Archeologists studying ancient Egyptian mummies are sure of at least one thing: when these people were alive, their joints ached when they got up in the morning. Arthritis has been a scourge of humans since we began, and natural methods of helping joint pain and stiffness have been sought for almost as long. Nothing that modern medicine offers has prevented arthritis from appearing in some 40 million Americans, and the treatments (mostly anti-inflammatory drugs) are frequently worse than the disease.

“Arthritis” means inflammation of a joint, and can refer to many different conditions, from an infection in a joint, to an auto-immune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. But most commonly, it refers to a condition called Osteoarthritis, or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD). This is the wear and tear on a joint, leading to the disappearance of the protective cartilage of a joint and to damaging of the bone itself. It is not primarily an inflammation at all, but more of a degradation of a joint. It occurs in women around and after menopause, in men during and after middle age, and in athletes or others who have had trauma to a joint.

The medications used by conventional medicine are called NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a class which includes Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Naprosyn, Advil, and a host of others. Since these are anti-inflammatory, they will help any inflammation around the joint, and relieve pain. However, since the main problem is wearing away of tissue, they do not address the cause of the problem. In fact, NSAIDs slow down cartilage growth and repair. Which is where more natural treatments may be useful.

The substance in joints which stimulates new cartilage growth and is used for connective tissue repair is called glucosamine sulfate. Glucosamine is made in the body from sugar (glucose) and the amino acid glutamine, and it is the main component of the cartilage substance glycosaminoglycans (GAG), which holds water and acts as a shock absorber to joints. Glucosamine sulfate is easily absorbed from the digestive tract, and once inside the cartilage cell, stimulates new growth if needed. Several studies involving hundreds of patients have found glucosamine sulfate to be helpful in lessening the pain and stiffness of arthritis, and even to repair arthritic joints. The concept that you can actually grow back cartilage in an arthritic joint is bold, but supported by studies in both animals and humans. Furthermore, at least one study of arthritic hips suggested that arthritic joints can get better on their own! This would seem to suggest that NSAIDs might slow the natural course of osteoarthritis, and it certainly encourages the use of substances like glucosamine sulfate to promote joint healing. A safe beginning dose of glucosamine sulfate is 500 mg three times per day.

A number of cartilage builders have been used successfully in DJD, mostly because of their glucosamine content. Chondroitin sulfate, green lipped mussel, and sea cucumber have this effect, but they are not always absorbed as well, do not have as many studies backing their use, and tend to be expensive. Likewise, cartilage extracts from cows, chickens, or sharks have been studied in arthritis. The most successful study has involved injection of these products. Shark cartilage is currently being studied for its use in arthritis and in cancer, though ecological considerations do not make it a desireable product.

Other nutrients helpful in arthritis are vitamin C (anti-oxidant protection, stimulates cartilage production, helps heal damaged tissues), vitamin E (anti-oxidant), and several nutrients required for proper cartilage health: vitamin A, B6, zinc, boron and copper (the latter suggests that the old folk remedy of wearing a copper bracelet for arthritis may have some basis in fact). Magnesium is useful in bone repair and tissue health, and some products use salicylates (like aspirin) in combination with magnesium for additive effect. In addition, a form of vitamin B3 called niacinamide was studied by Dr. William Kaufman in hundreds of people with osteoarthritis, and was helpful the majority of time, particularly with DJD of the knees. Niacinamide (niacin doesn’t work and is riskier) is taken frequently and for a long time to be effective, and needs to be taken under a doctor’s care due to its rare liver toxicity.

What about diet itself? There are two approaches which seem to work for some people. The first is to eliminate foods containing nightshade alkyloids, including peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes and tobacco. This is based on research by Dr. Norman Childers, and is supported anecdotally by a variety of patients. The second is to eliminate foods which have so-called allergic responses in the body (actually, these reactions are more properly termed sensitivities since many of them are not strictly allergies), then re-introduce the foods and chart the effects. Joint pains are common results of food sensitivities, and the most common offending foods are wheat, dairy, yeast, citrus, coffee and foods with additives and preservatives. Some people also lessen joint pain by proper blood sugar balance, avoiding sugars and heavy flour use, and balancing protein and carbohydrate to limit the production of inflammatory hormones in the body (the so-called “Zone” approach).

Several herbs are useful in osteoarthritis. Boswellia extracts, from an Indian tree of the same name, have been studied both internally and as a topical cream, and seem to be anti-inflammatory and cartilage-stimulating. Salix alba (white willow) and meadowsweet contain salicylates which act similar to aspirin. Guaiacum has been studied successfully in arthritis. And anti-oxidant herbs such as turmeric and green tea may be helpful as well.

One natural substance that has been used world-wide for arthritis is honeybee venom. Many beekeepers have neighbors who come for “stings” when their arthritis acts up. Honey bee venom has been very well studied and contains the most potent anti-inflammatory activity known, as well as enzymes and substances which break down and remold damaged tissue. Allergy is relatively rare (almost all stinging insect allergies are to wasps and yellow jackets). Many people learn to self-administer bee stings using tweezers, and a handful of physicians around the U.S. use bee venom therapy in injectible form in the treatment of arthritis.

Finally, natural treatments for osteoarthritis include the forms of movement which keep the joints limber and energy and blood flowing. We are familiar with pictures of hundreds of elderly Chinese doing Tai Ch’i each morning. Tai Ch’i is a form of QiGong, a gentle set of energy-moving and building exercises which can keep joints mobile and improve vitality. Yoga, from the Indian tradition, is another movement system which can improve and prevent arthritis. In fact, many types of activity which involve range motion without wear and tear on a joint, can be useful in positioning this common reminder of age.