Millions of people with arthritis unnecessarily suffer from pain

By Paul Scicluna

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 46 million adults suffer from arthritis, and almost 19 million adults have to curtail their activities due to arthritis. The CDC projects that by the year 2030, 67 million adults will have arthritis and 25 million will limit their activities because of the condition.

Arthritis from the Greek literally means inflammation of a joint.

Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis found in Western civilizations. It amazes me that this same disease is comparatively rare in Asian and African countries, where people endure a lot of physically labour to survive (Br J Rheumatol 24:321, 1985).  So how can this be?  Osteoarthritis is said to be due to wear and tear on the joints, so why is it less common amongst the hard working people of underdeveloped countries who endure far more hours of labour intensive movement throughout each day?  It also doesn’t make sense as to why the hands of women who generally don’t endure hard physical labour can also become twisted and deformed with age.

The more aggressive form of the two is rheumatoid arthritis. Some researchers believe that rheumatoid arthritis did not exist anywhere in the world before 1800 (Arthritis Rheum 34:248, 1991). Stating that it all comes down to diet.

In contrast to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to attack and inflame the joints. Whereas osteoarthritis can be limited to a single, injured joint, or to a pair of joints (such as the knees or hips) in instances where the cartilage is worn out, rheumatoid arthritis usually affects multiple joints and can generally affect people at a much younger age.

Arthritis Pain and Symptoms

For people with osteoarthritis, arthritis pain typically increases over the course of the day, as the affected joints are used or overused. On the other hand, people with rheumatoid arthritis typically experience the most arthritis pain in the morning (or after waking), with the pain lessening throughout the day.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, rheumatoid arthritis can be characterised by three stages, and over time progresses from one to the other: swelling, growth of cells, and the production of enzymes that can digest cartilage and bone.

Arthritis pain typically worsens over time for both those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and those with osteoarthritis. According to the CDC, 40 percent of adults with arthritis report that at least one out of nine daily functional activities is difficult or impossible to do. These activities include bending, standing, walking, carrying, and grasping. Studies have repeatedly proven that those with arthritis have a poorer quality of life and suffer both a physical and emotional toll from the condition.

Arthritis treatment can range from using topical creams to over-the-counter analgesics to prescription drugs to joint replacement surgery.

Arthritis treatment with diet became popular in the 1920s.  Studies over the last 20 years have shown a healthy diet, which is quite different from the typical western diets, can be a very effective treatment of inflammatory arthritis. 

If I had either of these arthritis conditions I know I’d be going natural. Not many people believe me when I mention diet and/or fasting regarding arthritis but I’ve seen how well it works so many times. The only problem is that most people generally don’t want to change their diets let alone fast, and as they stubbornly continue eating themselves into an early grave these painful conditions sap their lives each day.

If it were me, I’d stop eating the flesh of dead animals. I’d also give dairy a wide berth for some time. I’d be eating a diet rich in fresh raw and cooked vegetables. I’d also be eating fresh fruit, grains, nuts and seeds. I’d pick up my water intake so that I am well hydrated, as most people are consistently dehydrated.

If I wanted quicker results then I’d fast! I’d fast for at least 7 to 14 days on either water or juice. A water fast always produces the quickest results however a juice fast will also produce good results.

Maybe fasting might sound a little extreme to you. It’s only because no one is taught about the powers of fasting anymore. Once upon a time it was known as the doorway to great health.

I’d rather do that then poison my body with toxic chemicals. These natural treatments, which have been proven throughout the ages, will help in reducing joint pain.

We just don’t seem to get it. Humans are eating them selves into an early grave, one mouthful at a time. It doesn’t have to be this way.

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