Post by Rene on Mar 5, 2009 11:59:56 GMT -7
Herbal Treatment and Prevention of Arthritis
According to David Hoffmann, B.Sc., M.N.I.M.H., of Sebastopol, California, past President of the American Herbalist Guild, many anti-inflammatory and alternative herbs help in alleviating the symptoms of arthritis. Of the many possible combinations this is a safe mixture that can be taken over a long period of time: combine the tinctures of meadowsweet, willow bark, black cohosh, prickly ash, celery seed, and nettle in equal parts and take one teaspoonful of this mixture three times a day. In cases of rheumatoid arthritis add wild yam and valerian to the mixture and take one teaspoonful of this mixture three times a day.
According to Dr. Murray, yucca and devil's claw may possess positive anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects for arthritic patients. In clinical trials on gout patients, devil's claw was found to relieve joint pain, as well as reduce serum cholesterol and uric acid levels. For gout sufferers, Dr. Murray recommends a dosage of devil's claw of 1 to 2 grams three times a day of dried powdered root; 4 to 5 milliliters three times a day of tincture (1:5); or 400 milligrams three times a day of dry solid extract (3:1).
Other recommended herbs include licorice and alfalfa.31 Feverfew has also been found to be effective in inhibiting the synthesis of pro-inflammatory compounds and decreasing the body's inflammatory response. Other herbal remedies that have proven effective for rheumatoid arthritis include tumeric, ginger, skullcap, bupleurum, and ginseng.32
Dr. Murray recommends that arthritis and gout sufferers consume half a pound of fresh or canned cherries per day. Cherries, hawthorn berries, blueberries, and other dark red-blue berries are rich sources of compounds that have been found to favorably affect collagen metabolism and prevent and reduce inflammation of joints.36
According to Robert Bingham, M.D., Medical Director at the Desert Arthritis and Medical Clinic in Desert Hot Springs, California, the use of the yucca plant as a vaccine has proven highly successful as a nonspecific immune stimulator which reduces infection and inflammation.
Yucca extract is made from an extract of the yucca plant found in the Southwestern deserts and in Mexico. Its main therapeutic agent is a high concentration of the steroid saponin, which improves circulation in the intestinal tract, while reducing any abnormal fat content in the blood. One of the main benefits of this "natural medicine" is that it has no harmful side effects, unlike most of the pharmacological medicines prescribed for arthritis.33
Standard dosage is two tablets taken three times a day with meals, according to Dr. Bingham. Results are usually felt within three weeks, with the maximum effect being felt after four months. The yucca extract is safe enough to take for longer periods of time to prevent any recurrence of symptoms and can be purchased today without a prescription.34
Dr. Bingham's clinic has conducted several successful clinical studies of yucca extract and its approval as an herbal food supplement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Today, it is already being used by close to three thousand physicians across the United States, and thousands of patients worldwide. It is available in Japan, Korea, England, Germany and, to some extent, Canada.
From: <http://www.alternativemedicine.com/>