Acupuncture and Turmeric Root: Relief for Arthritis

Acupoint Therapy and Turmeric Root: Relief for Osteo and Ruematoid Arthritis


Acupuncture and an extract of turmeric -- the spice that gives curry its kick -- may both offer significant pain relief to some arthritis patients, two new studies suggest.

Reporting in the November issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a German team says a combination of acupuncture and conventional medicine can boost quality of life for patients suffering from osteo arthritis.

And in a second study in the same issue, American researchers say the ingestion of a special turmeric extract could help prevent or curb both acute and chronic Rheumatoid arthritis..

****The findings should be heartening to the roughly 40 percent of arthritis patients in the United States who say they've turned to some form of alternative medicine.

"If I had arthritis, I would be very excited about this," said Dr. Janet L. Funk, the lead author of the turmeric study and an assistant professor of physiological sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, nearly one in five Americans (46 million) suffers from one of the more than 100 various joint diseases that constitute arthritis. An additional 23 million have chronic joint pain that has yet to be formally diagnosed.

Osteoarthritis is caused by a progressive degeneration of bone cartilage and is the most common type of arthritis in the United States. Rheumatoid arthritis is an immunological disorder characterized by a painful inflammation of the lining of the joints.

In the lab, she and her colleagues then isolated a turmeric extract that was free of essential oils and structurally similar to that found in commercial varieties. The extract was based largely on curcuminoids -- a compound they believed to be most protective against arthritic inflammation.

LINK what to look for commerically.

http://tattvasherbs.com/turmericplus.htm?gclid=CN7O1d_VjYkCFSBTPgod_Rx7Bw

The turmeric extract appeared to block inflammatory pathways associated with rheumatoid arthritis in rats at a particularly early point in the development of the disease. The extract had a beneficial impact if given three days after arthritis set in, but not if given eight days after disease onset.

**** Investigations in the laboratory revealed that turmeric stops a particular protein from launching an inflammatory "chain reaction" linked to swelling and pain. The expression of hundreds of genes normally involved in instigating bone destruction and swelling was also altered by the turmeric.

"I feel an obligation to make clear that people should not run out to buy and consume turmeric powder," she cautioned. "First of all, a very small percent of the ground-up root that we buy in the grocery store is the ****SHEATH OF THE ROOT, so it's not going to get you anywhere." In fact, the compound used in the study probably makes up only about 3 percent of the weight of current store-bought turmeric. ( Alternately you can dowse the correct part of the root to use, how to administer, and how much yourself. )

"That means that if this pans out in further studies, patients will be taking a purified extract, and this is all really exciting."

In the second study, researchers led by Dr. Claudia M. Witt of Charite University Medical Center in Berlin spent three years tracking the treatment results of 3,500 male and females. Over 3,200 of the patients also received up to ****15 sessions of needle-stimulation acupuncture during the first three months of the study. The remaining 300 patients received no acupuncture in the first three months.

All acupuncture sessions were administered by physicians who had received a minimum of 140 hours of certified training.( ****Alternately this can be accomplished thru a needle less Acupuncture pen, after dowsing the corresponding acupoints your self.)

Patients with chronic osteoarthritis pain who underwent a combination of routine medical care plus acupuncture demonstrated significant quality of life improvements, the researchers found. This included increased mobility and pain reduction above and beyond that experienced by patients who did not receive acupuncture.

For those who began their acupuncture treatments immediately, osteoarthritis improvement held steady three months after cessation of the sessions. For those patients who had begun acupuncture three months into the study period, comparable improvements occurred by the time they ended their sessions at the six-month mark.

The authors said acupuncture appeared to be a safe medical intervention with minor side effects observed in just over 5 percent of patients.

The study, one of the largest of its kind, demonstrated that acupuncture was a viable therapeutic option for people suffering from osteoarthritis, the German team said.

"I'm not surprised that people can be treated with acupuncture and get better," said Marshall H. Sager, a Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based doctor of osteopathic medicine, acupuncturist, and past president of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.

"Using acupuncture adjunctively with western medicine is very common, because if you can do both approaches, you're way ahead of the game," he said. "Some people are not amenable to medication, either because of allergenic effects or because they just don't want to consume artificial things. And so, this is a way to start the healing process by engaging and stimulating the body's own inherent ability to heal itself."

Site for further studies using Acupuncture below:

http://tcm.health-info.org/WHO-treatment-list.htm#_neuro

Is there any evidence that turmeric would help polymyositis?

There are articles on line suggesting Turmeric and ginger as helpful for joint related conditions including Polymyositis.

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/InflammatoryJointDisease.htm

I found Red Clover to be the main helpful element for you, along with Horsetail, Soy, Licorice Root, and Turmeric. Your daily intake needed was:

Red Clover 2000 mg ~ continue years
Soy 1300 mg ~ continue years Alternate Kudza, All 3 Red Clover, Soy, and Kudza available in Extracts.

Licorice Root (high) optimum 700 mg/ lowest effective dose 400mg staggering use cycles, in the event of any blood pressure rise, though red clover will thin the blood. ~ 3 month break

Horsetail Extract ~ 12 months ~ this will cause a minor allergic reaction to you Kephra after several weeks, it's benifit out weighs the mild side effect.

Turmeric Extract 250 mg and Oregano seem general with no limit to length of consupmtion.

Also as you are aware COQ-10, Royal Jelly, Selenium, Vit E, B Complex and Ginger Root are Benifical taken Daily.

..last a Gluten reducing diet.

Most all herb usage reccomend a clearing cycle as not to overload your body of a week break after 40 days, personally I'd clear one day a week, and every 3rd week 2 staggered days, but thats up to each individual.

This summary is for educational purposes only.

There are many prescription drugs used for Poltmyositis, the 2 most effective, are Blood plasma IV'ing and prednisone, unfortunately in some treatments the plasma is never given to its full effect, by IV every 10-14 days due to its high cost and poor insurance coverage, the cost being several thousand for each treatment.

REE01 wrote:

There are articles on line suggesting Turmeric and ginger as helpful for joint related conditions including Polymyositis.

http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/InflammatoryJointDisease.htm

I found Red Clover to be the main helpful element for you, along with Horsetail, Soy, Licorice Root, and Turmeric. Your daily intake needed was:

Red Clover 2000 mg ~ continue years
Soy 1300 mg ~ continue years Alternate Kudza, All 3 Red Clover, Soy, and Kudza available in Extracts.

Licorice Root (high) optimum 700 mg/ lowest effective dose 400mg staggering use cycles, in the event of any blood pressure rise, though red clover will thin the blood. ~ 3 month break

Horsetail Extract ~ 12 months ~ this will cause a minor allergic reaction to you Kephra after several weeks, it's benifit out weighs the mild side effect.

Turmeric Extract 250 mg and Oregano seem general with no limit to length of consupmtion.

Also as you are aware COQ-10, Royal Jelly, Selenium, Vit E, B Complex and Ginger Root are Benifical taken Daily.

..last a Gluten reducing diet.

Most all herb usage reccomend a clearing cycle as not to overload your body of a week break after 40 days, personally I'd clear one day a week, and every 3rd week 2 staggered days, but thats up to each individual.

This summary is for educational purposes only.

There are many prescription drugs used for Poltmyositis, the 2 most effective, are Blood plasma IV'ing and prednisone, unfortunately in some treatments the plasma is never given to its full effect, by IV every 10-14 days due to its high cost and poor insurance coverage, the cost being several thousand for each treatment.

I am going to acquire these herbals. I am a little concerned about the licorice though, as it raises blood pressure. Mine is already sky high, and doesn't respond to any drugs. So I might skip that one.

Thanks for the education