and cartilage, forming a stiff but elastic framework. All vertebrate animals produce collagen and for a long time, holistic physicians have used cartilage extracts in the treatment of arthritis and joint disease. The idea was that collagen from other animals such as cows or chickens is similar enough in structure to human collagen that the body can use it to replace worn-out or missing cartilage.
Although this approach worked, we now have something that works even better. Perhaps you’ve read about a substance called glucosamine sulfate. It’s a natural component of human joint tissue and is also found in small amounts in a variety of foods.
Glucosamine is a large molecule made up of sugar and proteins that acts as a sort of sponge, attracting and holding water and nutrients in the joints. Scientists have found that adding additional glucosamine sulfate to the diet as a nutritional supplement can actually increase the rate at which your body makes new cartilage. Ironically, NSAIDs can have the opposite effect by inhibiting cartilage synthesis and repair.
Glucosamine helps your body rebuild your joints with fresh new cartilage, essentially reversing the course of arthritis, without side effects. As you increase the strength and thickness of the cartilage tissue, the pain subsides and mobility returns. Even better, joint damage can be prevented before it occurs. Most of my patients find that within 1 to 6 months of glucosamine therapy (depending on the extent of the joint damage), they are essentially pain (and NSAID) free!
Although glucosamine is considered an “alternative” approach to arthritis, in my opinion, it should replace NSAIDs as the primary and standard treatment for this condition. There is certainly no shortage of scientific evidence of its effectiveness.
· In one study of 1500 arthritis patients conducted in Portugal, an astonishing 95 percent got positive results from therapy with glucosamine sulfate. The 252 doctors that participated in this study agreed that the patients got significantly better results with glucosamine than with NSAIDs, and with far fewer and less serious side effects.
· In an Italian study of 329 patients, glucosamine was far more effective than either a placebo or NSAIDs in relieving symptoms like pain and stiffness. Not only were there far fewer reported side effects with the glucosamine, but glucosamine taken in combination with NSAIDs appeared to lessen some side effects of the NSAIDs. The incidence of side effects were:
Glucosamine alone: 14.8%
Placebo: 23.7% (notice that the placebo caused almost twice as many side effects as glucosamine)
NSAID alone: 40.9 %
Glucosamine plus NSAID: 35 %
The study also found that while the effects of NSAIDs wear off as soon as you stop taking them, the improvement in the glucosamine group lasted even after patients stopped taking it.
· In a Japanese study of 178 people with arthritis in the knees, glucosamine was as good as ibuprofen in relieving pain, but with significantly fewer side effects. Ten percent of the subjects taking ibuprofen dropped out of the study because of side effects; none of the glucosamine group dropped out.
Despite the obvious advantages of this more natural and permanent solution, the mainstream has been slow to respond to this incredible breakthrough. Finally this year, at a meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the “experts” cautiously admitted that glucosamine deserved consideration as a first-line treatment for arthritis. Meanwhile, I have collected hundreds of case histories in which people have successfully reversed decades of joint damage and escaped the hold of arthritis pain for good.
CASE HISTORY
A patient of mine first came to me when she was in her sixties, absolutely hobbled by arthritis. She walked into my office leaning heavily on a cane, visibly wincing as she slowly sat down. The arthritis in her shoulders, knees, and feet was advanced and I feared that the joint destruction was so great that, even if we could reduce the inflammation and pain, she’d still be left with permanently deformed joints. To my astonishment, after six months of therapy, including certain diet changes, regular acupuncture treatments, and cartilage-building nutritional supplements, she experienced an incredible turnaround. At this point, she needs only occasional maintenance acupuncture treatments.”
