Healthy Living

There are two main types of arthritis: inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis. Inflammatory arthritis can be treated naturally without drugs. Inflammatory arthritis' (such as Rheumatoid Arthritis) symptoms are exactly what they sound like: inflammation, redness and swelling in the joints. Sometimes there will even be a temperature change in the area affected. Also, in the hand, you may notice that some fingers may look like they are turning away from the thumb (ulnar deviation).

This type of arthritis is primarily an auto-immune response. This means the body believes it is under attack by an invader, such as an infection of some kind. However, this is not the case and the body ends up "attacking" the toxins built up in the joint capsules. Alternative treatment for this type of arthritis is fairly simple. Since the problem is caused by toxins in the joints, then the solution is to remove these toxins.

Detoxifying to Treat Arthritis

There are actually several ways to detoxify the body. One of these is fasting. Using juice fasts, fruit fasts or other types of fasts can be very effective. However, it takes a very disciplined individual to actually finish one of these programs. There are several good books to help you if you plan on fasting, one of my personal favorites is "Dr. Jensen's Guide to Better Bowel Care", by Bernard Jensen.

Another way to detox is cleansing the colon with a colonic irrigation or similar procedure. This procedure should be done by a professional, since there are some minimum hygiene standards to follow. In this procedure, a tube is inserted into the rectum and filtered water is constantly irrigated into the colon-and fecal matter and other wastes flowing out at the same time. People often report they see waste products from foods they have not eaten in years.

A third way to cleanse is by supplementing your diet with large quantities of fiber and herbal supplements. This method is probably best for most Americans. Not because it is more effective than the other two, but because of it's ease of execution.

One good way to see if this type of treatment will help is to buy an herbal supplement and take it three times per day for two days. If you do notice an improvement in your symptoms, then you should tolerate detoxifying well. Continue using the herbal supplement according to directions, or purchase a complete fiber-rich cleansing program of some kind.

If you are performing a cleanse, you should modify your diet in several ways: increase the consumption of leafy green vegetables, decrease the consumption of dairy, red meat and other mucus-producing foods. Probably the most important change is to increase your intake of clean filtered water to at least a gallon per day.

Side Effects of Detox Process

One note of caution, though. When doing any detoxifying cleanse, you may experience a healing crisis. On the third or fourth day of a cleanse regimen, you may experience symptoms such as sore throat, headache, lightheadedness, bad breath or pimples. Don't panic, this is a normal response. It indicates that the cleanse is working and the toxins are beginning to leave your body. Depending on your toxicity level, you may experience some relief by simply having a bowel movement.

If the healing crisis becomes too uncomfortable, then discontinue the program and consult a health care professional. The goal is to find the best and most comfortable treatment to remove toxins that aggravate inflammatory arthritis and see it until the end. You will find that these treatments are more successful in helping arthritis than the traditional medical solution of pain killers and drugs.

© 2000 Daniel DeReuter, D.C.

About the Author : Dr. Dan DeReuter is a chiropractor practicing in Georgia. He operates http://www.healthfultips.com, http://www.deepdownwellness.com, and http://www.deepdownnutrition.com