It is commonly thought that arthritis is caused by ‘wear and tear’. However, this explanation is vague and does not explain all those which are active in life and do not acquire it. It is now believed that the initial cause of the inflammation is down to an underlying over-production of uric acid which settles in the joints and causes an immune reaction involving cytokines and lymphocytes. This causes inflammation of the synovial fluid which eventually expands and covers the cartilage preventing it from getting its usual supply of nutrients which causes the cartilage to become damaged.

Arthritis

So the question becomes; what causes uric acid deposits in the joints? The answer is, our diet. An acidic diet in particular. Foods which are acidic include; meat, fish, eggs and cheese. The acids of these foods are neutralised by alkaline salts such as; sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and others. These are found in fruit and vegetables (this diet is explained more in-depth in my article on what a healthy diet really is). If you are unfortunate enough to have an alkaline diet but still have arthritis the cause may be a diminished ability to eliminate toxins and a poor circulation of blood to the area.

Another nutritional cause may be found in our western diet which consists of mostly omega-6 which is inflammatory. A source of omega-6 is wheat germ which is a grain used incredibly often in the western diet. It would not be unusual to hear someone say they have toast (or nothing) for breakfast, followed by a sandwich for lunch and pasta for tea. However, omega-3 is anti-inflammatory and is found in; nuts, seeds and fish (mostly). For this reason you can see why arthritis is so infrequent in the eastern countries. Therefore, it is important to not simply have an alkaline diet but also a diet higher in omega-3 than omega-6. However, this is not difficult as these two diets have a lot of over-lap. Again, the omega debate and diet is covered in more depth in my article on a healthy diet.

When it comes to treatment the herbalist always approaches the problem by attempting to find the cause and treating that rather than the symptoms. This is because treating symptoms can change the picture of a disease by changing its symptoms rather than eliminating it completely. An example of this is the common occurrence of eczema in children being treated with steroids only to turn into asthma or hay fever (other expressions of a hyper-reactive immune system).

Herbal Remedies

As each individual suffers with arthritis in a different way and has different causes for their disease it is highly recommended that you see a herbalist. The more time you spend speaking openly with a herbalist about yourself the better quality the medicine will be to treat holistically and effectively. Below are a few remedies which may alleviate the symptoms if it gets too painful and some general advice.

Firstly it is recommended that you get in the habit of:

  1. Having a teaspoon of honey in hot water (not boiling) and a dessertspoon of apple cider vinegar three times a day (highly alkaline)
  2. Having a teaspoon of black molasses three times a day
  3. Taking an Epsom salt bath three times a week
  4. Having good quality vitamins and minerals (I would recommend viridian and solgar as they arn’t full of rubbish bulking agents such as chalk)
  5. Gentle exercise

(Hills, M. (1985) Treating Arthritis The Drug-Free Way. London: Sheldon Press.)

Strawberries, raspberries and cherries are particularly good cleansers and help clear uric acid.

Urtica dioica (Nettle) neutralise uric acids.

Prickly ash is a warming pain reliever.

Prepare 20 Blackcurrant leaves to 1 ¾ pints of white wine soaked for 10-15 days. A wineglassful should be given with a drop of cassis every day before dinner.

Filipendula ulmaria(Meadowsweet) is a powerful eliminator of uric acid and contains salicylic acid.

A hot compress of cider vinegar is pain killing.

St. Johns Wort oil with lavender, pine, juniper, roman chamomile, black pepper, marjoram and ginger relieves pain when applied topically.

Most of these remedies were chosen from Griggs, B. (2000) The Green Witch, A Modern Woman’s Herbal. London: Vermillion, for their ability to eliminate uric acid.