Joint Resolution - role food can play in treating rheumatoid arthritis; includes related article on foods that combat arthritic pain

Vegetarian Times, May, 1999 by Laurel Kallenbach

Technically, aging doesn't cause osteoarthritis. "It just sets the stage for it," says Luke Bucci, Ph.D., author of Healing Arthritis the Natural Way (Summit, 1995). "Surprisingly, the first stages of osteoarthritis develop during the second decade of your life," says Larry Frieder, D.C., a chiropractor in Boulder, Colo. Injuries ranging from a fall off a playground swing to a car accident are enough to start arthritis formation, he notes. "I treat many young adults who have neck or lower back pain related to a past injury but didn't receive any physical therapy.

"Here's an analogy," he continues. "When your car is out of alignment for months, the tires wear unevenly. In the body, if your musculoskeletal alignment is off, joint cartilage wears unevenly." The person most at risk for this type of arthritis, he says, is the weekend warrior--the person who's not in peak athletic condition and therefore prone to injury--who allows the injury to heal without getting bodywork or physical therapy. Incomplete healing then leads to restricted muscle and joint motion. Correcting musculoskeletal imbalances with bodywork can actually prevent osteoarthritis. Chiropractic adjustments and massage normalize and balance musculoskeletal function, and physical therapy uses exercises to retrain weak and injured muscles to work more efficiently and in concert with stronger muscles. On top of that, ultrasound treatment, consisting of tiny electrical pulses, stimulates muscles and increases blood flow to an injury. Getting orthotic inserts in your shoes can correct postural imbalances that contribute to knee or hip arthritis. To prevent osteoarthritis, have all injuries, aches and pains evaluated by a professional. In addition, regular, moderate exercise--preferably low impact--assures healthy joints.

NATURAL PAIN REDUCERS

The conventional prescription for osteoarthritis is NSAIDs, which reduce swelling and pain but don't promote healing. In fact, long-term doses of NSAIDs may actually inhibit cartilage repair, increase joint deterioration and lead to stomach irritation, increased bleeding and impaired kidney function. "Relying too heavily on NSAIDs for pain is like wrapping cotton around your smoke alarm so you can't hear it go off," says Frieder. "Pain is a signal that something is wrong and it should alert you to take care of the problem."

Turning to natural methods is one way of alleviating pain while allowing the body to heal itself. Unfortunately, two of the more promising treatments come from animal sources: supplemental glucosamine sulfate, derived from chitin, a tissue found in shellfish; and chondroitin, which comes from refined fish or animal cartilage. Vegetarians can turn to extracts from an Ayurvedic herb, Boswellia serrata, which have shown good results in reducing inflammation and improving blood supply to the joint tissues. These extracts, known as boswellic acids, reduce symptoms in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published in 1991.