Off Topic: Need a little help with arthritis

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MeMa

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Arthritis runs in my family. 3 of my nieces are afflicted, one from the time she was an infant.

It's never really bothered me before, except for a touch of it in one hip, which comes from bone necrosis I suffered from a hip displacement 10 years ago, not congenitally, so I thought I lucked out.

But with the cold weather and no indoor heating, and probably also from all the extra typing and mousing I do now, the knuckles in my right hand are starting to really ache.

I brought a big bottle of ibuprofin, but, if someone could recommend a really good arthritis med, and JohnnyVapor or Adrennalynn could translate that into chinese for me to show to a pharmacy, I would REALLY appreciate it. :cool:

I haven't read all the responses so excuse me if this has been mentioned.

Acpuncture is wonderful, however it might be difficult to find one in China who speaks English. My acpuncturist recommended a ginger poultice for arthritis. Grate up some fresh ginger root. Add it to a pot of water and let it boil about 3-5 minutes. Soak a cloth in the ginger soup, let the cloth cool and apply it to the affected area. Another thing that I found that works for 'mouse wrist, shoulder, etc.' is to mouse with the other hand. Switch back and forth to avoid fatigue in either hand.
 

Adrenalynn

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You all are gonna make the poor guy swallow his tongue! :-x:lol:


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JohnnyVapor

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...if someone could recommend a really good arthritis med, and JohnnyVapor or Adrennalynn could translate that into chinese for me to show to a pharmacy, I would REALLY appreciate it. :cool:

FWIW, I don't speak Chinese, but I know Japanese. I'm able to discern some meaning from reading Chinese characters, but I couldn't help you in this scenario. I'm glad Adrenalynn was able to help though. :)
 

Adrenalynn

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I don't speak Chinese either. Well - not with any fluency. Reading and writing, I'm pretty good in specialized areas. Technology and medicine being two of them. Comes from current and past -errr - lives. ;)

I have an insane memory [literally]. I've been poked and prodded so many times in relation to it that it seems every research shrink and biochemist has had a piece of me at one time or another in my life, especially when I was too young to say "no". If I see it, hear it, smell it, feel it, taste it; the precise memory is reproducible again in its sensory form. [shrug] It's a curse.
 

leaford

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Leaford, PLEASE dont go into anaphalxis!!!!!!!!!! :)

I'm pretty sure Addy was referring to me having to bite my tongue to swallow my responses. :lol:

I know you mean well, and I really really appreciate the sentiment, but naturopathy is as false as Qi.

You realize that the entire "nutritional supplement" industry is unregulated and unproven, and that every actual scientific study done on them has failed to prove any effectiveness. If it really worked, it would be EASY to prove it.

Doctors are NOT scientists, and generally do a poor job of scientific research. And anytime you see a freaking laundry list of conditions that one type of "suppliment" is supposed to cure, you should realize you're being sold BS.

Look at your friends claims:

"Scientific research has demonstrated that most diseases that plague modern man are caused by diet-induced chronic inflammation."

That's just plain false. Scientific research has given us REAL understanding of the causes of diseases, and they are things like viruses, bacteria, fungus and other infections; biochemical imbalances, genetic mutations or damage, organ damage or failure, etc. Yes, malnutrition or just poor diet certainly does cause SOME disease, but MOST? That's a totally false claim.

And what's the "modern man" bit supposed to mean? Virtually NO diseases or conditions are unique to modern man, they've been with us since time immemorial. He's just playing the "toxic modern world" BS.

"Here is a partial list of conditions that are driven by diet-induced inflammation: aches and pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, acne, aging, syndrome X, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke, Alzhemier’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, psoriasis, eczema, and multiple sclerosis."

Come on! Really? Acne? Eczema? DIABETES? Cancer? Parkinsons? MS? Pure bull. No one cause would lead to all those different and wildly varied conditions. You've got neurological conditions, genetic conditions, freaking skin conditions for crying out loud!

And no one treatment of ANY kind could possible cure them all. Not to mentions that REAL scientific research has already been done on all of them, and we KNOW what REALLY causes most of them. And it's not diet.

The acne and diabetes are about the only ones on that list that COULD be caused by diet, but even there they have absolutely NO relation to inflammation, which is his claim.

Bad or insufficient diets hurt your body, and a better diet will help your body recover from a nutritional deficit, that much is 100% true. But the only condition that better nutrition will actually cure is malnutrition.

The thing to remember about any kind of alternative medicine is that if it really worked, it would just be called medicine. ;) ANd if it did work, that fact would be very, VERY easy to prove.

Again, I don't mean this to sound as if I'm going off on YOU, CTJ. I really, really appreciate the thought behind your suggestion. :wub: And I don't mean to sound condescending, if I'm coming across that way, please chalk it up to my poor social skills, and the fact that alt-med silliness is one of my hot-buttons.

But I will stick to actual science and evidence based medicine, thanks. :cool:
 
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JohnnyVapor

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There are a couple of herbal supplements that I'm totally in favor of. For example, capsaicin is wonderful for solving problems like "My stomach isn't burning nearly enough", or "I have far too much water to drink, I hate water!"

I agree with Leaford that most of the stuff out there is utter bunk. There are a few things that started as herbal supplements and proved themselves to be useful under the harsh light of science, such as white willow bark(a natural source of salicin, very similar to aspirin).
 

leaford

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Once again I find myself apologizing.

Sorry CTJ, I should not have allowed myself to go off. I am sincerely ashamed that I responded that way to your sincere offer of help. Even though I may have disagreed with the suggestion, it really is the thought that counts, and I DO appreciate the thought.

But I was a student of History in college. I am more aware than most of just how miserable, brutal, and short people's lives once were, and how it was science that changed that. For all that alt-med proponents like to make claims about their nonsense being science-backed, it isn't. ANd when that is pointed out, they then show their true anti-science nature. "Science doesn't know everything." "Science does more harm than good." "Natural remedies are better than pharmaceuticals." Bah.

Natural remedies are what gave us an average 35 year life span. Natural remedies left 6 out of 10 children dying before the age of 5. Science based medicine is far from perfect, but it's the ONLY thing that really works, and it has made truly PHENOMENAL inprovements to the human condition.

Alt-med denies all that, which just pushes all my buttons, and then I can't help myself.

Science is REAL!:
YouTube - They Might Be Giants - Science is Real
 
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leaford

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BTW, I should let this thread die, but I have to add one thing. CTJ, if I didn't totally alienate you already :)oops:) please take one piece of advice. I just saw, by coincidence, a story on CNN's Sanjay Gupta's show about dangerous interactions between herbal supplements and prescription drugs. People have died from this! SO, please, please, PLEASE make sure your doctor knows about ANY AND ALL herbs you take! I remember about your health problems, and remember all the meds you take, so this does have me concerned for you. :(
 

crashtestjeep

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I offered you the greatest drug I know for an anti-inflammaotry and everyone busted my balls so I gave you another alternative to try....I dont take supplements, I was letting you know that certain foods, (ref to Dr Furman, Eat to Live) have PROVEN to reverse inflammation in the body. I was just trying to help, but it seems everything people suggest, is just not good enoough. You didnt even comment on the Relafin I suggested but that was and still is my #1 recommendation. I live in total pain daily and when I see threads like this, I want to help. I hate to know there are others out there in pain, I just hope you can get ur arthritis under control bc if anyone understands what pain is where Drs say "I cant help you, maybe some new technology will come out soon. Im sorry".....Its me. I was just trying to help. I dont buy into the fact that we cause ALL our diseases, but I do think what we eat, the way we live and how much we honor our bodies DOES have SOMETHING to do with how we end up. And THAT IS science ;)

I wish you the best Leaford, I always read ur threads and keep up w ur interesting trips even tho until now I havent done much speaking....Good luck getting ur hands feeling better! :)
 

leaford

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Again I apologize. I didn't mean to seem dismissive of your earlier suggestions, I just didn't respond to every suggestion that was offered. Poor social skills, I suppose. :oops: I was noting the info, to choose from later. But then Addy correctly warned against self-medicating, and I decided to see a doctor about it before picking up anything stronger than OTC.

And you have my sympathy for your pain. A little arthritis in my hand is nothing compared to what you suffer. I know medical science cannot cure or solve every ailment. And plenty of natural substances have active ingredients.

But I just don't believe that anyone selling their own supplements, and claiming that they cure a laundry list of unrelated illnesses, most of which have known and documented causes that have nothing to do with diet, has any credibility. Even if he does wear a lab coat and call himself a Doctor. ;)

And if it did work, it would be easy to run a clinical trial and prove it. Then it wouldn't be "alternative medicine" anymore, it would just be medicine. ;)
 

ETsmokinandvapin

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I just have a moment, but as someone with a chronic condition the combination of traditional and alternative therapies don't necessarily conflict. Many docs are open to alternatives and recognize the benefits of treating deficiencies and intolerances (diet).

For example, my neuro has tested me for B-12 deficiency as this can cause neurological symptoms that can mimic diseases. My friends orthopaedic surgeon (he is one of the top knee surgeons in this area), told her to take glucosamine/condroiten after her surgery.

The science is there with clinical trials of almost any supplement you can think of, as well as studies on diets and other therapies. Abstracts and articles will give you the science you need to make a decision. All these are searchable and readable on Pubmed. I'm not allowed to post links.

Oh I am just as jaded about claims for cures that prey on those who are sick and vunerable. I do believe that science is proving the worth of some alternative therapies. The proof/evidence is in the clinical trials.
 
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