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Arthritis Remedies

Updated: 02/03/2010

Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints (from Greek arthro-, joint -itis, inflammation; plural: arthritides). There are currently over 100 forms of arthritis, ranging from conditions related to wear and tear of cartilage (osteoarthritis) to conditions associated with inflammation resulting from an overactive immune system (rheumatoid arthritis or' "RA").

Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited function of joints. Inflammation of the joints from arthritis is characterized by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, and warmth. Tenderness of the inflamed joint can be present.

SOURCE: http://www.medicinenet.com/arthritis/article.htm#Whatisarthritis

DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.

POPULAR REMEDIES:

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR	34 YEAS
TURMERIC	6 YEAS
BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES	5 YEAS

TED'S REMEDIES
11/20/2006: Ted from Bangkok, Thailand writes: "The cat's purr recording has helped my mother's arthritic leg pain too, in case you are wondering. She told me it works better than the drugs. Just today, I played the cat's purr for her again and she was able to walk relatively pain free."

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

34 YEA
2 NAY
1 BETTER BUT NOT CURED
1 SIDE EFFECT
2 QUESTIONS

[YEA]  02/03/2010: Larry C from Bartlett, Il, Usa writes: "Been into holistic health for a few years now and stumbled upon Earth Clinic a few months ago when my 11 YO daughter had a bout with strep and mono. After a bad reaction to her antibiotic with a terrible rash and prescribed an even more terrible antibiotic, I pulled the plug on conventional medical "wisdom" and treated her with organic coconut oil for the mono and ACV for the rash as well as ACV and cayenne for the strep. Her sore throat was gone almost instantly with the gargle although the rash itself took longer she did get some relief. The mono disappeared in two days and she was back to being herself... Amazing!

I broke my left elbow about 22 years ago in a motorcycle accident and the Dr. then told me it would give me trouble later in life. He was completely correct as over the past 1-1/2 years it has gone from a noticeable throb to outright excruciating PAIN! Some mornings I couldn't even extend it fully and certainly not do anything physically stressful. After reading about ACV and arthritis I began using it as directed with about two tablespoons in water, sipping it throughout the day. Within 10 minutes of the first sips the pain subsided. I'm now into the fourth day and I'm a new man. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

BTW Gave it to my 19YO daughter for a headache and it was gone in minutes..."

02/02/2010: Peter from Manila, Philippines writes: "I am presently reading the book "Arthritis And Folk Medicine " written by D.C. Jarvis. M.D.. It refers to his researches into the effect of acv on health. It was written in the period pre WW2 and relates to the folk medicine practices in Vermont. Acv drinks as a health tonic were very popular, known as switchel amongst the older Vermonters and was used to keep arthritis at bay. His observation laboratory was the farm and in particular dairy herds.

To explain how it works in arthritis, he uses the analogy of the tea kettle with the calcium build up, which when boiled with acv solution, the calcium deposit is dissolved. So it is this ability to precipitate "dead" calcium which is his explanation as to how it works with arthritis.

What caught my attention was the case of the acv fed calf which was dehorned at ten months of age and was found to have full calcium horns whereas others unfed with acv were hollow. That seems to show that it helps the fuller utilisation of calcium. Another example is the calves supplemented with acv being bigger boned and bodied than the unsupplemented ones.

Another example was that the butcher paid a higher price for dairy cows that were "vinigered" because the meat was more tender than that of others. This is interesting because it shows a good circulation throughout the animal not only indicating no arthritis but also no rheumatism - the hardening of the muscle tissues. He also says that the vinegar diet did away with mastitis and increased milk yields, the increase in milk yields being proof of better calcium metabolism by the animal. ACV also stopped spontaneous abortion and helped in calving.

So how does acv work in eliminating arthritis? Dr Jarvis's answer would be that it assists calcium metabolism and rids the body of badly utilised calcium which causes calcium buildups which is the cause of arthritic pain, and when the excess calcium goes, so does the pain.

Acv also helps the digestive process, as not only did the cows produce more milk, they also ate less feed were free of mastitis and healthier."

[NAY]  12/29/2009: Steve from Mesa, Az writes: "Reading all the testimonies of ACV I was hopeful, however, after 3 weeks I find that my lower back pain (diagnosed as spinal arthritis) has not changed. Have been faithful taking 1 tbls with honey and water 3 times a day. Since no one is making money pushing organic ACV, I thought it was worth a try but I am about to give up. Steve"

12/29/2009: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Steve,

When you say you have been diagnosed with 'arthritis of the lower back' how was that diagnosis made (imaging, like XRay or others OR some other means)?

Do you have arthritis elsewhere (from my experience and reading it is unusual for someone to have arthritis solely in the spine).

Why I am asking is that there are so many 'diseases' classified as arthritis but they aren't all the same so presumably they will not all respond to the same medication or rememdy e.g if you have a sports injury in the back that is a long way different to having, say, gouty arthritis.

So, IMO, the first stop on the way to a cure (or remediation) is an accurate evidence based diagnosis.

Frankly I am sceptical about the 'overnight' arthritic cures claimed for ACV because:

- people who claim to be cured seldom say what type of arthritis they had and how it was diagnosed
- I can't find any explanation as to how ACV could cure arthritis, other than anecdotal evidence that it works i.e. what is the cause of the arthritis and how does ACV mitigate that cause?
- ACV is claimed to be something of a miracle remedy (it is claimed it can cure so many things that at least some of them must be bogus claims).
- I have a lay knowledge of many types of arthritis and have considered many of the possible causes for each and I can't think of one example where the cure could be so immediate (unless of course the joint pain is so minor and limited that it can be 'cured' quite readily)e.g. there are some plausible arguments, put forward by some plausible people, that most arthritis is caused by bacterial acitivity in the joints. Assuming that to be correct then antibiotics OR alternative methods (boron and magnesium recommended, at this site, by Bangkok Ted) may kill of the bacterial infection but the patient would still be left with damaged cartilage and/or ligaments and/or bone that would take time for the body to repair (if the damage is not so severe that the body can't recover from it)."

12/30/2009: Lita209 from Sanford, Fl, USA replies: "To the_phoenix from Australia: the only factor that I can think of on Arthritis and ACV would be that ACV is anti-inflammatory and that is why it helps."

12/31/2009: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Hi Lita209,

Thanks for your response.

There are so many health claims made for ACV that the mind boggles. I am just focusing on the area that interests me the most and trying to get to the bottom of that i.e. arthritic cures.

First of all, if ACV is an anti-inflammatory then it should contain an identifiable ingredient that works to reduce the causes, or limit the effects, of inflammation (obviously) and that the mechanism whereby that happens can be explained.

Alternatively, it is possible that ACV has some magical properties that can't be explained by known scientific principles OR that we don't fully understand inflammation OR that all of the ingredients in ACV have not been identified OR that the healing properties of the known ingredients are not fully understood.

From Wikipedia inflammation is defined as:

"the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli and is achieved by the increased movement of plasma and leukocytes from the blood into the injured tissues. A cascade of biochemical events propagates and matures the inflammatory response, involving the local vascular system, the immune system, and various cells within the injured tissue. Prolonged inflammation, known as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells which are present at the site of inflammation and is characterized by simultaneous destruction and healing of the tissue from the inflammatory process."

I think that this is pretty clear and I can go onto reference the role of Leukocytes and the mechansisms that regulate them etc if I need to gain a better or more detailed understanding(orthodox medicine has done a pretty good job of informing us on these matters).

I have searched around the net to try to find a certified laboratory analysis detailing the constituents of unfiltered unpasteurized organic ACV and couldn't find one (you would think that the manufacturers/distributors, of ACV, would be shouting this info from the rooftops, if it is so valueable and/or important).

The only thing I could find was this datasheet at the USDA website http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl however it doesn't say what type of ACV was analyzed (organic or distilled etc).

I did find a little info at the Bragg homesite
http://bragg.com/products/acv.html
but it doesn't go into any detail (either there is no additional info worth reporting OR they don't think anyone is interested OR they haven't done the analysis).

So there is no obvious candidate as the ingredient that will intervene in an inflammatory crisis.

Note that I was also pretty surprized to find that the only mineral present in any meaningful quantity, in ACV, is Potassium but it is nowhere near as significant as I was lead to believe by reading posts on this site (1 TBSPN == < 2% of the daily recommended amount ... I think we could get more K from eating potatoes).

Some people claim that the 'magic' is in the mother (and that is a possibility that I have to keep an open mind to) however it is only yeast, or a product of yeast, and it is only present in very small amounts ...around 93% of ACV is water and the balance almost entirely Acetic Acid (perhaps, if the mother has such good healing properties someone should focus on a method to make and distribute it in larger quantities or perhaps a recipe to make it at home).

There are other claims that ACV contains healing enzymes and vitamins but some scientists claim that the enzymes would not survive the high acidity of the solution let alone the high acidity in the stomach once ingested (I am not sure about that part and will have to research it further).

If there are any other vitamins and minerals present in ACV then the analyses I have seen don't report them.

I have completed a first reading of all of the posts about arthritis, on this site, especially Bangkok Ted's posts (I like his work and found his ideas very stimulating).

Ted has put forward two possible ways that ACV could help arthritics (others may have also suggested something but I can't recall them off hand):

1) - the ACV contains malic acid which becomes a malate and this contributes energy via the Krebs Cycle.

My comment:

Malic acid is in the original apple anyway and, on top of that, is there any evidence that deficiencies of the malates impact on our health i.e. do we lose them day by day, or are they regulated and conserved via the bodies normal homeostatic mechanisms? (to the best of my knowledge the body is not in a habit of throwing away crucial chemicals although in some cases it does not produce or conserve them well).

If we are 'malate deficient' can our bodies make them from the other nutrients supplied or stored?

If we do need to supplement malic acid, for any reason, is ACV the most efficient and effective way to do that?

Anyway, while arthritis is a systemic diseasem characterized by energy deficiencies, I don't think this property of ACV is likely to be the silver bullet in the mix.

2)- that acetic acid is a precursor to acetates e.g. Sodium Acetate if we mix Baking Soda with the ACV, and this acts as a chelator of Calcium (removing excess Calcium from the body).

The later sounds like a reasonable theory and I will need to follow up with some reading however there are a few obvious challenges facing that hypothesis:

a) only a small % of the population present with Calcinosis or ChondroCalcinosis i.e calcium deposits in the body or the cartilage) up until the senior years when the percentage raises rapidly.

(it is quite possible that calcinosis is a greater factor in arthritis than orthodox medicine allows for, due to mis-diagnosis etc, so I have to keep an open mind on this one).

Note that unlike Gout crystals, Calcium deposits can be seen, using imaging techniques, so it should be easy enough for anyone who suspects they have it to find out, try the ACV cure and then have another look to see if it has disappeared (you would think the marketeers of ACV would be prepared to invest some money to perform those tests on a group of suitable volunteers in the same way that the Pharmaceuticals use testing as a marketing tool for their products).

b) ACV is reported to also dissolve Gout crystals (monosodium urate?) and this has different chemical properties than the typical Calcium deposition found in inflammed joints (even then the deposited calcium crystals can take more than one form e.g Calcium DiHydrate Pyrophosphate OR Hapatite OR possibly others) so taking these facts into consideration the acetate chelators must be pretty versatile and also able to do their job under a wide range of conditions (all of the different people who have arthritis).

c) the full spectrum of 'arthritic' conditions is pretty wide ... if ACV can make an impact right across that spectrum it is a pretty amazing remedy indeed.

There is a third, general, possibility and that is that our internal acid-alkaline balance (this is a very popular mainstay of complementary medicine) however in this case there are proponents on both sides of the fence (some say the body needs to be acid and ACV cures by making us acid while others say the exact opposite).

IMO the acid-alkali argument is a very important one that we need to fully understand (if it is true it impacts on everyones health and the majority of healing modalities used by complementary medicine.
If it is not true we are being conned into eating tonnes of wheatgrass by the food nazis!)

I have done some reading and to date I don't fully understand the subject but I can tell you that I have found out enough to state emphatically that the arguments being put forward by some of the main proponents of the 'alkalize or get sick' camp don't match up to known principles of acid-base physiology.

All in all .... as far as ACV being a cure for arthritis?

So far, it ain't all apples!"

12/31/2009: Blanche from New Iberia, La replies: "I read your post with interest. I don't have a background in science, so I'll take your word for what you have stated.
You're are right in saying that there doesn't seem to be anything obvious as to why people obtain results from ACV. It would be very useful to discover the "magic" ingredient.

But this website is a great forum for discussion.The moderator allows everyone his or her input and that is good. I would think everyone would want the truth - whatever it is, so that we could separate the wheat from the chaff."

12/31/2009: Coach from Sfv, Ca replies: "I appreciate your need to know why and how. Let it go! Dissecting miracles destroys the important element of hope in healing.

P.S. EarthClinc is a gift to all us. Thank You."

01/14/2010: Steve from Mesa, Az replies: "Thanks for all the insight. Indeed it was xrays that revealed the spinal arthritis. One other side effect of the ACV was the onset of canker sores in my mouth. This confused me, because I read that ACV turns alkaline in the body. I have been known to get a canker by eating too much Salsa and nuts. (acidic)

Steve"

01/14/2010: Ljoyce from Sugar Land, Tx, America replies: "I can understand how certain things like ACV might work if you have a body chemistry issue, thus creating a rheumatoid arthritic issue. But if the arthritis is caused from sports related activity, will the ACV help there as well? Im gonna find out. Just started today. Anyone have an experience with sports related arthritis, ie. knee issues? (chondromalacia)"

01/14/2010: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Hi Ljoyce,

I don't have any personal experience with arthrosis (joint pain that develops as a result of sports, or work, related mechanical injuries) but I do have a general interest in all joint 'inflammatory' issues and their treatment (orthodox or complementary).

IMO we should be cautious about classifying joint diseases because this tends to limit our thinking as to the remedy. I understand that it is necessary to do this, at the academic level, but as people who are managing our own health we are best off to objectively list the symptoms and then look for explanations and possible cures. In some cases, in orthodox medicine, the classifications obfuscate the issue, or just act as a convenient box to pidgeonhole the disease when the health practitioner really doesn't know what it is, or what is causing it e.g. IMO Fibromyalgia is just a wastebasket for muscle pain diseases with no obvious classification, cause or treatment.

This issue is particularly relevant to 'arthritis' because, IMO, a percentage of diseases that are classified as 'arthritic' share similar etiologies i.e. they are systemic diseases that are symptomatic of, as you said, "body chemistry issues".

Using 'athritis', that develops from mechanical injury to joints/bones, as the example (note that this is a form of arthritis that develops after surgery, or where a bone has been broken, or where a joint has been subject to mechanical injury).

The theory, in holistic healing philosophy, is that 'arthritis', in these situations, is a result of 'body chemistry issues' that come into play when damaged bone is exposed to internal fluids e.g. some practitioners say that acidosis and/or Calcium deficiencies causes the body to leach Calcium from the exposed site and hence the bone starts to erode. However, there are differing opinions on inflammatory arthritis and others say that it is a joint bacterial infection and that the bacteria tend to set up at a site where bone damage has occurred.

From that point on it doesn't get any easier because there are a raft of conflicting opinions and the spectrum of knowledge, on arthritis, is very wide (anyone searching for an arthritic cure has to take their pick from several reasonable theories).

So, on the basis that you have an 'arthritic' issue and the root cause of that is a metabolic (systemic) issue then ACV is one of the possible ways to treat that (I can't give any guidance on that point myself but if you read everything at the EC/arthritis/AVC pages, especially Ted's Q&A you will get a good leg up on the subect).

However, in the case of Chondromalacia:

- mechanical wear of the knee cartilage is mechanical wear of the knee cartilage(nothing can change that)
- high performance sports people are now having their cartilage grown in a lab, inserted into the joint (a knee op) and then return to pro sport after about 3-6 mths
- in holistic medicine the general philosophy is that the body will heal itself, if the conditions are right, so, if the damage isn't too bad you have a chance with complementary modalities (if you take this route it is hard work and the cure is slow)
- if you do have less than ideal conditions, in the body, then that could be the root cause of the wear and tear e.g. if you have asymptomatic Gout, or crystal depositions of some other kind, then they can act as an abrasive and wear away the cartilage (this is just one example)
- if you decide to take the operation road then complementary methods can give you a better chance both during the op and in the rehab phase i.e. if you understand how to optimize your body for health then you will know the best way to heal the joint after the op

Re a complementary cure:

- keep off the knee (don't damage it any further until you have reason to belief it is healing)
- if you love your sport change to something that doesn't rotate around the knees so much (swimming and kayaking are good)
- there are a raft of supplements that are claimed to assist 'joints' ...... take your pick e.g. Glucosamine is recommended by Dr's, in many cases, but the science is not emphatic
- Glucosamine is typical of the supplements that are based on the 'feed the biochemical process' theory i.e. Glucosamine is a precursor to cartilage growth so supplementing it will help with cartilage repair
(unfortunately the science on Glucosamine is contradictory, especially when we consider the fact that the latest independent double blind study, performed in the USA, didn't come up with a big YEA)
- fish oils are typical of the supplements that are claimed to reduce inflammation without the side affects of the NSAID's (once again take your pick)
- some promising 'feed the precursor' chemicals are out there somewhere, but not well known e.g. hyaluronic acid (Ted has posted on his success with this when rebuilding damaged cartilage in spines) and Calcium Orotates (there is a good study, online somewhere, about its use to regenerate damaged cartilage, especially in the elderly).


Note that there is some controversy surrounding CalcOrotate because the idea came out of the Nieper stable AFAIK but I think he is not around anymore and his research, untainted by commercial interests, seems to be getting hard to come by.

If you are going to make your health a priority in your life then, as a rule of thumb, we need to become our own doctor. There are some caveats that apply:

- we have to be honest about our aptitude for healing
- it takes the same amount of time, as it takes to train a Dr, for us to become competent i.e. 1000's of hours
- we need mentors (virtual or otherwise)
- we need practical experience (if we can get it)
- where we can not achieve competence we need to outsource our health to professionals (in any case it is wise to get other opinions)
- accessing diagnostic testing is very difficult for self-managing practitioners (the system is not set up for our benefit and we have to consult with others to obtain our lab tests)

(IMO, in the long run there is a huge need for reform in this area and also we need to focus on learning and developing methods/technology to perform as many tests at home as we can).

Most importantly, if we are going to self-manage, we need to use the best of both worlds; orthodox and complementary (examine all modalities, test the underlying rationality and use anything that works).

My teacher taught me:

"It is not that we live in this world less but in both worlds more!"

In laypersons terms:

DON'T LET ANYONE (INCLUDING YOURSELF) DO ANYTHING TO YOUR BODY, OR PUT ANYTHING IN YOUR BODY, UNTIL YOU HAVE LEARNT EVERYTHING, THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF LEARNING, ABOUT THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS.

Good luck with your healing.

Please ask the forum any specific questions you have, on arthritis, and feedback your experiences and research etc to the forum (we really do need to help each other ... pooling our knowledge compensates for our individual ignorance i.e. collective wisdom is a buffer against individual limitations)."

01/14/2010: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Hi Steve,

I try to avoid emphatic opinions for as long as I can because closing the door on something prematurely just cuts off the possibilities for learning.

However, regarding the argument that ACV 'alkalizes' the body I am about as close as I can get to saying NOT POSSIBLE without writing the thesis; it is an acid for heavens sake.

IMO the health community, in general, and even some of our 'health gurus' have a lot to learn about acid-base body/blood physiology.

One thing we should be on our guard against is the argument that the alkaline effect of a food, when eaten, should be measured by the PH of its ash after it is oxidised in a laboratory (this is the method used to construct tables of the acid-alkali forming properties of food?).
So, where in the body do we oxidise any chemical to completion independently of its environment AND in the absence of water (or another solvent)?

In short .... the acid-alkali food tables might be wrong in some cases.

Also, please consider that our body is a universe. ACV is definitely an acid when we put it in our mouth and when it runs down our oesphagous (throat) and into the stomach.

Just google for ["apple cider vinegar" burns] or if you want to be specific [apple cider vinegar burns throat journal medline] .... there is a scientific paper at Medline that reports on an example of severe throat burns, caused by drinking neat ACV plus the finding that ACV pills were found to be a somewhat dubious source (some scientists bought and tested a lot of different ACV pills). "

01/15/2010: Shaun from Old York, England replies: "I have this issue (chondromalacia). It bugged me all my life (right knee), until I discovered what it was late in life (I'm now 58). I resolved the issue with a pinch of borax in my daily porridge, and daily stretching of the quads to get the correct tracking over the knee joint. I assume the borax has also helped as the joint pain in my old broken/dislocated fingers (from playing rugby) has totally cleared up (borax aids in flushing synovial fluid in joints). All in all I believe borax is wonderful, wondwerful stuff! I regularly undertake Ted's (PBUH) CarBiCarb regime, as well as the Apple Cider Vinegar, and so that too may have helped. Also, flushing my sinus's with the CarBiCarb mix (including a 1/2 tsp of sea salt), has also TOTALLY cleared up my asthma (which I also never really knew I had until very late in life!). I try to get everyone to try the borax (for many issues), but some folk are just so lame at giving it a try."

01/16/2010: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Hi Shaun,

Thanks... much appreciated (ditto for Ted's efforts).

Could you please confirm if you took the ACV neat or did you use Ted's ACV SodiumBiCarb recipe?"

01/16/2010: Ljoyce from Sugar Land, Tx replies: "Borax? Isn't that soap at best and bleach at worst?????"

EC: More about borax: http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/borax.html

01/17/2010: Shaun from York, England replies: "Hi All, Yes I use Ted's remedies nearly daily. Basically I use the CarBiCarb with ACV as well as a heaped tblsp of cornflour (and half a lemon/lime) as an energy drink at the gym, or for playing golf or rugby - or whatever. I sometimes use ACV straight as a tummy 'settler' also when I've pigged too much. Further, I just can't say enough good things about borax. It's best just to forget ANY past negative ideas about borax (chemically its nothing but a freshwater salt), but its the business!!! Do some research. If nothing else just here on EC. Life without borax was sometimes something of a struggle. Now I can do 36 holes of golf straight and dance the night away (Ceroc/Jiving) - and get up and do the same thing the next day."

01/17/2010: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Thanks Shaun,

Good for you, mate. It is great when you get your health back isn't it ... a born again experience.

I have only been visiting this site for a few weeks so I haven't caught up with all of Ted's post, as yet, but I will do.

Yes, I did a little research on Borax after your last post. When it comes to supplementing elements the first point of interest is the different compounds available and trying to find out whether they all have the same effect on the body (in this case I assume that we are benefitting from the Boron but we can never be certain that the compounding isn't important). I have taken a Boron Amino Acid Chelate, in a proprietry arthritic supplement, in the past... 1 mg * 3 serves per day. Also, the vitamin mineral supplement I take contains 17 mg of Borax (2 mg of Boron) .... which is not enough per Ted's recommendations but it does show that it is a mainstream supplement in the health industry.

Boron is one of the more difficult essential elements to learn about because it is not that well studied, as far as nutritional needs go i.e. the scientists aren't sure about the daily requirements, or the amounts that are available via food sources, and don't seem that interested in finding out (I am biased to getting the essentials from food sources, rather than pills, if possible).

Interesting to note that it is sometimes sprayed on fruit and vege as a fungicide so I guess people are getting a bit that way since many don't wash their fruit. Another interesting fact is that it is essential for plant health but it operates in quite a tight band (too little and the plants are defective and too much and the plant dies) .... one would assume from this that some farmers must be aware of its value, and add it to the soil, so possibly it is in our fruit and veges (I know in Australia that there is a very successful company that supplies bifortified compost, and technology, to food producers and there a 100's of farmers who use their services, because it pays off for them to do that .....the biofortified fruit and veges end up in the supermarket, not marked as organic etc ... so the point is we shouldn't assume the f & v in the local supermarket lacks nutrients ... chasing profit margins drives the farmers to improving their soil).

The results you obtained with Borax (Boron?) sit nicely with my developing philosophy that the foundation of good health is built on nutritional sufficiency. I am especially interested in the essentials: minerals (elements), vitamins, fatty acids and of course, water, oxygen and glucose.

I am conscious of the fact that there is a lack of adequate research and knowledge in many areas that are essential to health ... we are pioneering a new paradigm. In many cases the final resolution is to carefully test our theories on our own bodies (acquire all available knowledge first then start supplementation slowly and observe the bodies response carefully).

Yes, I am researching thoroughly and carefully. In fact I have it in mind to write some free, or very cheap, ebooks and I am also developing some original material to include in them. The reasoning behind the ebooks is that, in general, the principles of good health are as simple as ABC but what is out there is often complex and spread all around the place (not to mention all of the spin and bulldust that just leads to confusion). My observation is that a lot of people are struggling for resources (time, money and aptitude) so an ebook that can explain 80-90% of everything the average person needs to know about some of the more important core health issues would be a boon to the health community. I have started work on the first book (water and all of its properties .... water treatment, chemical and health properties, magical qualities etc).

BTW I think we would be better off if the health community used BIOFORTIFIED for branding ..... ORGANIC, as a brand, has been around for yonks and it is just not penetrating the mass consciousness (ORGANIC fruit and veges just sit on the shelves in the supermarkets, unsold .... ORGANIC doesn't equate to VALUE in the mind of the masses).

Good health,

the_phoenix"

01/17/2010: The_phoenix from Townsville, Australia replies: "Hi Ljoyce,

Sugarland sounds like a nice place to live.

A compound that has nutritional value can also be used for other purposes e.g. it can have different chemical and physical properties.

For example - table salt (Sodium Chloride or NaCL):

- an electrolye .... essential to health ... eaten by every single living person
- it also has the physical property of lowering the melting temperature of ice .... used to clear snow from driveways and roads

With Borax it is probably the Boron in it that we are after. The dose used is important ... many substances can be therapeutic in small amounts and make you sick in large amounts (even water). Also, the form you take it in can effect the outcome and the toxicity e.g. you can buy boron supplements as a Chelated Amino Acid so this is different to any of its other compounds and might have different properties (toxicity, rate of absorbtion etc)."

01/18/2010: Rena from Mineral Bluff, Georgia, Usa replies: "Hi The_Phoenix from Townsville, Australia, I love reading your post, and am excited about your e-books, do let us know.

One thing I am requesting of you if you would kindly look into reviewing fulvic acid. I am very excited about this, have been using it for a month and a half only but am impressed so far. I have searched for as much info as I can on this, but info seems limited. What can you add to this if anything.

BTW, I got the biggest chuckle out of BIOFORTIFIED. What a brilliant idea, Peace, Rena."

EC: For anyone's whose interested, here's our Fulvic Acid page: http://www.earthclinic.com/Supplements/fulvic_acid.html

01/24/2010: Samantha from Cleveland, Ohio replies: "In response to the_phoenix. I think you have missed a major aspect of Apple Cider Vinegar. It is a natural probiotic, at least the "MOTHER" of the vinegar is. And in my oppinion our society greatly underestimates the importance of digestive health and the impact it has on breaking down our food into usable vitamins and minerals. If your body cannot break down food properly, then your body will not recieve the full benifits of that food, including the vitamins and mierals that combat disese and disorders. So it comes to no supprise to me that apple cider vinigar is thought to cure numerable ailments.

I have come to the conclusion that ACV aids in digestive health and promotes healthy digestive flora, and that is why it works. After all, probiotics are marketed to cure migrains, sinusitis, candidia, and the list realy goes on. To me, the effects of ACV is definatley not outside of the relm of reason.

As for what kind of ACV users should be taking it is.. UNREFINED NATURAL APPLE CIDER VINIGAR CONTAINING THE "MOTHER", the "mother" being the clowdy brown stuff in the bottom of the container. If it does not contain "mother" it will not work. The mother is much like the "live and active cultures" in yoghert (another natural probiotic)."

[YEA]  10/06/2009: Blanche from New Iberia, La writes: "ACV for arthritis and nail fungus, and heartburn

I have been using organic apple cider vinegar daily for about 8 months now, internally and for nail fungus. It has been a godsend for my arthritis. I no long take pain killers for the pain and swelling in my hands and knees. Ted's recipe for toenail fungus has worked also, though it took a several months, my toenail is now just about normal.

For heartburn/GERD I had no choice but to go back to taking Prilosec every other day. The ACV did nothing for it at all."

EC: Cross-posting your feedback to the Acid Reflux/Gerd page with a NAY rating - thank you!

12/27/2009: Alida from Sacramento, California replies: "Please tell me the exact measurements that you used for arthritis recipe. I trust ACV since it has been beneficial for me but now I also have arthritis on my knees and I think I am not taking the right dosage. Thank you."

12/28/2009: Blanche from New Iberia, Louisiana replies: "I take 1 tablespoon in a glass of water with 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of baking soda, either first thing in the morning, or after my tea and before eating. If I am in a hurry I just use the vinegar and water."

[SIDE EFFECTS]  09/02/2009: Shipra from Wichita, Ks, Usa writes: "I am 43 years old and I have been suffering from rare kind of arthritis called Ankylosing spondyalitis last 20 years( having pain in my hip, back, legs and all the joints, its hurts all over the body specially in the morning). When I was young I could bear the pain or it was not that severe.Now I am having unbearable pain and getting prescribed medication for it (sulfasalazine 15 mg per day).Beside this I take Alive and Ibuprofen whenever I needed.Even after all this when it is active I can not manage the pain. Dr. told me to take the shot like Humira, or Enbrel etc. but I did not take it because of the side effect of this products and I have bad liver condition.Now I am gaining weight which I don't like, so when I heard that acv is helping for weight loss I have tried it.I took 2tsp acv with 8oz water 2 times a day 7 days a week. And its work for me,I saw the change in my abdominal area, it went down a little and feel energetic, can work out good and its help my bloating condition too. But after taking for someday I couldn't take it any more because of its smell, so what I did was taking 2tsp acv with 8oz orange juice twice a day beside my prescribed pain medication too. May be I took the acv for 2-3 weeks but I think my measurement wasn't right, sometimes I have noticed that when I was pouring the acv, accidentally I pour more, but I didn't thought it could be a matter.It was going well, then all of a sudden one day I feel horrible pain in my back, legs, hips and allover my body. So I was very scare and thinking what went wrong. After I taking my prescribed medication I never had that kind of severe pain for a long time.Some thing I did which was giving me this pain. So I tried to find out, but couldn't find any thing beside this acv which I was taking at that time. So I stop taking it any more. Because I read some where that using acv for a long time it could effect your bone. I don't know that is true or not. But I really want to take the acv again, and little bit scare after my experience. So is anybody out there who can help me? Any help will be appreciated."

11/18/2009: Reflexologist from Tobyhanna, Pa replies: "I noticed that my arthritis will subside, and go into a long remission with all my natural remedies. However, it sometimes reappears with a vengence, and I basically have to start from scratch.

This time, it seems to have started up again, after I broke my leg in 4 places. I think this must have triggered an auto-immune response.

I am taking the following:
B-Complex
MSM - with Glucosamine
Glucosamine with Chondroitin
Evening Primrose Oil
Alfalfa

Unfortunately, I am still taking Ibuprofin. However, I hope to have this back under control soon, without any drugs at all, and only with my natural remedies.

Good luck."

12/31/2009: Sparrowhawk from Milwaukee, Wis replies: "Tried the Apple Cider Vinegar for a day and it didn't work........

I think I will try it w/ water and honey instead of straight!

But for those stuck taking Nsaids (gave me an ulcer!), I thought I would add .....
FeverFew extract
White Willow Bark Extract
Rhodiola Rosea Extract
Niacinamide (500mg 3-4x daily)
**** Take w/Milk Thistle extract to protect liver
Valerian Root

All took away the need for Nsaids."

[QUESTION]  06/25/2009: Areca from Turrialba, Costa Rica writes: "Why apple cider vinegar for arthritis? Can pineapple vinegar work just as well? Or banana vinegar? I aks this because ACV in many areas is not authentic."

[QUESTION]  05/12/2009: Faith60 from Penticton, B.C., Canada writes: "I have read the testimonials from people suffering from arthritis advocating apple cider vinegar. I went to my local heath food store and purchased some and am on my second glass today. They also had ACV in capsule form. After downing my first glass of ACV in water, I am very interested in knowing if the capsules would be as effective as the liquid. It sure would be more pleasant to ingest. I am so hoping this will help me as I have become quite crippled with arthritis and the medical profession can only offer T3s and surgery. This is a great site and I have bookmarked it."

EC: According to Ted on the ACV Q&A Page:

"I would not try the tablet forms as they are often chemically different. Apple cider vinegar with baking soda or lemon with baking soda is often the best."

06/14/2009: Betty from Easley, South Carolina replies: "Question I have just found your website and it is a blessing. I just went out and bought the Aplle cider vinegar for my 82 year old mom and myself for arthritis. I have acid refex very bad and didgestin problems. the first glass I took I had no problem, the second glass gave me a lot of discomfort, but my hip is feeling better. I want to keep trying this any suggestions. I mix two tablespoon of acv with one tablespoon of honey in8 oz of water. Help."

[YEA]  03/28/2009: Jennifer from Adrian, Mi writes: "I have been drinking raw apple cider vinegar w/ mother for almost 2weeks now. i am so thrilled that i no longer suffer from arthritis in my ankle. When i was 16yrs old i was in a car accident & shattered my right ankle & broke all 3 bones in my left leg. it wasnt until i was in my mid twenties did i start to notice my ankle would become so stiff and painful that i couldnt even walk on it w/out limping.I came across the apple cider vinegar recipe and decided what have a got to lose? I thank god everyday! i sip on this stuff everyday(with a straw because my teeth were turning yellow from it) and i have never felt stiffnees or pain or swelling since. The dose I take is 32 oz.'s of water with 2tsp's of raw apple cider vinegar w/ mother."

03/16/2009: Jim from Madison, Wisconsin writes: "I have spinal stenosis and scoliosis and my back got so bad that I started limping. I had severe pain especially if I bent over. My back literally was killing me with pain. I was taking prescription naprosen (1000 mg/per day). That had little effect on the pain. I had arthritis in both index fingers, both shoulders and my back was full of it. I remembered that I had heard or read somewhere about ACV. I found this web site and read everything I could on ACV. I was so encouraged! I went out that day and bought a qt of organic ACV. The first time I took it I wondered how could I continue taking it. However the taste was not as bad as the pain I was going through. I quit taking the pain medication and just used ACV. I take about 3 ozs. to 4ozs a day in some water. After about 3 or 4 days, I noticed the pain throughout my body starting to subsiding. By the end of 2 weeks the pain was literally gone. I can bend over with no pain, hop around with no pain and play with my cat. No more NSAIDS, only ACV. I have been telling everyone I see about this MIRACLE CURE FOR PAIN. I hope I have encouraged someone sitting on the fence to try this. By the way, there are other benefits to taking ACV. "

05/27/2009: Eli from Humble, Tx replies: "Jim from Madison Wiscousin, I read your comments and I went and brought the ACV for my mother she has Arthritis in her back... and feeling like you were. I pray that it works. If you see this comment please reply to me and let me know if you are still feeling good. The advise the exact dosage you take. How much ACV and do you add any honey to it."

[YEA]  03/04/2009: Amy from North Liberty, Iowa writes: "I have long used shots of ACV for painful arthritis in my thumbs, however today read about someone using it for sinus infections. I seldom get these anymore since I saline cleanse my nose every day but I have one now and just took a shot. We'll see (not enough time has gone by to comment on this yet). Also, unlike some folks I just drink it straight (kind of plug your nose first so you don't cough). Drink some water and voila!"

03/04/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi replies: "Amy, does the apple cidar vinegar help with your thumbs. My husband and I both have really sore thumbs."

12/11/2009: Carole from Mission Viejo, Ca replies: "Hi Amy. Can you tell me what dosage you take for the arthritis & sinus infections? I have really bad arthritis in my left thumb, and my neck. I'm 74 years old and very actively playing golf and walking daily."

[BETTER BUT NOT CURED]  01/30/2009: Victoria from Sacramento, CA writes: "I have been taking ACV for almost a month. I started taking it for arthritis which developed in my hands and feet this winter. I noticed almost immediately that the pain was gone, I was truly amazed. Another great side effect is that my adult acne has all but disappeared, and my skin is much softer, wrinkles less prominent, my nails are stronger, too. After researching the internet (including this site) I decided I also wanted to try ACV for weight loss as well. I want to lose about 60 lbs. total and in spite of eating a pretty healthy diet and being active I'm still overweight. I have not heard anyone else report this but since I have been taking ACV I've noticed my body shape is different, my waist is definitely a bit smaller, etc. but my clothes fit exactly the same. So I am not losing much weight yet. I will stick with ACV for all the other great benefits but the jury is still out on the weight loss. "

08/03/2009: Delaa from Hempstead, Ny replies: "i would love to know how the acv is working for your weight loss. my mother has bad arthritis as well and a serious weight problem. we are looking for any methods/treatments that are natural and only want to use surgery as a last ditch effort. and apparently, that's the only remedy my mom's doctor seems to have...go figure. i also heard applying cayenne pepper oil to the joints helps with the inflammation...as an alternative to capasazin (sp?) has anyone tried this?"

[YEA]  12/09/2008: Wendy from Small Town, NC writes: "I tried ACV for UTI's with great success and have already written in about that. I am also loosing weight, and my arthritis symptoms have completely disappeared.

I also installed a reverse osmosis water filter to remove fluoride from my drinking water. I don't know if it is the ACV, or the fluoride free water that is making a difference, but I feel great. I have more energy and no more "brain fog"! My pain is gone! Maybe it is the combination, but it works!"

06/21/2009: Anjum from Miami, Florida replies: "I would like to try apple cider vineger for the pain in my legs infact I already started today 1 teaspoon in a 8 ounce glass of water I started sipping it slowly and it is gone now I have Burning in my mouth and my legs started to hurt bad since the summer started here in Miami. The temperatures are in 90s Degree Farenheit but with so much humidity it feels like 115 degrees and also want to know about the water purifying with reverse osmosis. How much this water purifying system costs. I think I started burning and acid in my mouth when they put the flouride in water so I want my water to be free of flouride. I already found a natural toothpaste without frouride and has xylitol and mint oil in it Even that was strong for me but I use very little now then it works."

EC: Check Home Depot and Lowe's for pricing. With most reverse osmosis systems, it unfortunately takes as much as 10 gallons of water to produce one gallon of purified water! A terrible waste of water.

06/22/2009: Anjum from Miami, Florida replies: "Thanks so much Wendy for the quick response. I am new and I love this site and I am thankful to God I found it. I am trying alot of remedies here. I am oil pulling, I tried Lecithin for my bloating ( it worked ) and I am looking for coconut oil to take it orally in the mornings. I Was looking a remedy for a friend's Arthritis ( I also have painful legs) and I found your post.I am trying Magnesium and vitamin E now for leg pains.I think water sure played a big role in your success. Good luck! take care. Anjum"

[YEA]  11/11/2008: Jack from Sheffield, United Kingdom writes: "Hi to all those in the UK who are thinking of using ACV, it is absolutely amazeing! I am a 60 yr old RN and have had severe pain in my hips and lower back for 3 years, medics said it is because Im on my feet all day on the wards and gave me NSAIDs which were not effective and I would wake up in pain every morning and it was becoming so restrictive I'd even contemplated a double hip replacement. I then read about ACV on this site and gave it a go,WOW!! within 48 hours all the burning in my hips had gone! I could not believe it,even my wife noticed how fluently I was moving again, I use 2 tablespoons with honey twice a day, its even more effective with 72.5mgs Aspirin with my night time dose, Aspirin is a known anti inflammatory, I really cannot thank this site enough.As a person who has worked in the health profession for thirty years and put my complete trust in its remedy,s it is a real eye opener and has definately changed my opinions, Good luck everyone."

[YEA]  10/09/2008: Rebecca from Aberdeen, Washington writes: "Apple cider vinegar all but eliminated swelling and pain. I am 58 and have been in good shape most of my life but had a low back injury over 3 years ago and have had severe pain and stiffness which has sent me to doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists and even a rolfer for 15 sessions! All of these helped but very temporarily. I have also been doing yoga and exercises from a book called Relaxercise (excellent by the way) which have also helped but only somewhat. I had been getting worse within the past few months and had develped knee, foot and hand pain along with swelling of these areas especially one ankle and foot which was twice the normal size. It hurt to walk or wear any type of shoe. My husband is an RN who looked at my swollen ankle and foot and told me it almost looked like gouty arthritis. This comment prompted me to research the subject and I found a blog of 100's of people all of who had been using ACV and all but 1 person rated the treatment 5 stars. I immediately went to a health food store and bought the organic, unfiltered ACV and started by taking 3 tablespoons in a large glass of water sweetened with organic raw honey. Following the first dose the night before, I woke to find the swelling reduced to about 1/4 of what it had been and the pain nearly gone. The stuff works like a miracle! I have continued to take it every day but have cut down the dose to 2 tablespoons 2-3 times per day in the same amount of water with honey. I have only a twinge of pain and 1 spot of swelling about the size of a quarter remaining on my ankle. Amazingly, my low back has less pain and more mobility than what I have ever had since the injury over 3 years ago. All this and I have only discovered this treatment less than 1 week ago! Amazing!!"

[YEA]  11/19/2008: Connie from Braintree, New York replies: "Cider Vinegar does work, I love it. But if you run out of Cider Vinegar,White or Wine(more fun) work just as well."

[YEA]  09/18/2008: Tess from Pittsburgh, PA writes: "I have been taking NSAIDs for almost 20 years--couldn't work without them.

My new chiropractor suggested 1 tsp apple cider vinegar in 16 oz of water 3x a day. Why have I not tried this before?

THE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR HAS TO BE FRESH--THE KIND YOU SHAKE UP WITH SEDIMENTS AT BOTTOM--not the strained kind you get in the vinegar section of the grocery store (yuk!)--in order to have the best effect. The organic ACV is quite sweet, and I don't need honey to sweeten it. I actually like the taste.

I mix up a big 64 oz drink with 1 TBL of ACV in it and drink it throughout the day in a big insulated cup.

My arthritis is feeling much better. I have days I forget to take my daily NSAID. I'm thinking more clearly, and since the pain and inflammatory pressure are lifting, my mood is improving as well.

I can't wait to try some of the other things mentioned here. Thank you so much for this site!"

02/20/2009: Katie from Little Rock, AR replies: "Hi. I was wondering if you could tell me how your treatment is going. I have been diagnosed with SLE, Sjogrens Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis and did not have a major SLE flare until 2007 (I was diagnosed in 2002). NSAIDs and biologics are not working as well and docs want to treat with chemo drug, but fiance wants to do ACV. I am just looking for encouraging feedback to make my decision. Thanks for your reply."

[YEA]  09/02/2008: Renna from Bucks County, United States writes: "I woke up another sleepless night-- my arthritis has been the worst this year-- At 51, I thought, I can't believe I am gonna end up in this kind of pain. I read the story from Sandy,from Merced CA and thought how that could be me. Then I read the rest of the stories. It was 6 am, and I thought what do I have to lose. I ran out and purchased ACV- Warmed up a bowl and immediately my hands felt 100% better. I am gonna try the drink mixture later of ACV & Honey. I AM AT A LOSS FOR WORDS. THANK YOU ALL."

06/06/2008: Sandy from Merced, Ca writes: "I am 44 yrs old and in the past 5 yrs went from an over active self sufficiant independent person who rode and trained horses, lifted bailes of hay and could run circles around my kids and grandkids to someone who could barley get in and out of bed, up n down off a chair, the toilet or tub! I cant walk or move without chronic pain. I dont think Ive slept in yrs. There is not an inch on my body that does not hurt, I have two types of arthritis, just diagnosted with deterioration to the spine and hip and I think I have fibromialgia. I have been suffering from severe migraines since I was 13 that put me in the hospital. been on EVERY medication out there and am curently taking 7 different types and I am always tired sad depressed for no reason!! And to top it all off I have gained 65 pounds and cant get ridf of it, I cant do anything let alone barley walk to the bathroom. I remember as a teen wanting to loose that extra 15 20 pounds of "baby fat" and taking ACV in water with a garlic tab and LOOSING the weight like it was nothing! but yet I was always active with horses swimming and sports too... Ive decided to give it a try again starting next week when I go shopping for food in my house and see what it does for me I just cant handle living in this PAIN 24/7 anymore!! Im at the point I wish I just didnt wake up in the mornings cuz it just hurts too much to do it. Keeping my fingers crossed its going to work and be something so simple for me to take away this pain."

06/07/2008: Chris from San Pedro, CA replies: "this is in response to sandy from merced, ca........it sounds to me like what i have dealt with for about 7yrs.......i investigated adrenal fatigue and alot of what they say, i had it in spades......i looked for a found a dr that helps people with this problem & hypothyriodism, cause they go together like hand and glove...... contact "The Broda Barnes Foundation"....they r on the net...they will send u a list of dr's in ur area that believe these diseases r a real factor in good quality of life..........then look up candida and buffering ur body in between meals and then take ACV with meals...........it helps alot........if u can get the dr to give u armour thyriod & hydrocortisone, which helps ur adrenals take care of the pain and healing..........good luck."

06/14/2008: Sandy from Merced, CA replies: "Answering Chris who answered me about my pain and fatigue. Hey chris thanks for the reply and info I will check up on all that now and see what I can find. I have been taking the acv for the past 5 days, the taste is def something to aquire but Im hangin in and making sure i take a glass of water with 2 tbls acv 3 times a day beyond my usual gallons of daily water intake. All I know is i pray for my cure of all my pain to finally be on its way with the acv. Thanks again, sandy."

06/19/2008: Jimmy from Columbus, US replies: "Hi Sandy, am sorry to hear you are going through this much pain. I was heart moved by your story and decided to do a little research and see if I could come up with something. I came across this site: http://www.ayurvediccure.com/herbalremedies/arthritis-jointpain.htm
The name of the product is Arthcare OIL. Please give that a try and let us know the results."

11/13/2008: Catherine from Wellington, New Zealand replies: "To Sandy from Merced..Have just read your letter (dated June) I have had experience with your symptons, suffered similarly for years until I read Dr D'adamos book EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR TYPE (EY4RT) Sticking only to BENEFICIAL foods I had significant improvement within 48hrs. Now I also add the ACV, BS,and BSM (all nuetral on the EY4RT plan) and follow the guidelines for proper rehydration as per the watercure (see www.watercure.com)

10 years ago I could barely hobble, hardly slept for pain and stiffness in my knees, hip joints and lower back as well as a stiff shoulder (injured in my 30's) carpel tunnel injury and fibromyalgia. At 66yrs old I still have some occasional lower back pain but the rest is history. Even my eyesight is slightly improved. The greatest improvement is that I now sleep for hours at a stretch.

There is one other therapy that I have used and the effects were no less remarkable. It is called the FROLOV breathing technique (look up FROLOV on the internet) I started it for pain 4 years ago prior to starting on EY4RT. It took a few weeks for me to feel the effects but there were unusual improvements. A lifetime of suffering travel sickness was cured within 3 weeks with NO recurrence since. A bladder weakness which had me getting up every 1 - 2 hours during the night also cleared and I was able to rest for up to 8 hrs. Also the sciatic pain down my right leg vanished and a chronic "wheeze" I had had for some years afer a lung infection stopped almost immediately With those improvements behind me I started on EY4RT and discontinued the "breathing". However I have commenced again recently as my bladder is starting to weaken again. Will keep at it longer this time, hoping to manage 1 breath per minute eventually..not sure if I'll ever manage 1 in 3mins (I had reached one breath every 40 seconds for duration of 20 minutes, took me 3 months!) Hope there is something here for you.. Cheers and Good Luck"

06/06/2009: Teresa from Asheboro, NC replies: "to Sandy:

I empathize with you. This same kind of pain hit me when I was 40. Overnight it seem, I got to where I dread sitting still for any length of time or sleeping at night because I know in the AM I will be so stiff I can't hardly move. It takes me two hours to get moving in the mornings. Even the bottoms of my feet are affected by this. I have been dx with osteoarthritis, but I think it actually started working on my body in my 20's when I began developing mysterious cartilage tears in both knees and a wrist. Now it is in my lower back and my right hip.

Not only does sitting still for long periods create stiffness, but being on my feet (I am a nurse and barely able to work) exacerbates the pain that goes along with it. I have repeatedly asked my doctor about my rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but he has not been very helpful, can't get a note for no heavy lifting on my job and I keep getting bounced around from doctor to doctor and still do not have a note about my back problems. They act like I am drug seeking. I bet if I went in there asking for narcotic pain killers I wouldn't have a problem getting those, but I can't get a simple note to protect my rights on the job. I was even sent to a Rheumatologist who charged my 187$ and told me to keep doing what my family doctor told me to do. I have been in and out of the ER with my back locked up over the past two years. I do not know what other proof I need to show that I am not faking this condition.

I too have started putting on weight because I can't exercise as rigorously as i used to, but I still continue to walk and lift light weights. The weight gain is also a two edged sword because it just adds to the stress on the joints.

Lately, I have started drinking about 4-6 oz of Blackberry or Elderberry wine (hard to find) right before I go to bed and this has been helpful. It is helping with the low back pain, the sleeplessness, and the menopause symptoms I am also fighting. Plus it does not leave me feeling dizzy or hung over in the mornings like the Flexeril prescription does. I haven't taken a Flexeril in a while since I started drinking a glass of dark wine. Supposedly dark wine in moderation is also good for lowering LDL cholesterol, so I will see when I go back to the unuseful doctors. Probably wine works the same way as apple cider vinegar."

06/07/2009: Joyce from Joelton, Tn replies: "Hello Sandy,

Been there, done that and what a blessing when you find something that works. I hope you know what poke sallet (also known as pokeweed) looks like and it grows there in Ca. If not, I hope you know someone who does live where it grows and will send it to you. Our plants here in my area won't have ripe berries until this fall, but if you haven't found any source by then let me know and I'll gather some extra ones for you this fall.

I was raised to think that poke berries are poison, but one day when I returned from the doctor, my neighbor who watched my kids while I was gone told me I was moving like I was 90 years old, and got my reply that I felt more like l90 years old and every joint in my body hurt, even my ribs hurt when I breathed. That is when she told me about her Aunt Neme and her poke berries. I started taking poke berries as soon as they ripened that fall and got better very quickly. I was in my 30's when I got the total body pain, and boy was I appreciative of those "not poisonous" poke berries. My neighbor didn't know how her aunt took them, how many of how often, so I just worked that one out for myself.

I ended up taking 20 to 25 pokeberries 4 times a day, with no problems, only good results of lessening pain. Don't chew them, just put them in your mouth and wash them down with water.

One other thing I find very helpful with joint pain is available year round. That is MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) which I learned about from an article in The Journal of Longevity years ago. Since it mentioned that they had been giving it to race horses to keep their joints limber, I figured I'd find it at the local farmer's co-op, so I went there and found a well packaged one that said it was l00% MSM. Took it home and started taking about one ounce of it a day (probably work better as 1 Tbsp. 3 times a day, but I am lazy and one ounce once a day worked for me. Still does. So get going, Sandy. Better days are just ahead when you know what to do. Those NSAIDS don't do much but upset your stomach, increases the risk of ulcers and bleeding, and I never cared for the thoughts of taking Methotrexate (cancer drug) or gold shots with all the unwanted side effects."

06/07/2009: Lopas from Michigan, USA replies: "Sorry for your suffering. Have you been tested for Lymes disease? Read about it please, your symptoms sounds much like it. Sometimes people can have it for 30 years with out knowing. lymes is diffucult to detect through blood. So when you get tested go with a labratory that speciales in Lyme disease and it's co diseases like bartonella and borrelia.
Good luck"

09/24/2009: Cynthia from Jasper, Ga replies: "To Sandy from Merced California: I am 50 and have been studying and following a natural path for 15 years. I am grateful to my Oriental Medical Doctors because I am sure I would be dead if I had not found them. But I could never understand why I was the 'canary,' so to speak. I never felt good in spite of a wonderful marriage and successful job and a common cold could almost kill me. I eat organic food and have not ingested pharmaceuticals or antibiotics for the past 15 years. In spite of these efforts I continued to grow weaker and weaker. My OMD would look at me and say what have you done to yourself? I had no idea. Obviously he picked up on my toxicity but neither of us had any idea what the cause was. Moving on...I understand pain and exhaustive fatigue and while there are many remedies to address the various symptoms of the disease or poison state (like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis menopause, etc.) I believe I found the cause of my problems right here on Earth Clinic...it is fluoride, insidious fluoride. I am very grateful to Jason Utley for his research and have read everything posted on the Earth Clinic site on the subject of fibromyalgia and fluoride. I have been following Ted's recommendation of 1/8-1/4 tsp of Borax dissolved in a liter of water for daily drinking. I combine this with my 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/8 tsp sea salt and 2 ounces of ACV by hiding it all in lemonade. I also take 600mg disodium EDTA daily to assist with the chelating process. Unfortunately, chelating is painful but well worth it. After almost two months of following Ted's recommendations combined into my own lemonade elixir I am getting better. I believe my problems began with fluoride and as my toxicity progressed it morphed into many other disease syndromes. At this time I am still unable to work but at least I can walk up the hill. Recently I caught a cold from my husband and followed Ted's Lysine/Aspirin/Vit. C (500mg of each every 50 minutes for 4 hours) combo along with peroxide inhalation (see Bill Munro's video on EC) and colloidal silver and while I still had the cold it was very mild for me and I'm getting over it as fast as my husband, within 3 days. That's a victory because normally I would be down for about a month. I hope you will find this helpful and wish you the best in your quest for health."

[YEA]  02/07/2008: Sue from Vancouver, Canada writes: "Apple Cider Vinegar is the best thing that works for my fathers arthritis. When it gets so painful on his hands and arms he soaks a cloth or hand towel with apple cider vinegar (and wrings it out so that is is not dripping). He then wraps it around his hand and arm and puts a plastic bag over it (because the smell is so strong and also so that it keeps the cloth in tact, and keeps the vinegar of of contact with anything). He leaves this on for about 1/2 hour a few times a day. This really helps reduce the pain and it also gets his hands and fingers mobile again. He does reuse the same saturated cloth several times so he does not need to use so much acv. The other thing that helps him reduce his pain quickly is he heats them up by his wood stove. Out of many things he has tried these are the ones that work for him the best. So good luck. Let others know if this worked for you too. Thanks Ted and everyone else for all the great info."

EC: You must take apple cider vinegar daily in order to see ongoing relief. Additionally, it may take two to four weeks to feel the full effects. However, Apple Cider Vinegar ("ACV") relieves pain and gives freedom of movement in most people. This is not a cure - if you stop taking the apple cider vinegar for a few days, you will feel your arthritis symptoms again!

DOSAGE:
2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in 8 oz of water, 3x a day. Read our apple cider vinegar main page for more recipes and adding baking soda to get proper pH balance.

'

SOAK
Besides drinking ACV, you can also find relief by soaking arthritic joints in hot Apple Cider Vinegar. Use 1/4 cup of ACV to 1.5 cups of hot (but not scalding) water. For areas too large to soak, try soaking a cloth in the above ratio and putting it on the affected area. Wrap a towel over the wet cloth to keep in the heat. Keep the wrap on for ten minutes. You can repeat this after the joint cools for ten minutes.

[YEA]  12/07/2007: Sandra from Guelph, Ontario, Canada writes: "ACV is a miracle, have stopped taking medication for nerve pain in legs, and for acid reflux. Arthritis is not a problem anymore, and have lost 25 lbs in 8 week. I feel 20 years younger, and will be on ACV for the rest of my life."

[YEA]  10/21/2007: Robert Hansell from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania writes: "ACV I have found ACV helps arthritis. Important to measure it as 1 plastic spoonful 3 times a day. For complete elimination of arthritis my wife" knee arthritis, she uses FlexProtect and has found that her knee motion has increased and pain gone. I use Rice'NShine meal replacement powder from http://www.itvventures.com/104134 in my cold rolled oats, milk, fruit juice, broccoli, and seaweed blended breakfast drink every day, and I can ride my bike for miles with no pain anywhere any time."

[YEA]  10/10/2007: Roswita from Seminole, Fl writes: "I strongly urge you to buy only the Organic, raw, unfiltered ACV, without preservatives. I am a 62 year old woman who suffers from arthritis and acid reflux. Every morning I mix 1 tbls ACV with 1 tbls raw honey in a 16 oz glass of lukewarm filtered water. I do the same thing at night time. Only I mix it in 6 to 8 oz water. Otherwise I would be up all night. My arthritis pain has gone away and I no longer suffer from acid reflux."

09/04/2007: Jean from waffham, United kingdom writes: "I have heard that two capfuls of apple cider vinegar, one teasp.molasses sugar, 1 teasp.honey mixed with little hot water and taken daily helps cure arthritis, is this possible?"

[YEA]  08/25/2007: Shirley from Missouri writes: "On the latest post dated 8/23/2007 by Crystal who has severe RA at such a young age. I am sure Ted will have some good remedies for her, but in the meantime, I would like to tell her my story.

I am 64 years old. About 4 years ago my arthritis got so bad, it was difficult for me to walk to the mailbox and back and when going up stairs, I would have to take one step at a time. By that I mean, get one foot on a step and bring the other to that step and so on. I had to go down them the same way and be very careful to always hold onto the banister. My knees and hips were very painful all the time. I read in a book I had about taking organic apple cider vinegar, honey and water for different health reasons. Not sure what I decided to take it for now, but it wasn't for the arthritis.

Anyway I did begin to take the ACV everyday. I took it twice a day. One day I came to the stairs and walked right up them without any problems. I didn't think anything about it until I got to the top. Then I thought about what I just did. I couldn't believe I did that without any pain or effort. From then on, I have been walking stairs and taking long walks without pain. I mean NO pain. I do know it was the ACV drink because for one thing it was the only thing I was doing different at the time. Then I didn't take the drink for a few weeks. I guess I got lazy. The pain started to come back so I started back on it and the pain stopped immediately Now I take it for about a week and off 2 weeks or more but I don't have to take it constantly and that's working out for me. You have to use organic apple cider vinegar not the distilled. It should be 2 tablespoons ACV with the baking soda (so the vinegar won't harm the teeth) plus 1 tablespoon raw honey in a glass of water. I think in my case the pain went away so slowly, I hadn't noticed the change until that day I climbed those stairs. Crystal, please don't give up. It may take a while but I believe it will work for you too."

[YEA]  06/28/2007: Earl from Sydney, Canada writes: "I had joint pain continually in my thumbs... could hardly grip anything... tried ACV..able to use my thumbs again the NEXT DAY... 95% pain gone. I mixed it with orange juice and drank quickly... ran out of orange juice. only juice on hand was Friut Solutions... taste a lot better and easier to get down"

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