(NaturalNews) Though typically referred to as a single condition characterized by chronic joint pain, arthritis is actually a collective grouping of more than 100 different diseases involving joint inflammation for which many conventional doctors simply prescribe pain drugs as a one-size-fits-all solution. But rather than resort to a lifetime of taking chemical toxins that fail to address the root causes of arthritis, why not try some natural, herbal alternatives that have been proven to provide lasting benefits without causing negative side effects?
Whether you or someone you know suffers from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or gout, there are many herbal remedies known to treat arthritis-causing inflammation and pain symptoms. And many of these remedies do more than just treat the systems, as they systemically enhance the body's ability to heal joint tissue and protect it from further damage.
Lemon verbena extract and omega-3 fish oil
In 2011, researchers from Spain published a study in the
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM) revealing how lemon verbena extract combined with omega-3 fish oil is a powerful weapon in defeating chronic joint pain. After just nine weeks of treatment, patients taking this combination experienced as much as a 78 percent reduction in their pain symptoms, based on trusted scientific assessments of pain (
http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/444/011264-444.html).
"The nutritional supplement containing standardized lemon verbena extract (14 percent verbascoside, w/w) and fish oil omega-3 fatty acid reduced symptoms of pain and stiffness significantly, and improved physical function as shown by WOMAC (Western Ontario McMaster) and Lequesne's scores after nine weeks of treatment," wrote the authors (
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22087615).
Organic sulfur
Organic sulfur, the precursor of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate, two sulfur-based amino acids commonly found in arthritis supplements, is crucial to maintaining bone and joint health. And yet this important nutrient has largely disappeared from the modern food supply due to the advent of chemical-based fertilizers used in industrial agriculture, which have depleted bioavailable sulfur from soils and disrupted the natural sulfur cycle (
http://www.naturalnews.com/026797_sulfur_organic.html).
This is why any attempt to quell arthritis pain must include supplementation with bioavailable, organic sulfur crystals, also known as methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), derived from natural plant sources. Many mainstream MSM formulas contain processed sulfur that is largely ineffective, so be sure to look for pure, organic sulfur crystals in "flake" form rather than in powder or capsule form (
http://www.organicsulfur-msm.ca/cellular_matrix_study.html).
Nettle leaf
Nettle leaf, also known as "stinging nettles," is an herb that has long been used in traditional medicine to reduce inflammation. Rich in natural boron, silicon, and other minerals, nettle has been shown in a number of studies to effectively treat all forms of arthritis, as well as tendinitis and bursitis. Nettle leaf can also be made into a topical cream useful in relieving arthritis symptoms externally (
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/benefits-of/nettles-leaf).
"[A]ll except one respondent were sure that nettles had been very helpful (in treating joint pain) and several considered themselves cured," wrote authors in a 1999 study out of
Plymouth Postgraduate Medical School in the U.K. concerning nettle leaf.
Sources for this article include:http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/444/011264-444.htmlhttp://www.herbalremedies.com/arthritispain.html
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