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Natural Remedies and a Good Diet are Not Helping My Joint Inflammation

Posted By Jules (Florida) on 08/19/2016

Hello. I am currently suffering from major inflammation in one of my knuckles and then in one of my feet. It came on suddenly and I have been dealing with this for 6 weeks now. I am currently waiting for test results to rule out RA, infection, etc. I am very knowledgeable about health/nutrition and I eat a very clean diet. Since this has started I have eliminated all sugar, most grains and I am gluten free/dairy free. I feel that I am supplementing with many natural anti-inflammatory herbs and foods but nothing seems to be helping. The only thing that helps with pain and swelling is ibuprofen. I do not want to continue taking this as I am aware of the side effects. I feel this must be gut related and I am also trying to heal my gut with bone broth, fermented foods and good probiotics. If anyone has any ideas or advice I would so appreciate it!!

Replied by Michael (New Zealand) on 08/19/2016

Well Jules, you look like you are doing the right thing with going dairy free and attempting to rule out sugar, some grains and gluten rich foods. You say you eat a healthy diet BUT you only recently embarked on this journey! It will take a long time for your body to rid itself of years of accumulated toxins and rubbish. My first observation is that I had bad finger and thumb joint pains when I was thirtyish and they resolved themselves within a year of two on their own and I was not leading a 100% pure lifestyle back then and did not do anything special as far as I recall. I DO remember that I freaked out and thought I was becoming a cripple at a young age!! I am not belittling your troubles please understand- just attempting some balance during troubled times. So relax a bit and be aware that stress is a factor. Meditate, go for long walks and yoga away.When you find out the results of your RA test, you can think more specifically about what to do. Rather that taking dozens of remedies (expensive and frustrating) concentrate NOW/ yesterday on getting the basics right for the next few months. A lot of dairy, wheat, sugar and salt sneak into our foods unobserved by us and you need to be a questioning consumer and policeman. Attempt to NOT eat packaged foods if possible & drink less coffee/coke - more water etc. I think sugar and wheat are the worst of those four bad guys for what you MAY have. We have a herbalist over here who concocts a brew specifically for joint pain/arthritis sufferers and the Editor MAY allow me to mention his name if he/she is in a good mood but you need to be gluten-free for that one to work properly. The bakers put EXTRA gluten into bread these days and it is claimed that wheat was tampered with a few decades ago. We really have stuffed up our modern nutrition. When I was a boy (in the U.K.) they dug up an Iron-age man and managed to analyze his stomach contents and it was far more nutritious/ unadulterated than ours of course.

He was called "Lindow Man" if you are interested.

Keep in touch if you like- there is more where this came from but this is a good position to take to start from without getting complicated.

Cheers, Michael

Replied by Iowa (Usa) on 08/20/2016

Hi Jules and Michael, I am sorry to hear about your joint pains. My own problems were caused by me, by my years of getting carried away in nursery work, aided by my poor eating. The whole ruckus started suddenly about 2 weeks after I retired and it involved pain, redness, and swelling and was quite scarey at the time. You are smart to have already put sound diet changes into place. That is why I want to share what I do when I make my joints mad (nowadays by getting carried away out in my yard). It is two to four hours of earnest kayak paddling that work wonders for me. My feeling is that the pumping action of my hands as I paddle helps to move the inflamed stuff out of the hidden places in my joints, and then pushes it out into the open, where it can be dealt with. It usually takes about 24 hours for the redness and swelling to be completely gone. Perhaps you might think of an enjoyable activity that works your affected joints. Your answer is out there and I wish you success in finding it.

Replied by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 08/20/2016

Jules, read up on Clay. Internal (drink LOTS of water) and external poultices.

Replied by Michael (New Zealand) on 08/20/2016

Hi Jules and Iowa. Iowa mentioned exercising by kayaking for his hands and I remembered what a Thai person once told me that was so simple it is generally ignored I suppose. I did study some Thai and Ayurvedic treatments a few years ago and got a lot of benefit from some of their practices. This one JUST involves clenching and releasing and extending your fingers and thumbs several times and pausing a moment at each clenching and extension for a couple of seconds and concentrating on what you are feeling. If you did this for say four to five times a day for a week to ten days, you might be pleasantly surprised! Be gentle with yourself and give it a go. Can't hurt to do it and who knows? I just love these simple remedies that we are forgetting whilst reaching for the "Quick Fix from a Bottle"!

You could maybe take some Magnesium Chloride LIQUID also to gain some additional magnesium which you could very well benefit from. Stick to the recommended dose though.

Best wishes,

Michael

Replied by Stonefieldsian (New Zealand) on 08/21/2016

Where in New Zealand can I buy food grade magnesium chloride?

Replied by Michael (New Zealand) on 08/22/2016
"Clinicians"!

Replied by Mrs A (London Uk) on 08/22/2016

Jules - here is a bizarre remedy, which by coincidence I have just read in my newspaper (not normally where I find natural cures). The correspondent had written... "Ibuprofen had been of no help. He had resorted to applying stinging nettles to the painful hip and was now back on his bicycle, riding up to 10 miles a day" (he was 81). Apparently the white, non-stinging nettle doesn't work.

Also: "A 72-year-old with severe arthritis ... found that "cabbage leaf strapped in place was the only thing that relieved pain", and that "since antiquity people have been applying cabbage leaves to their swollen joints."

Do let us know if you try either remedy, and the result.

Replied by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/23/2016

Dear Mrs. A,

I have also read about using stinging nettle the way you have described for sciatica pain and arthritis pain!

I have used cabbage leaves topically to relieve pain and inflammation. It works!

~Mama to Many~

Replied by Mrs A. (London Uk) on 08/23/2016

Dear Mama to Many,

Delighted to read that you had heard of - and actually tried - the cabbage for joint pain. I wonder if anyone will write in to say they've tried the nettles. What a pity it's got to be the stinging variety!

I always love reading your input - and visualising you among your amazing family -

Replied by Jim (Frostburg) on 08/25/2016

Jules,

As you have the inflammation in spots as opposed to all over, I would suspect actual local damage due to physical or arthritic-causing attack. To alleviate the pain and restore normal function I would take 1000 MG of MSM twice per day; once in the morning and once a hour or so after dinner. MSM is classified as a food substance and is harmless --something which cannot be claimed by most modern-day pain-relievers.

The origin of attack/damage still might be possibly parasitic, bacterial, mold or fungus-related; and thus I would attempt the borax protocol given by Ted on this website.

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