Ted's Remedies for Degenerative Disc Disease (Hyaluronic Acid + Salt)

I've read several posts about Ted's cure on EC about this and I've noticed a lot of confusion about weights and measures.

I tried it with the salt but it was too salty, so on my next batch just used HA and water:

• 500ml of cold water
• 1/8th tsp Hyaluronic acid
• Don't fret too much about the exact measurement, I know my 1/8th tsp was probably sometimes nearer a 1/4!
• Put your cold water in a jug, don't just tip all of the HA in at once otherwise you'll end up with a blob of jelly lurking at the bottom of your jug!
• If you can, sprinkle the HA with one hand and at the same time stir with the other hand. You'll still get some blobs, just try and break them up on the side of the jug.
• After a good stir, pour into a bottle and put the cap on tight, give the bottle a really, really good shake, then put into the fridge.
• Give another good shake after an hour or so, then leave overnight, all your blobs should have dissolved and your mixture will be ready to use.

The amount I take each day is: 2 fluid ounces/4 tablespoons in the morning and the same again at night. One 500ml batch lasts me four days.

For the first two weeks I used High Molecular Weight HA and had some success but then two weeks ago I changed to Low Molecular Weight HA and I've found this to work much better.

Both lots of HA were bought from ebay uk. I will say which companies in a further post if it's allowed.

I've had chronic Degenerative Disc Disease and three herniated discs for twelve years and have been in pain every day, just getting out of bed hurt, I couldn't even lean forward to get my socks on! Sneezing would have me dropping to the floor in pain, it was even painful to sneeze sitting down!

I'm sure anyone with this knows what I'm talking about!

Anyway, after two weeks on the LMWHA, In the mornings when I'm usually at my most painful and stiff, I'm just swinging my legs out of bed and standing straight up without all the pain and grunting and groaning. My pelvis and hips feel freer when I walk, instead of feeling all tight and tense. I have a bit of a swing again!

This is just after one month, I'm really hoping the effects with be cumulative and that I continue to improve even more.

Oh, just before I wrote this post I had a sneezing fit, it didn't hurt once!

This hasn't been a complete cure, after all, it's only been a month. I still have a some pain and stiffness but I feel so much better than I have done for the last twelve years!

HTH

I tried Ted's hyaluronic acid and sea salt remedy for degenerative disc disease and it was very helpful and reasonably priced, however I got tired of mixing it regularly and switched to a hyaluronic acid supplement that contains the following:

Serving Size: 1 vcap
Servings per Container: 120
Sodium (from Sodium Hyaluronate) 10mg
Hyaluronic Acid (from Sodium Hyaluronate) - 100mg
L-Proline - 100mg
Alpha Lipoic Acid -50mg
Grape Seed Extract (Vitis vinifera) (Standardized to min. 90% Total Polyphenols) - 25mg

I started out at three of these per day and have reduced to two per day with results that seem to be as good as, or possibly better than Ted's remedy mix. It is hard to say for certain if it is better than Ted's remedy because, had I stayed on Ted's remedy, I may have continued to improve also.

In any case, I am glad I tried Ted's remedy because it convinced me that HA works. I was already taking a supplement with HA in it, but it was too small of a dose to be of much use. The sea salt in Ted's remedy is also beneficial for other areas of health.

Art

I gave Ted's formula, listed below, to a friend who was bed ridden due to back degenerative discs, using hyaluronic acid, liquid. After using 3 days he was in TOTAL RELIEF. Went three weeks before using again. Took two days of formula to get relief.......this time for two months. Now he uses it every 3 months for TOTAL RELIEF.

Formula:

• 16 oz. of natural (pure water like distilled water); must be cold, refrigerated.
• 1/2 teaspoon of Hyaluronic acid, liquid, in 16 oz container of cold "natural" water.
• Next add 1 1/2 teaspoon full of Mediterranean Sea Salt into the 16 oz. bottle of water also.
• Shake it well.

Drink it (3) times a day.........meaning 1/3 of the bottle, then another 1/3, then the last 1/3 (bottle will be empty then).

I read a lot of comments by people that really miss the mark. Read what I have said carefully and hope you will have similiar results.........do it exactly as I have written it. It worked for my friend.

Remember NATURAL WATER LIKE DISTILLED, AND A HIGH QUALITY OF SEA SALT LIKE MEDITERRANEAN SEA SALT.

I use this salt daily -- 1 1/2 teaspoons -- on food. My blood pressure is 100/62 and I am 73 years of age. This salt is NOT refined, meaning it has 80 plus trace minerals that are GOOD FOR your body. Hope this helps.

I just want to say thank you SO so much to Ted for posting this remedy and to Lisa from Lafeyette for sharing her story and giving additional instructions regarding the remedy.

I have been suffering from back pain since I was 17 yrs. Old. I'm 29 now. I've always had my back "go out" on me and be laid up in bed for a few weeks and then be able to start hobbling around again. Living in constant pain or fear of pain is a horrible exsistance though. This past Sept. (2011) my back finally gave up on me. I lost the use of both legs and was in the most excruicating pain of my entire life. I was unable to care for my 2yr. Old and was on horrible prescription drugs for months. I was constantly in a fog of pain and exhaustion (brought on by the drugs). I tried physical therapy and that helped but I had to stay on the meds.

I had an MRI done and my doctor told me I have severe degeneration in my discs, spinal arthritis all along my spine, and my L4 & L5 are bulging. The rest of my lumbar discs are also trying to bulge and have little to no fluid left to cushion them. I was so devastated.

After several months of trying to do things the "medical" way I decided to search for a natural remedy on my own. I can't tell you how elated I am that I found this site and the recipe for Ted's hyaluronic acid. I decided to give it a try.

I have been using this remedy now for maybe 2 1/2 weeks and I am almost 100% pain free. I went off my meds on day two so I could feel how much the hyaluronic was working, except that it relieved almost all of my pain after only 3 doses!!! It's so incredible to feel this pain free. My entire body feels so much better. I started taking a vegetarian glucosamine and MSM supplement as well after about a week and a half and I've only seen improvement. I am still taking the hyaluronic 3 times a day because my spine has been under so much stress for so many years and I just feel better when I take it 3 times.

There is so much more that I want to say and share about where this site and this remedy has led me; how I can feel so much about my body that I never knew I was missing. I feel incredible now that I'm giving myself what I need to not just survive but thrive! I don't want to make this post too long that no one will read it though. :P

Overall I just can't thank you enough Ted, Earth Clinc and this community. The combination of hyaluronic acid and physical therapy is helping me to live life again, pain free. I've started to lose weight as well now that my body isn't so clouded with prescription medications. I know that will only help my spine to heal as well. Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart thank you!

Ashley

Well, after learning about this remedy over 15 years ago, I'm finally experimenting with Ted's famous DDD (degenerative disc disease) remedy of 500 mg hyaluronic acid and 1.5 teaspoons of sea salt in 500 ml of distilled water. I did this after testing a few weeks on JUST hyaluronic supplement capsules. I am finding Ted's solution more effective than taking two 60 mg hyaluronic capsules twice a day. The addition of sea salt really makes a difference.

Ted's remedy can seem a bit complicated from some of the posts and instructions on Earth Clinic's degenerative disc disease section, but really it is very simple. I bought HA in bulk from Amazon, which is much more cost-effective than buying 100 HA capsules.

I have been testing 500mg, 1000mg, and 1500mg of hyaluronic acid plus 1.5 teaspoons of pink salt in 500 ml of water each time I make the mixture to see if there is any difference in the higher dosing. Ted mentioned sea salt, but I have been using Himalayan pink salt. If anyone has input on a better salt to use thank pink, please advise.

Per Ted, you don't want to put so much HA in 500 ml distilled/purified water that it turns into a gel. The higher dose HA that I have been experimenting with does get gelatinous once it's been in the fridge for a few hours, so I simply top off my 8 oz glass with water. At the lower dose HA, I took 1/8 cup straight with no dilution 3x/day.

The hyaluronic acid power from bulk always clumps when I pour it into the water, regardless of the water's temperature (hot or cold refrigerated water). However, it slowly dissolves in the fridge. Sometimes it can take 24 hours for the clumps to dissolve. The instructions from Ted and others have you shaking the bottle every few hours in the fridge. But really, you only need to stir it right before you pour it each time to get the salt from the bottom into the solution.

Dosage:

1/8 cup of my refrigerated HA/Sea Salt solution into an 8 oz cup, top off with water, and drink it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, then afternoon and evening.

As Ted mentioned, I've found this solution helps slightly with stiff joints from arthritis, but fabulously with disc issues. My back feels much looser now. And of course nothing as good as HA for plumping up the skin. Incredible supplement that way. Thumbs up. I'm on my second week of the solution and will report more later.

Way back when Ted first started discussing oral hyaluronic acid (HA) on EC for degenerative disc disease, available studies of that time suggested that HA was only effective if it was injected at the joint. In more recent years, studies are now showing that oral HA can indeed be useful and effective, but at a higher dose than the injections generally deliver.

Here is a typical abstract from 2012 when most studies only used injections to good benefit:

J Med Assoc Thai. 2012 Oct;95 Suppl 10:S92-7.

Prospective randomized trial comparing the efficacy of single 6-ml injection of hylan G-F 20 and hyaluronic acid for primary knee arthritis: a preliminary study.

Khanasuk Y1, Dechmaneenin T, Tanavalee A.

Author information

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the efficacy of single 6-ml intraarticular injection between hylan G-F 20 and hyaluronic acid (HA) for knee osteoarthritis.

MATERIAL AND METHOD:

Thirty-two patients with primary knee arthritis, who were randomly received single intraarticular injection of 6-ml hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc) or HA (Hyalgan), were prospectively evaluated for clinical outcomes at a minimum 26-week follow-up. The parameters, including visual analog scale (VAS) during walking, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires, were evaluated at pre-injection, then at 1 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 26 weeks, post-injection.

RESULTS:

There were 15 patients in both groups who were available for final follow-up with no statistical differences in demographic data, VAS during walking, WOMAC score and SF-36 score at pre-injection. There was no adverse event related to viscosupplementation using in is better than of both agents. At 26-week follow-up, patients in both groups had significantly improved VAS during walking (p < 0.01), WOMAC score (p < 0.01) and SF-36 (p < 0.05) with no statistical differences between groups. However the cost of hylan G-F 20 was much more expensive than that of HA (534 USD vs. 252 USD).

CONCLUSION:

A single intraarticular injection of both hylan G-F 20 and HA for primary knee arthritis had no adverse event related to 6-ml volume. At 26-week follow-up of the present preliminary study, both groups had similarly improved clinical outcomes post-injection. Further study in larger population is required. As the cost of hylan G-F 20 was 2 times higher than HA, a single 6-ml intraarticular injection of HA (Hyalgan) provided better cost-effectiveness than hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc).

PMID: 23451445

------------------------------------------

This more recent abstract shows that a strong enough dose of oral HA is beneficial also:

Musculoskelet Surg. 2016 Sep 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Clinical comparison of oral administration and viscosupplementation of hyaluronic acid (HA) in early knee osteoarthritis.

Ricci M1, Micheloni GM2, Berti M1, Perusi F3, Sambugaro E1, Vecchini E1, Magnan B1.

Author information

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive, chronic and degenerative joint disease characterized by a loss of articular cartilage. Treatment of OA is largely palliative based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids and injections of steroids. Regarding conservative treatment, intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) can play a role in early symptomatic knee OA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Between August 2015 and September 2015, sixty patients (32 males and 28 females) between 40 and 70 years old were randomly allocated into two groups: Half were treated with three weekly intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid 1.6 % (group A), while the others were treated with Syalox 300 Plus® (hyaluronic acid 300 mg + Boswellia serrata extract 100 mg) 1 tab/die for 20 days and afterward Syalox 150® (hyaluronic acid 150 mg) 1 tab/die for other 20 days (group B). All patients were evaluated clinically with American Knee Society Score (AKSS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) for the pain before the treatment and after 3 months.

RESULTS:

AKSS of the patients in both groups was significantly increased by the treatment, and VAS score was significantly reduced. In both groups, two subgroups were created with patients older than 60 years and patients younger than 60 years. Better results are reported in younger patients of group A and older subjects in group B.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite several limitations, the results of the study have shown that HA injection and oral administration may have beneficial therapeutic effects on patients with early osteoarthritis. Different outcomes in younger and older subject suggested a combined therapy first with local infiltrations and then with oral composition.

----------

So the take away from this is that, Ted was ahead of his time and was spot on regarding oral HA and that it works! Thank you, Ted!!!

Art

I have looked at these studies- this one and others previously. It doesn't appear that HA plays any role in causing breast cancer. But rather, its presence in cancerous regions is used as an indicator of outcome. It may be part of the body's defense mechanism. A similar scenario is how cancerous areas of the body are more acidic, have less oxygen, and higher levels of iron. So for example, the iron didn't necessarily cause the cancer, but its accumulation in cancer cells is a by-product of the cancer.

Hi Deirdre,

Here is a link to a more recent review and meta analysis(May 2020) giving more data on the relationship between breast cancer and HA :

https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2020/05290/hyaluronic_acid_predicts_poor_prognosis_in_breast.92.aspx

Here is a quote from the review:

>>> ' Because of high mortality and poor prognosis, breast cancer is the leading cancer in females. As mentioned previously, significantly increased levels of HA in carcinomas is considered as a biomarker for some solid tumor types, such as bladder, prostate, breast, lung, and colon. ' <<<

So HA may not be the best choice if you currently have cancer or a family history of such. Keeping the dose as low as is effective seems prudent.

Art

As the latest addition to my experimentation, I decided to put (less) hyaluronic acid and sea salt into Ted's 1 liter borax remedy and drink the whole thing in one day. I lowered the HA dosage from my original post above. I am now using only 120 mg of HA instead of the higher dosage mentioned in my first post (thanks, Art) and only 1/8 teaspoon of pink salt. (Note:

This new recipe is a slightly gelatinous liquid (due to the hyaluronic acid) and tastes quite good, thanks to the pink salt. I am two days in on this new mixture and already feel an improvement in my finger joints, which are always very stiff from arthritis lately. My trigger finger, which is back since over a month ago when the 2nd cortisone shot wore off, is slightly improved.

[Note: I have not been drinking borax for a long time and stopped the topical DMSO/borax remedy to test HA and sea salt a few weeks ago.]

Here is the mixture I keep in the fridge and drink 1/4 at a time. Surprisingly, it tastes pretty good, especially cold, thanks to the pink salt!

I use a 1-quart mason jar, which you can find on Amazon. Many grocery stores carry them as they are used for canning.

1 quart of Distilled or Purified Water - Fill to the top of mason jar (within 1/2 inch)

Add:
1/8 teaspoon 20 Mule Team Borax (men should use 1/4 teaspoon, per Ted)
120 mg of Hyaluronic Acid.. If you have Jarrow hyaluronic acid capsules, this amounts to 4 capsules.
1/8 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt.

Stir well. Mason jar lids are not always secure, so be careful if you try to shake it.

Equipment Note:

Because I already have the equipment, I use a 1000 ml glass beaker and a magnetic stirrer with a medium size magnet to mix the ingredients since I want to drink 1/4 of the mixture immediately after making it up in the morning. However, even with the stirrer, the hyaluronic acid tends to clump and needs time in the fridge. The salt doesn't all dissolve so I stir it before pouring 1/4 into a glass.

Side Effects

day 1: slight headache about 1 hour after starting the mixture. It lasted most of the day.
No headache on day 2.
No blood pressure increase from the pink salt.
Night of day 2 - severe stomach upset from too much salt in the mixture - ergo I lowered the dosage to 1/8th

I will report back in another week or two.

Dear Ron,

Hyaluronic acid puts the fluid back in joints and spine. I have found that Collagen is the other remedy that heals and strengthens the bone. I make our version of bulletproof coffee to alleviate pain. I have found it to be another piece of the puzzle. I take 1 cup of brewed coffee add 1/2 tsp mct oil 1/2 tsp grassfed butter 1 full scoop about 2 tbsp of collagen 1 and 3 blend 15 seconds pour into cup and drink. You can add magnesium oil 6 drops and your liquid HA to this also. Pain is pretty much gone and quickly. This also improves digestion somewhat.

Ted recommends 4 hourly doses of the lysine remedy to kill any virus that lurks on nerve paths and spine so I use it too. In a 1 liter bottle I add spring water 1/2 tsp lysine 1/2 tsp sodium ascorbate [vit c reacted with baking soda] 6 to 8 drops methylene blue and 1/4 tsp l threonine. but I multiply the doses to make 4 total doses I mark my bottle with 4 tape lines and take 1 an hour in the am. I do this for three days. I drink my coffee 2 x a day. No back or neck problems any longer.

Janet

O.K. Thanks Janet.

Medium chain triglycerides eh? No wonder people abbreviate it! Ha - the fog has cleared!

I am a great believer in CO (Coconut oil). I don't know if coconuts would sustain life on their own if you were stuck on a small, desert-island atoll with not much else of nutritional value but in my imagination I tend to liken them to the dates in the actual desert.

Apparently they have lots of goodies to sustain the nomadic Bedouin travelers in a really harsh environment where not much else will grow. They can be preserved for a long time too, which is handy in those conditions.

I once lived with a tribe who squeezed honey out of dates. They pressed sacks of them with heavy stones and caught the juice in pots, which reminded me of the traditional way of making cider.

(I had better not tell you what they did with that honey though! )

Isn't Life amazing?

That's probably enough rambling for one day!

Cheers and thanks again.

Michael

Betsy,

I forgot to mention that I use the Stopain and hyaluronic acid for degenerative disc disease (DDD). You are planning on using it for bone on bone pain from loss of cartilage, a completely different disease than DDD. I have never tried it for that purpose, so I don't know that it will work, especially at such a late stage, but it seems worth a try as the alternative is going to be hip replacement surgery. Given the severity of your condition, I would try a full large bottle of the supplement and give it until the end of the bottle before drawing a conclusion.

Art

Quick update; my hubby has been taking Ted's recipe for the HA, 500 mg. Powder in 16 oz. Water, with 9 grams sea salt (approx 1 1/2 teas. Salt).

His back is improving in a shocking manner (to him, at least), he is able to move like he hasn't moved in years! He used to be in karate as a teen, and can kick his leg straight up in front of him, (Whoo! I had to duck, didn't see THAT one coming! ), and his knee is steadily on the mend. That's all in less than 2 weeks.

Put your water in the fridge for about 4 hours, get it to 39 degrees or so. Add powder and salt and shake. Powder won't dissolve right away. Put back in fridge. Shake every 2-4 hours. In about 12-18 hours, the powder will be all dissolved, and water will have a slight thickening to it. This gives approx 10 doses. At dose 7 or so, around 2 1/2 days, start another bottle in the above manner so you won't miss a dose. I figured out that this method gives you roughly 150 mg. HA per day. After this 3 week regimen, use 12 oz water (open new 16.9 oz water bottle, pour out little over 1/4 cup, this leaves you 12 oz). Add 3000 mg. Ascorbic acid (vit c powder) BEFORE refrigerating. Shake well. Refrigerate 4 hours till 39 degrees or so. Put in approx 2 grams HA (2000 mg. Powder), and close lid. Shake, same as method described above. In 12-18 hours, it should be ready. This formula is much thicker. 1 Tablespoon dose will be 75 mg. Do morning & nite, on empty tummy. Also pour tiny bit in your hand, to rub on your face, neck and hands. AWESOME serum for the skin. DO NOT put your hands or mouth on this bottle, to keep from contaminating ingredients.

Side note: Vit C in body acts with any iron running around in there to break down the HA, which is not good. Take a quercetin tablet (bioflavinoid) to prevent this, and get OPTIMAL results from your HA. Sorry for long post, I've done so much research on this I talk about HA in my sleep. Good luck. I am not a doctor or nutritionist, just an interested by-stander. Do your own research and see your physician before taking anyone's advice!

Thank you, Art. I had no idea! I will lower the dosage of HA in solution.

Hi Michael,

You might find some of the answers you are looking for in the book I mentioned to you a few weeks ago entitled DMSO: Nature's Healer.

I will resume the DMSO and Borax solution remedy at some point but wanted to try Ted's DDD remedy after reading through some of his old posts on EC. People must know by now after 23 years of working on/editing and reviewing Earth Clinic posts, I love to try many of the remedies mentioned. At any rate, I am trying to concoct the most effective combo for arthritis and DDD. I'm thinking adding a drop or two of lugol's to the brew might be a very good final ingredient. That said, as gung ho as I am about the new combo, caution must be advised regarding the dosages as it's VERY potent once you add the borax. Serious stomach upset/major detox!! starting at 4am this morning. Stomach still hurts. I'm on a two day break from all remedies and supplements!

Hi Michael,

For your situation, I view DMSO as a temporary fix that you may need to apply daily, which may get to be a nuisance applying to every sore joint.

The borax remedy, if you tolerate it and it works for you, is much easier because you just have to drink a bottle each day for 4 or 5 days of the week. A simpler, and to me more effective approach, because once it rids you of your pains, there is not a problem if you miss a day or two.

Once I was pain free, I could easily go for weeks without taking borax with no pain. I keep taking it anyway to get the bone protective effects though. I do 4 days on and take Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.

Art

Famcoll,

I reported about my experience with NOW brand Hyaluronic Acid Double Strength which, in my experiences, has worked very well, quickly and at least as good as sea salt HA powder mix and is more convenient than the HA/sea salt mix that Ted recommended. Here is the product :

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Hyaluronic-Acid-100mg-Capsules/dp/B00663G8WO/ref=sr_1_3?crid=RRSIY06IEQ97&keywords=now+hyaluronic+acid+double+strength&qid=1697238111&sprefix=NOW+hyaluronic+Acid+Double+strength,aps,140&sr=8-3

I've used both and the capsules are more convenient especially if you are out and about regularly. A problem I ran into when I suggested HA powder + sea salt mix is that when friends tried to make it they had problems with mixing it properly and the capsules resolved that issue for my friends and worked well. I didn't have a problem making the mix myself and it was inexpensive, but I went for convenience.

I have no comment on other forms of HA as I don't use them. From my point of view, the HA capsules I have used are as good as I have seen.

Art

I used sea salt and hyaluronic acid mix for almost a month with little to show. I'm 57 with back arthritis.

Hi, read about your solution for degenerative disc disease, how do I measure out 500 mg of HA powder........1/4 tspn or what?..... Please give me an idea of approximately howmuch to use. Thanks, Dano

Madelyn,

You are correct and the actual exact association is not yet known and that is why I suggest keeping the dose to the minimally effective dose and that people with cancer avoid it until studies are fully conclusive, in case it turns out that HA has a causal effect.

Art

Hi Amelie,

Normally Hyaluronic Acid (HA) should dissolve fully after being in the fridge for 24 hours but what you are describing has happened to me from time to time. Try breaking the clumps up with a spoon. Also, add the powder to the water very slowly and in small amounts. Clumping occurs when you pour too much out at once in my experience.

Yes, I took the solution with coffee and other supplements. I don't think that's a problem.

I actually stopped taking that solution in mid June to try Ted's borax solution for my incredibly painful trigger thumb. After 3 weeks, it helped tremendously and I am keeping it up. I have though since returned to taking a simple HA capsule once a day since that seems to help with spinal issues.

Let us know how the HA and sea salt solution works for you!

Betsy,

It was quite awhile ago and with the inclusion of Stopain it is difficult to know if it was the Stopain or the HA, but I would say I noticed the first improvement that I would attribute to the HA in the second week of using both.

Art

A million thank yous Ted for the Degenerative Disc remedy recipe with Hyaluronic acid, sea salt and water. Today was the first day in about a month that I was able to sneeze and not feel pain in my lower back. I became determined to find something that could help me overcome extreme pain in my lower back and referred pain in my left thigh that would often throb, after I had a bit of a breakdown when I came to grips that my few options included pain killers for the rest of my life, back surgery and/or the possibility of walking with a cane. I recently turned 31 and I was devastated.

Before I tried your remedy, I could not walk at full stride - I could only walk slowly and every step was painfull. I couldn't sit for a lengthy period of time before my back would begin to hurt. I could not stand for a long time without my left leg feeling like it was about to become disjointed at my waist. Reaching was impossible. I could not manage a full night's sleep and most nights I had to sleep on the floor because my bed, although quite firm, couldn't support my condition well.

I found your recipe and made my first batch August 25th. Within the first few days, I could feel that the pain was slightly less, only barely noticeable. As the days passed, I could feel that the pain was still slightly decreasing. Because I had lived with the pain for some time, I didn't know what kind of benchmark I could use to really give a green light that it was working. Today is the seventh day that I've been taking the remedy - mind you, although I'd prefer to take it as recommended, I have not been able to take it 3 times a day and a few days, I only took it once. Instead of having to brace myself for the pain I knew I would feel, I was able to sneeze without discomfort today. I am highly encouraged by my results and look forward to a full recovery. To think, a week ago, I was in tears because I was looking at a grim future. Now, I'm looking forward to being able to exercise and stretch again. I can already walk with a full stride and I can reach without straining too much. I still feel some pain when I've stressed my back or leg too far but I know it will soon subside for good. Thank you very much for sharing this remedy. I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me.

Hi Deirdre,

Going to too high of a dose of HA may have a downside as HA is considered to be a tumor/cancer promoter and a target in cancer treatment :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4791948/

Art

Thanks Art and Deirdre for your informative responses. I was fairly certain you would help!

I guess I will need to try the Borax again, even though the last time I tried it, I found it difficult to tolerate.

Perhaps a smaller starting dose may be easier to tolerate!

We will see how it goes - off to try to locate some Borax - the ones seen on offer so far are advertised as being "100% pure" but are they "Medical Grade"? Does it matter? Huge prices!

Interestingly, my recent blood test report claimed that everything was "Hunky Dory"! They were particularly pleased that I had lost a descent amount of weight and my blood pressure was down, so they knew that I was making the effort (Mostly natural therapies naturally, but with the occasional pain killer! ).

All clear and well done sort of thing.

The Doctor had trotted out all the usual good advice that they are now "Required" to share with their patients and when I responded that I was doing most of that she said "That's Strange" and I replied "Why is that?". "Well for most people, it usually goes in one ear and out the other". Golly gosh, and with all that money going into the health budget!

Here's the thing though, when I pressed them to read the fine print (blood results) they admitted that the Inflammatory Markers were up!

Goes to show that one has to be assertive and it sometimes feels like squeezing blood out of a stone. Trouble being that Kiwis are often not assertive by nature in these situations, so they might not get the full story, I nearly didn't.

Ah, I feel better after that rave.

My partner is asking why I have not yet made the morning coffee and why am I not feeling guilty about my lapses? Humph! Is coffee inflammatory BTW? Dark chocolate? Geepers, life is complicated!

Cheers from Down Under

Hi Michael,

Yes, very familiar! The pain and stiffness when trying to get out of bed and after sitting down for some time, it does take an hour or two to loosen up, although it never goes away. After the initial excitement of the HA working for me, it seemed to plateau very quickly and not get much better after that first month. I stopped taking it for a week to see what would happen and I could tell the difference, it's better for me to take it than not! A couple of months ago I bought some magnesium flakes so I can make some magnesium oil, I'm going to add this to my quest to relieve my pain! I've had DDD for about 12 years so maybe it's just been a bit too long to expect a full recovery. Good luck to your friend.

Michael

I agree about abreviations.

I get familiar with something and do not realize I am using them. LOL

MCT, medium chain triglycerides

From coconut oil, a great source for learning about them is Bulletproof coffees site, Dave Aspery.

You do not have to buy from him. He developed the formula. He has quite a few health hacks that make great reading.

His bulletproof is golden. Pain, digestion, general health.

Janet

Hello!

I would first like to express my joy in having come across your site! It has been working miracles on many of my ailments. I'm 25, recently diagnosed with phase 1 degenerative disc disease. I found out about Ted's mixture of hyaluronic acid and sea salt and immediately got on it. I've been taking it for 3 days and the pain in my spine has substantially subsidized. I read that it takes 2 weeks to fully restore the disk cartilage.

I don't know if EC will allow me to post name brands or places to purchase so the information may or may not appear in this reply. If it is missing search for these ingredients:

I used this:

Now Foods Hyaluronic Acid 2X Plus Veg Capsules, 100 mg, 120 Count

Amazon currently has the best price that I was able to find, but I find that pricing varies from time to time as other common suppliers have had better pricing at other times.

Art

Johnny from Virginia,

Ted's mix worked very well also, but the capsules were very convenient when away from home. This link is to Amazon, but any major online supplement supplier should have this product, but Amazon currently has the lowest price I was able to find right now, but this changes regularly so it is useful to check around before ordering:

https://www.amazon.com/Foods-Hyaluronic-Acid-Capsules-Count/dp/B014FF6U0O/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1471211499&sr=8-4&keywords=hyaluronic+acid+now+2x

Note that this is their double strength version as this brand has several other versions of HA.

I am not sure if the other ingredients are important or not because their amounts seem useless based on studies using them individually, but perhaps there is a synergy with the combination, but the amounts still seem to low to be of value.

I had to take three capsules per day, one with each meal. That's a total of 300mg of HA per day. Any less was not effective for me. Some manufacturers advertise a 100mg per dose, but it takes 2 capsules to equal a dose, so it is helpful to read labels to make sure. There are 100mg of HA in each of these caps. Less than 300mg per day were not effective for me. I was able to tell a difference while using the first bottle. Had there been no improvement while taking the first bottle, I would probably not have continued to use it and just stuck with Ted's mix.

As time has passed I would say that the HA added to the effect of the Borax I take and eventually I was able to discontinue the HA and only use the Borax now with very good effects.

If you decide to try this, always check with and get approval from your doctor to be sure it is okay for you to use it and that it is compatible with any medications you are currently taking.

Art

Devon,

The post you are referencing was from 2010, so that poster is not likely to see your question. Here is a link to Ted's remedy wherein he explains that vitamin C is not suitable for use with his remedy :

https://www.earthclinic.com/mobile/cures/teds-remedies-for-degenerative-disc-disease.html

On a related note, this article describing a simpler way may interest you :

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/ddd-art-solbrig.html

Art

Barb, I use that 4 hourly doses of lysine remedy for a minimum of 3 days, I add 2 afternoon doses if we get those sudden onset awful colds. Ted often says that 3 days is your time to know if something is working. I take it as needed so I do not have a schedule in weekly or monthly time frame. It is my go to first response to any of us getting sick or under the weather. I do keep a bottle of vitamin c sodium ascorbate with lysine and methylene blue made up in a 1 liter bottle on my kitchen sink for daily dosing for our family of six. I make it with 10 to 12 doses as we all take it 2 x a day 5 days out of seven as a supplement 1/2 tsp of sodium ascorbate is 2 grams of vitamin c 275 mg of baking soda reacted to make sodium ascorbate which is more absorbable than ascorbic acid itself. lysine in powder form at 1/2 tsp is 1.2 grams of l lysine. so a 10 dose bottle is 5 tsp of each. I add methylene blue which you can read about here http://ted.earthclinic.com/remedies/methylene-blue.html as a great help we buy it at an aquarium shop or online I add 10 to 15 drops to this, for general supplementation. I then mark the bottle and add a dose to a glass add 1/2 glass of water and drink. janet

hi,

I do not know if the HA I used is the best, I just know that it worked for DDD in several friends, several people in the EC community and myself. The product I used is called, "NOW Double Strength Hyaluronic Acid (100 mg/capsule)" at three capsules per day. Here is a link to what this product looks like :

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Hyaluronic-Acid-100mg-Capsules/dp/B00663G8WO/ref=sr_1_5?crid=K4E9UNMXJSQL&keywords=now+double+strength+hyaluronic+acid&qid=1695173468&sprefix=Now+double+,aps,192&sr=8-5

This product has other ingredients in it which may be additive and I feel that the HA itself is what offers the main benefit. It has been a reliable product through the years in my experience and it is convenient.

I have contacted the manufacturer before to find out the molecular weight and they gave me the information, but I no longer have it as it was a long time ago.

Art

h,

I used Ted's HA/salt mixture many years ago and for me it was a little inconvenient and when I suggested it to friends, they often had problems mixing it up properly and that is how I found the NOW HA capsules to be more convenient and at least as effective without the mixing problems that my friends seemed to experience. I didn't have a problem mixing it, the capsules just avoided that problem and made it easier for me when I was traveling. The Stopain is just a temporary addition until the DDD pain is managed and then it can be stopped.

I'm not really familiar with the many powdered forms of HA, so I am not a good one to ask about that.

Art

Hi Madelyn,

Thank you for pointing that out.. I meant 500mg per Ted's instructions, not 50mg. I will correct my post!

Thanks for letting me know, Deirdre. I'm off to mix up a batch with 500mg HA!

I like your approach, Art. Thanks for the explanation!

FAM Coll,

I don't use HA powder and sea salt, I use capsules and Stopain as I described here and find very convenient, very easy and very effective in a relatively short period of time :

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/ddd-art-solbrig.html

I just measured some HA powder that I happened to have, with a digital milligram scale and a level full 1/4 teaspoon weighed in around 360 mg, so it will take a slightly over full 1/4 teaspoon to approximate 500 mg, but keep in mind that measuring spoons vary by manufacturer and by country. As an example, I have three different measuring spoon sets and the 1/4 teaspoon for each set holds a different amount of powder at level full and consequently the milligrams vary from one to the other. I tried adding a 1/8th teaspoon to the 1/4 teaspoon and that was too much at approximately 700 mg.

Art

Hello Janet,

Your notes on DDD are very interesting.

Could you kindly tell me what mct Oil is please??

FYI, I notice too many abbreviations on this Site and I am easily confused!!

Thanks in anticipation,

Michael

Hi Art - You mentioned you could tell a difference while using the first bottle of the HCA capsules (which I'm about to begin the same brand for bone-on-bone pain due to no cartilage in my left hip joint). I know that was ages ago but do you remember how many weeks/days it took before noticing a difference? I'm eager to be in less pain as I'm not a good candidate for many other options. I'm also using chicken sternum collagen but have only been taking that about 5 days. For reference I'm 63 going on 100 in my body but 30 in my head. Lol Thank you so much!

Hi Marta,

I think you will be happy with your results using the capsules in combination with the Stopain roll on. Fortunately the specific capsules from NOW called Double Strength Hyaluronic Acid are back in stock. Here is a link to these particular capsules :

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Hyaluronic-Acid-100mg-Capsules/dp/B00663G8WO

I did try another brand of HA for a friend when the NOW brand was out of stock and my friend told me she didn't think it worked for her , but the one above does.

The Stopain roll on is only needed until the pain is controlled and it works very well in combination with the NOW Double Strength HA capsules. The capsules are taken everyday at 3 capsules per day. No breaks.

I have had several friends use borax and HA simultaneously and they have not reported any problems with that combination. Boron is needed in some form or another for proper joint and bone health. The body produces HA in significant amounts, so I am not aware of how these two are contraindicated together.

Please keep us updated on how the HA capsules + Stopain roll on work out for you.

Art

Hi again, Marta.

I did read and reply to your other post.

Regarding a glucosamine supplement with the ingredients you mentioned, I did use several and the best one for me was called Osteo Bi-Flex of which there are several types. In hindsight, it was just basically a Band-Aid. It did work well initially when my arthritis wasn't bad, but it stopped working as my arthritis quickly got worse and that is when I finally got my nerve up to try borax at the dose that Ted recommended. The dose that Dr. Rex Newnham recommended was too low for me and ineffective. He is the one who discovered borax/boron for arthritis, I think back in the 1970's or maybe even late 1960's.

Borax has been life changing for me and has kept my PA in remission for over 15 years now. Had I known then what I know now, I would never have wasted my time on glucosamine multis and just gone straight to borax.

I hope I have answered your questions and thank you for the inquiries.

Art

Thank you, Art! (There was something funny with my post submission so I didn't see your reply till now.) I got that double-strength supplement and have been taking it since Friday. Very hopeful. You said I only need 3 a day (not 5 for the full 500mg, eh?). I'm buying the Stopain now and I'll mix up some Borax to take daily. I will update here in about 2 weeks, once things have had enough time to take effect. Thank you so much!

Hi Marta,

On the bottle of the NOW brand Double Strength Hyaluronic Acid, you will see that they recommend one capsule two times per day with food, but I have found that one capsule three times per day with food for a total of 300 mg per day to be an effective dose for DDD. Using it in conjunction with the Stopain roll on has been very effective for relieving pain caused by DDD and more effective than without the Stopain.

Please keep us posted on how it works for you, whether it is good or bad.

Art

... The formula won't work if it is gel. It must be very watery or it doesn't get absorbed. The gels just get stuck in the intestines and become an intestinal lubricant instead.

Source: https://ted.earthclinic.com/supplements/hyaluronic-acid3.html

Ted's Hyaluronic Acid Formula for DDD:

Didn't Ted say 9 grams? I used 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, and 10 powder filled capsules of HA, 50 mg each, to total 500 mg., in 16 oz. Of COLD refrigerated water, in water bottle. I poured those 2 items in, mixed it up, then put back in fridge for 2-4 hours, depending on what I was doing, I would go into kitchen and shake it quickly, and shove it back in fridge (as per Purebulk's instructions). After doing this for 12-18 hours, (first bottle took 12 hours, second took 18 hours, ) I measured 8 caps with the cap that was on the water bottle, came up to roughly a shot glass, I quess. My hubby takes it 3 times a day, one first thing in morning, one a few hours after lunch, or when he gets home from work around 4, then one right before bed. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get half your weight in ounces of water per day. If you weigh 100 lbs., drink 50 oz water. HA goes hand in hand with water. Without water, it cant do it's job!

My husband (after 5 days) says that his "sticking points" in his back when he bends over, the 2 catches he has had for years, are gone! His knee feels awesome, after also bothering him for years. He is a body builder, and he is able to lift without worrying about the pain.

I have also been on it. My face skin looks prettier, (awesome! ) and I feel like a MILLION BUCKS. I can't explain what that means exactly, except it's nice! I'm 46, fairly good shape, exercise moderately, try to eat right. I am finally getting the water I am supposed to take. Note: Put a squirt of lemon or lime in EACH of your glasses of water for alkalizing purposes - SO important. Skip the baking soda if you have hbp. Switch to Sea salt only. Take an iodine supplement each day, even if it's drops of liquid kelp from health food store. Avoid aspartame like the plague. It literally makes me stupid, I can't think, raging headaches until I detox from it for a couple weeks. Be proactive. It's your body. Put into it what you want to get out of it. God Bless. Lisa

Confirming about taking HA every day until the cartilage is cured.

The dose is about 8 caps three times a day empty stomach. It takes about 2 weeks to completely remove all back pain and the joint affected area in extremities may take a little longer.

Thank you, Sam

Art,

How do you measure 500 mg of hyaluronic acid? What's the conversion? Teaspoons? Weight? I tried to search it, but thought it quicker to ask you. Thanks for any information you can provide.

Hi Deirdre, in the first paragraph you mentioned 50mg HA, and later 500mg, 1000mg, and 1500mg of HA added to your salt solution. Did you intend to write 500mg rather than 50mg? I'm planning on making the solution. Thanks so much for sharing your experiment with us! Earth Clinic is the best!!

Hello Deirdre,

I am thrilled that you are achieving some success with your pain control-that's great to hear. I trust that you will give this new trick of yours sufficient time to prove itself one way or the other! Such initial, rapid results are impressive!

I do wonder though why you stopped using the DMSO and Borax Protocol, as I thought you were experiencing great benefit from it and that it was your own special discovery!?

I have trouble locating 20 Mule Team Borax over here (or any Borax for that matter). However, I sent away to the States for the DMSO but have so far been too nervous to use it on my sore joints and muscles. I had thought that it could be useful in specifically targeting the narrow/tight spots where the tendons attach themselves (Tendonitis) to the scapula area but I worry how the DMSO works. Does it ONLY target the things that shouldn't be inside the body or is there any risk at all that it could adversely affect important things such as the cartilage for instance? Does it target the nasty bio-films and micro-plasma or something else? Where is the science? It would be nice to think that it could reverse calcification of muscles! Does it?

How does it know what to "melt" and what not to "melt" and presumably flush out of the system? Is it really that "smart"?

I don't wish to be an alarmist - just exercising "An Abundance of Caution" really!

Any thoughts and recommendations would be sincerely appreciated, especially as you have had recent personal experience with using it on yourself.

Cheers from Down Under (where it is getting positively chilly in the hills these days! ).

P.S. I would also welcome comments from Art, MTM, ORH and (Philippines) Bill et al obviously, if they should feel so inclined. Thanks again!

Can Celtic salt be used?

Hi Maria,

I just read your post and it interested me, as a very good friend of mine suffers from the same problem of herniated disc but also drying out of his lumbar discs. He suffers mostly at night, waking up in pain, hard to turn over and getting up in the morning.He stays stiff for an hour usually, and does not loosen up until he has had his 2 to 3 km walk. Daytime not quite so painful until evenings or sitting for long time. Sciatic nerve is compressed.

Does that sound familiar? I would dearly like to know if you are getting improving results from your treatment regime and if you have changed it in any way. Hoping to hear good news from you. Thank you. Michael

Arthritis please use MSM/borax or topical solution. HA will not work for arthritis pains.

Ashley, I am so happy for you and I'm excited to try this remedy, I feel so identify with you. I'm a single mother of a 15 & 11 yrs. I have been consumed in pain and fear for so many years. Are you still taking it? How often?

Famcoll,

Yes, that is correct, take the HA with food. Apply the Stopain as needed until no longer needed.

Art

Hi Art, and everyone else commenting.

I've read several threads because recent MRI shows my pain is from bulging disks. I'm 42 and very flexible, movement is important to me, I am young-seeming for my age, so this is a bummer. Going to PT and chiropractic and want to add the HA remedy, I think I'll start will the capsules (thank you, Art). I read somewhere here - I think - that I should not also do boron / borax remedies at the same time. I can no longer find that, so my question is whether there was a contraindication to do the borax at the same time? (I was going to start it for other, general health benefits, and since there's a little arthritis in my cervical vertebrae figured it's time to start).

Also - when taking the HA capsules, should we follow the 5 days on and 2 days off schedule, or just go for it for a few weeks? Thank you so much for your contributions here. I feel hopeful! Stuff has been weird in my neck since March 2023, and then increased in pain since October 2023 - ready for a health jump in February 2024! :)

Hi Art,

(I just submitted a reply but forgot to login, hopefully that still appears). So grateful, a question : any input on a supplement that has glucosamine, chondroitin MSM and HA? I can send more details.

Originally I came to ask if it was ok to take the HA capsules you recommended while taking borax/boron solution (the dissolved and taken little quantities of the liquid version of the remedy). I thought I read somewhere in all the threads that I shouldn't overlap them but now I'm not sure if I imagined that.

I hope my original reply posts, because I shared more, but most important: SO GRATEFUL for all these posts and all the support on here. <3 <3

Right, there is vit. C in the mixture, to act as a preservative. It is a small amount, equaling about 250 mg. Per dose. This dosing info is from Purebulk website, where they tell how to mix it. Go to the site, pull up "hyaluronic Acid" and just read their info. On there. Very enlightening, indeed. But according to the Dr. Who wrote "How to live 100 years without Growing" , Vit. C in the body reacts with any unbound iron that may be in the body to break down HA by becoming a "pro" oxidant, vs. The antioxidant we all understand Vit. C to be. He confirmed (in an email to me) that taking bioflavinoids like Quercetin (which is an iron-binder) will keep this from happening, thus allowing you to reap the benefits of HA AND vit. C at the same time. That's what his book teaches, anyway. And I emailed him to ask him again just to be sure. Just read the book for yourself to glean your own info and understanding of what he explains. The info I gave was what I took away from the book, though, and I have added quercetin to my own supplement regimen. Don't take my word for it, read for yourself, it's always good to come to your own conclusions. For the Dr's website who wrote "... Live 100 Years... ", type in keywords Bill Sardi, and you will find ample info on him and his books. Fascinating guy.

I too would like this clarified.

I made the recipe which produces 2 cups or 16 oz of liquid.

I assumed his "1 cap full" was about 1/2 oz. Every cap is a different size but given you mix up 16 oz (2 cups) and he says to store in the fridge, taking 8 cap fulls or (my assumption 4oz, 3 times a day) you would deplete the mixed amount in 1 day with 2 oz left over.

I had an accident. Been using the 2 cups every day for 20 days. Finally have gotten some relief from the horrible pain.

Was it this remedy or time, IDK? I will continue, what could it hurt. The hydrocodone the traditional doctors gave me made me crazy, to the point of suicidal. I had to get off that.