5 Natural Steps To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain And Inflammation Without Harmful Medication

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which your body starts destroying itself. It can be a devastating disease that can certainly destroy your health. Itis a long lasting autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly the wrist and hands are involved with typically the same joints involved on both sides of the body. The disease may also affect other parts of the body. This may result in a low red blood cell count, inflammation around the lungs, and inflammation around the heart. Fever and low energy may also be present. Often symptoms come on gradually over weeks to months. Signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include: stiffness, pain and swelling in the joints, deformity in the hands and feet, fatigue, fever, unintentional weight loss and nodules under the skin.

There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Medications can reduce inflammation in your joints in order to relieve pain and prevent or slow joint damage.Occupational and physical therapy can teach you how to protect your joints. If your joints are severely damaged by rheumatoid arthritis, surgery may be necessary. Steroid medications such as prednisone are prescribed to first control symptoms and then medications which either modulate or suppress the immune system are considered, including Methotrexate, Plaquenil, Imuran, and Remicade. Traditional treatment for the disease involves using painkillers, anti-inflammatory medications as well as medications that suppress the immune system. All of these drugs have the potential for significant side effects.

All of these issues cause immune system stress and inflammation. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is then aimed at addressing the cause, not simply managing pain. It does take longer, but you are restoring overall health and stalling progression of the autoimmune process.

Top causes to address include:

  • Food intolerances
  • Heavy metals
  • Leaky gut
  • Infections

1.      Address nutrition and food intolerance

More people with RA are beginning to turn to alternative treatments, including changes in diet. Foods that reduce inflammation throughout your body could reduce the pain and swelling in your joints. Testing for food intolerances with a blood test, or identifying trigger foods with an elimination diet are two methods to identify foods that are be causing systemic inflammation. I do recommend that all of my patients with rheumatoid arthritis avoid gluten strictly in their diets too, because gluten is simply a very inflammatory food. Another nutritional approach for autoimmune conditions is what is called the autoimmune paleo diet. This is a much more strict plan, avoiding all grains, legumes, nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, peppers, eggplant), dairy, sugar and in some cases nuts. The reason this nutrition plan can be more effective for autoimmune conditions is that it reduces stress on the gastrointestinal lining, allowing the leaky gut or intestinal permeability to heal.

2.      Reduce inflammation and promote optimal immune system function

There are additional steps that can be taken to generally support the immune system and lower inflammation. This includes lowering stress levels, including regular exercise and activity, and also supplements such as vitamin D, omega-3 fish oils, turmeric extracts and glutathione. Some of the anti-inflammatory foods are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Add fatty fish like mackerel, herring, salmon, and tuna to your diet, or take a fish oil supplement.

3.       Assess for heavy metals

Associated with the development of autoimmune conditions are heavy metals. The first step here is to test for heavy metals in the body, ideally through a urine test, and less reliably with hair analysis. If heavy metal levels are high, chelation treatment to reduce the toxic load is necessary to lower inflammation and support optimal immune system function.

4.      Heal the leaky gut

Leaky gut is likely a component of many autoimmune processes. Steps to heal the gut lining include first removing the irritants (food intolerances, imbalances in gut flora, certain medications), and then repairing the lining by providing nutrients such as l-glutamine, liquorice root, slippery elm and zinc. It is a term to describe intestinal permeability, a condition where the lining of the intestine is too permeable, allowing undigested food particles, toxins and microbial organisms to pass into the bloodstream, activating an immune response.

5.      Clear out infections

Imbalances in digestive flora can also cause inflammation and leaky gut which further increases inflammation. Significant work to rebalance the gut microbiome is essential for recovery from rheumatoid arthritis.

Pain physicians are now leaning toward pills’ measured use in combination with an array of alternative therapies for arthritis pain relief – from electrical stimulation to meditation, from pain pumps to shoes. In conclusion, rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that can be successfully treated and managed without the use of harsh medications with serious side-effects.

 

Source : http://theheartysoul.com