[QUESTION]  03/25/2010: Tahiti from Pittsburgh, Pa writes: "I am due to have arthroscopic surgery on my right knee in approximately two weeks from now. I really don't want to, but I am in so much pain that I have to do something. Goosebeans has given his recipe that has helped him. I am going to try it, but I want to know if anyone else has other ideas I could try too. Has anyone else on earthclinic had arthroscopic surgery? If you have, what were the results and were you pleased with them? Would you recommend having this surgery to anyone else? Your replies will be greatly appreciated!"

[YEA]  07/04/2009: Alexis from Los Angeles, CA writes: "I am 31 years old and spent the last 20 years of my life being very active. I used to run 4-6 miles every morning and played tennis regularly. About 2 years ago I noticed a pain in my left knee. I saw doctor after doctor and the pain seemed to just get worse. I finally had an MRI and the Dr. said I had patella Tendinitis which is common. Many people have patella Tendinitis and continue to live and workout. I stopped working out completely and found myself becoming more and more sedentary. I live one block from the beautiful Pacific Ocean and I wouldn't even walk to the ocean because the pain in my knees had gotten that bad. I even started using a cane to get around. About 3 weeks ago my younger sister recommended that I boil some water and take 2Tbl spoons of ACV and that every morning I should drink 6oz of water with 1/4tsp of baking soda. I am an avid baker who has a gluten allergy so I never get to eat what I bake but I always have fresh baking soda on hand. I didn't have the ACV so I just started drinking the baking soda every morning and OMG I have been smiling from cheek to cheek because my pain has gone away. I am not running yet but I walk everywhere now. Baking Soda once a day has changed my life. After reading others stories I am going to start using the ACV because it sounds like it has many healthy benefits."

[YEA]  08/10/2007: Frankie from Franklin, Louisiana writes: "I am new to using BSM...4 weeks ago had an MRI which showed I had a torn meniscus in the right knee, along with arthritis. Orth doctor said at this time, there is no need for surgery. He recommended I take 500mg of calcium a day to help heal the knee and help the bones. This got me very down because I am very active. I was not going to wait around so a friend in Ca. said how BSM was good for tons of things. I found Earth Clinic and I referred to it several times. I LOVE to research and research. Living in Louisiana, we have many sugar cane mills. I found thru friends a gallon of BSM from the mill. And OH YES.....it is nasty. BUT, every morning I take a Tablespoon right down....no time to play with mixing it in anything. I have been taking BSM for 3 weeks now. This I have noticed and right away. Although active, I was tired everyday......everyday. I ate right but was still tired....NOT ANYMORE......trust me on this one.....I saw the surgeron last week and he commented on how the leg was easy to move and how I was coming along so well. He commented on how I was very up beat and was even losing weight....for some reason I am not hungry all the time. I need to lose some weight to help the knees and I feel that the BSM has come to my rescue....We all know that it takes time for many remedies or meds. to help in various health issues. As I have researched on BSM, it can only benefit you and not harm. My husband began to take it daily also. He has been dealing with hip pain for the last 3 years..bursitus...in the last 3 weeks he has seen a difference. He also has more energy. I will keep you informed of our progress."

[YEA]  04/27/2008: Julia from Brooksville, FL writes: "Most of my adult life I've suffered from stomach problems. And in research of natural cures and flouride poisoning I came across this wonderful website. Anyway, I started the BORAX treatment for flouride because I've been having problems with my knees. I tell ya, I don't know if it's the power of the mind or what, but 2 days of the BORAX treatment and my knees that have been bothering me for the past two months stopped hurting and I can walk again without pain. Haven't tried anything for the stomach yet. But I will now. Expecially after coming across this website and PH levels in the stomach and flouride absorbtion. WOW! Check it out for yourself! http://jdr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/72/3/619.pdf"

[YEA]  05/08/2009: Treef from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England writes: "Hi. About forty years ago I badly sprained my left knee when the heel of my shoe broke. Since that time it occasionally becomes extremely painful, with a large swelling on the inside of the knee (I mean the side towards the other leg). A few years ago, however, I read about using cabbage leaves to treat joint pain and so thought I would give it a go. Hey presto! It worked. This is the treatment: Take some large dark green cabbage leaves and cut out the hard stalks. Next, in their raw state, crush them using a rolling pin until the juice starts to run a little. Then wrap them around the knee--right around and overlapping--and then apply a crepe support bandage to hold them firmly in place. This is best done just before bedtime. Go to bed, get a good night's sleep with your cosy knee held firmly in place, and wake up smelling like a compost heap. Unwrap the bandage, discarding the leaves, and test the leg gently. It works for me and also for a student I once had on a dance/drama course. He was about 16 and practically crippled with the pain from a knee that the doctors could do nothing about. He tried this remedy--and yes, it worked for him too! Excellent website--thank you."

04/29/2009: Victoria from Toronto, ON, Canada writes: "About a month ago, I started feeling pain in my knees... it started when I was sitting down. As time went on, it got worse and I went to see the doctor, who said that I had patellofemoral pain syndrome. Well, a friend of mine suggested that I take calcium, and I feel incredibly better. I take it twice a day- its in one supplement- calcium,magnesium, and vitamin D3 ... Calcium 333mg, Magnesium 167mg, D3133IU Please try it, it works !"

[YEA]  11/28/2009: Marge from Phoenix, Az, USA writes: "I've been using castor oil packs as a healing treatment off and on for years since first learning of their efficacy from a 'holistic' doctor here in Phoenix. Once years ago I accidentally slammed a car door on my ankle which caused tremendous swelling and bruising and I simply could not bear any weight on my foot. Elevated the leg and wrapped the ankle in a rag soaked with castor oil and applied heating pad over ankle. Remained that way for most of the night and upon waking, nearly all swelling and bruising was gone and I was able to walk and bear weight on injured ankle again! Amazing.

Several years ago tripped and fell down a flight of concrete stairs landing on both knees. Both knees swelled and were in excruciating pain. Proceeded to lie down with both legs elevated on top of several pillows and applied a well-soaked castor oil pack to each knee. Placed heating pad on top. Next morning - pain, stiffness and swelling was 95% gone and was able to go about my normal activities.

Am currently working on severe tendonitis in right shoulder affecting rotator cup and extending down right arm, using castor oil treatments at night. Will let you know results."

[YEA]  06/13/2008: Al from Collinsville, IL writes: "Call it what you wish, Voodoo, Witchcraft, "BS", whatever, but it DID work for me.

Having recently torn the cartilage in my left knee, simultaneously diagnosed "with a little arthritis" in the same, and swelling behind the knee. My Sport's Ortho said that the swelling was common with the torn cartilage but should go down in time. I began searching on the Web for a magical pain relief remedy (other than my already supplementation of Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondrotin, Taurine, Collagen, HA, Cats Claw, Bromelain, MSM, etc., etc., etc - .all of which I have been taking for years due to 27 yrs of cycling but at almost 68yo, something had to give). One subject that kept surfacing on the Searches was an old time remedy of Castor Oil. I'm not in terrible pain, but it is a 24/7 aggravation, as anyone who has similar discomforts can attest to. I decided to give it a try; purchased a package of ladies' cosmetic, cleansing pads (~3"x4") and a small bottle of Castor Oil (CO), I placed a pad on a saucer, saturated the pad with CO (not dripping) and popped it into the microwave for about 35 secs. I, then placed the (105F) warm pad on my knee; wrapped my knee-pad with plastic wrap (to keep the CO from staining the heating pad) and then applied a heating pad, set to Med. heat. I left it on for about 1 hour and when I removed everything, I did a "test walk" -not only was my knee not stiff, and the swelling was 95% GONE!! I could walk with 100% less discomfort and this was 10x more effective than the Cortisone or three Hydraluronic Acid injections I had received in a two months period. The other nice thing, is that you don't have to throw the saturated pad away; place in a Ziploc bag for the next application and just add a little more CO.

I generally apply this treatment daily, each time the knee feels better - I know it's not going to remedy the situation 100%, but has made my life much better..

http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T350155.html
http://www.edgarcayce.org/th/tharchiv/therapies/castor1.html"

[YEA]  06/04/2008: Pat from Tupelo, Mississippi writes: "I have an arthritic knee with chondromalcia patella. It was really bothering me one night at bedtime so i rubbed coconut oil on first around my knee then a few drops of oregano oil. Within five minutes my knee pain was gone. This is wonderful stuff."

[YEA]  10/15/2007: Putranto Sangkoyo from Jakarta, Indonesia writes: "I am very delighted to read all the good positive stories about cold water shower healing. Allow me to share my story.

I am a Moslem (from Indonesia), and the month of Ramadhan (fasting) was just over. For those not familiar with this, Moslems fast for 30 days during the Ramadhan month, every day, wake up at dawn (around 3 AM), have meal, fast during the day (no drinking no eating no sex), and break the fast at around 6 PM.

I have this problem with my right leg knee, it gives me pain when I bend during a prayer. For one month of Ramadhan, I "practiced" the cold water shower each time I wake up, at around 2:30 AM. After that, I pray (the so called "night prayer"), and have meal. To the best of my knowledge there is no reference in Al Quran about taking shower at "night", although there is the so called "night prayer" which is not obligatory, but very strongly advised for Moslems, and it takes time somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30 AM. We call it the "last one-third of the night".

I just felt I had to heal myself this way, because I heard many times especially from elders and those "natives" coming from rural villages, of cold water shower "healing", which normaly takes time between 2 and 4 AM. Many people here say, it's not healthy to take shower at night, before 12 AM, but it's healthy if taken after say, 1 AM. Some martial arts practitioners here do take shower after evening/night training, at around 1-2 AM or later. I had a friend who literally couldn't walk, not paralyzed but pain in both his legs (thigh), was eventually healed, Praise Allah, could walk (and run) normally again after spending about a month or so taking cold water shower from a well (using bucket / dousing) every night (at around 3 AM).

Back to myself, Praise Allah, after 30 days of night cold water shower, I do feel better now. I can bend my knee again, with less pain.

Perhaps someone have an explanation about the "state" of water during the night, especially between 2 and 4 AM ?"

[YEA]  12/27/2007: Josephine from Kansas City, Kansas writes: "If you have any swelling in your knees or legs,stop drinking everything and drink only Distilled Water, I promise it will take the swelling away. Please try it for a week and see results. My knee was swollen and the doctor prescribes Steriods, and instead I did the distill water."

[YEA]  03/11/2007: Michael from Broadlands, Virginia writes: "For about the last ten years I have had a pinched nerve in my neck. I am 40 and very active (yoga, lift weights, run, etc) It flared up on occasion when I would work out hard and I would injure my shoulder or neck, putting additional pressure on the nerve. About 18 months ago the pain got so severe that I was seriously considering surgery which would have fused some discs in my neck together (among other things). A business associate had mentioned that he had problems with his knees hurting when he drank diet coke, which i drank. As a last resort I quit drinking diet coke and about 4 weeks later the pain in my neck was down to manageable levels again. This lasted about until recently when it flared up again, I had recently started taking a new weightlifting supplement (powder) and upon closer inspection it contained aspartame. I talked to my doctor who had not heard anything about his particular side effect of aspartame, but we theorized that the additive caused small swelling to muscles which impinged my already narrow nerve openings. needles to say, I have cut aspartame back out of my diet."

[YEA]  12/21/2010: Ken from Henderson, Nv, Usa writes: "My experience.. Back around 1985 my knees had to be replaced. The cartiledge had worn away, and jagged bone was scraping on bone. Best known Dr. in Boston, Ma took xrays. (BRUINS & CELTICS DR. ) both I and my wife saw the xrays. Got a 2nd opinion from specialist in Lowell, Ma. Same diagnosis same xrays. Looked very bad. I COULD HARDLY WALK UP STAIRS AT all, Knees hurt so bad. No tennis, racketball, waterskiing, skating, no nothing. Bone against bone in both knees. Went home and on line found a study being done at harvard univ. They gave ground up chicken cartiledge to patients about to get knee replacments. They reported amazing reversal of knee problems.

It took about 2 months for some pain to go away... So I started taking 4 packets of KNOX GELATIN in orange juice every day. After 60 days I saw improvement starting. At six months I could climb stairs and run around with a frisbee with my kids. At one year I felt back to normal. About ten years ago I fell on my shoulder and it was xrayed in winchester, Ma. I told the doctor about my knee problem, he asked if he could xray my knees, and he did. HE POINTED OUT TO ME ALL THE WHITE CARTILEDGE IN MY KNEE JOINTS. He stated emphatically that I never had a knee problem in my knees.

I am now almost 70 and my knees are perfect. I know people who suffered with knee pain and knox gelatin made their pain go away. I still take one packet every week or two. I actually told Knox about how it effected my knees, but they wern't interested. (I know there is a lot of money made with knee surgery today. ) So basic it's hard to beleive. If I can help anyone who has a knee problem, explain what I did, email me at kenpratt1(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm not looking for anything. If I can help one person I'll be very happy..... Please try it. It is practically free(the knox is so cheap at the food store) email me. I am no doctor, but I have great knees. Also if you have used knox let me know how it worked for you. MAYBE WE CAN HELP SOME OTHERS........... KEN"

[YEA]  06/04/2009: Kris from Winnipeg, MB Canada writes: "iodine cured Bad knee.

35 years with bad knee. joint would come off some times. always swollen. applied regular iodine externally three times a day. applied one week on and 4 days off. only the affected part would mildly burn and the knee will feel bug crawling inside the skin. after a week the bad skin looked like war zone. so gave four days break. new skin came after break. started the application again. itch started badly on the knee. applied Tea tree oil over iodine to stop the itch immediately. after 4 weeks knee shape came to look like normal. at this time the effected part squeezed to the size of a quarter. still kept on applying on the affected area and surroundings. pain went away after 3 weeks from the start up of the application. but didn't stop applying. this has been 4 months now. knee is like brand new.

i did switch from regular store available iodine to lugol's iodine after 3 months. started applying iodine to every family member's joint pain and cysts. iodine never failed to cure."