Natural Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you experience swelling and stiffness in the joints of your hands, wrists, knees and ankles, you may be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a progressive inflammatory disease and autoimmune disorder characterized by deterioration of synovium, a protective lining of tissue that acts as a shock absorber for your joints.

You cannot cure your disease, but you may be able to improve your condition and quality of life by exploring natural treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Strategies

Consider getting frequent massages. Deep tissue massage is thought to increase production of endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers.

Reduce your consumption of animal products, because they are high in arachidonic acid content. This acid is converted in the body into leukotrienes and other prostaglandins, inflammatory mediators that contribute to the swelling and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Apply topical creams that contain capsaicin, which is derived from chili peppers. Capsaicin is considered a natural treatment of rheumatoid arthritis because it inhibits the release of substance P in nerve endings. Substance P is a neuropeptide that signals the brain to perceive pain. (See Reference 1.)

Avoid engaging in activities that involve strain or sudden impact, which may increase the risk of injury to your joints.

Supplements

Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. In a 2002 review of 20 years' worth of available medical literature, titled "Omega-3 fatty acids in inflammation and autoimmune diseases," the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health concluded that "many of the placebo-controlled trials of fish oil in chronic inflammatory diseases reveal significant benefit, including decreased disease activity and a lowered use of anti-inflammatory drugs." The mechanism behind this is primarily the inhibition of inflammatory mediators collectively known as cytokines.

Supplement with S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e), a form of the amino acid methionine, which is naturally produced by the body to stimulate production of proteoglycans, proteins that form the building blocks of cartilage. Argentinean researchers who conducted a double-blind clinical trial involving 45 subjects found not only that supplementation with SAM-e was as effective as piroxicam in reducing inflammation and pain, but that relief was longer-lasting. (See Reference 2.)

Suppress the production of excess inflammatory mediators even further by taking stinging nettle leaf extract. German researchers have found that nettle blocks the release of leukotrienes by 50% and prostaglandins by 100% within 24 hours of supplementation. (See Reference 3.)