Arthritis

Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine Arthritis, an inflammatory disease of the joints, has a variety of causes. Certain forms are associated with a decrease in skin temperature and blood flow to the extremities. Every effort must be made to improve the circulation to the jointby proper clothing and warmth, good diet, freedom from mental and emotional stress, and proper exercise. 1. Osteoarthritis: This form of arthritis is caused by overuse of the joints. The involvement is usually limited to the overworked joints. Pain is usually worse in the early morning, but diminishes soon after getting up. 2. Gout: Gouty arthritis is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in or around the joints. Eating rich foods, especially those high in protein, may cause this form of arthritis. Hot, swollen, tender joints are characteristic. The uric acid is always elevated in the blood. 3. Rheumatoid: The cause of this form of arthritis is not known. Many things have been suggested, the three most prominent of which are viruses, an immune reaction involving antigens and antibodies, or a degenerative process following the production or ingestion of a toxin. The RA Latex test is usually positive. 4. Infectious or Toxic: Certain germs such as the gonococcus can attack joints directly. Other germs apparently cause arthritis even if the infection is elsewhere in the body, such as around the teeth, on the skin, or in the colon. Sometimes a wrong diet or a viral upper respiratory infection can cause the joints to ache. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Although arthritis is difficult to treat, the crippling effects can be retarded and the pain can be controlled by the use of certain physical and dietary programs. It is essential to follow the programs to the letter, as that very thing which might be considered unimportant may be the key to success. Resolve to be strict with yourself in following each of the suggestions until your program is liberalized by your physician. Lifestyle 1. Work up a sweat each day for twenty minutes to two hours with exercise, heat, or sunshine. Keep the head cool at all times. Take a sunbath daily. Beware of machines, fad diets, unproven remedies. 2. Wear stretch nylon gloves on painful hands at night. An electric blanket is a great help to many. 3. Reduce weight to slightly below average weight for height and age, as extra flesh requires maintenance. 4. Prevent, by proper warm clothing, the slightest chilling of the extremities, neck, or ears. Cool skin is abnormal. 5. Have good posture. Practice deep breathing with each breath. The digestion is improved and the circulation quickened.

6. Use heat, fasting, mustard plasters, herb teas, gentle massage without jarring, and other natural methods of pain relief over the joints instead of drugs. A paraffin bath and the charcoal poultice have been of great relief to many. 7. Avoid the use of tobacco, alcohol, all drugs, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, lotions, deodorants, and cosmetics. Use soap sparingly and no lard base soap. Use dish detergent sparingly in washing dishes and rinse off thoroughly. 8. Do not breathe any kind of fumes or anything having an unpleasant odor including rotting leaves or gasoline. 9. Avoid tissue injuries of all kinds such as crushing, thermal, and other burns, etc. There is evidence that tissue injury causes antibodies to form that may injure joints. (Lancet, May 6, 1972, p. 1019) 10. Avoid dogs, cats, birds, and all sick animals, as rheumatoid patients have been found to be more likely to have a history of exposure to pets than persons not having rheumatoid arthritis. Dietary Matters 1. Take small bites, one-third the usual size. 2. Put the fork down between bites. 3. Chew until food is a cream before swallowing (very important). 4. Not a morsel of food or beverages between meals except water. 5. Sip a supper of 4-5 ounces of fruit juice, or skip supper. 6. Eat 2-4 apricots and 3-6 olives daily. Use a serving of cherries daily for gout. 7. Do not eat fruits and vegetables at the same meal; do not use liquid foods except when skipping the regular meal. 8. Use no more than three dishes at one meal. 9. Fast one or two days a week if weight permits, as fasting often gives much relief. 10. Use a high fiber diet. Especially effective are unpolished grains and the fruits high in pectin. 11. Have a green drink twice weekly, made with parsley, lettuce, celery, or other greens and carrot juice. Alfalfa tea is helpful to some: 1 cup per day. 12. Correct constipation and gas. 13. Regularity in all things is essential. 14. The nightshade group of foods cause about 10% of people to have arthritis. These foods include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers. Even a small taste will spoil the diet. Maintain strict abstinence for two months as a trial. 15. Milk is a carrier of a germ that may cause arthritis. It would seem wise to omit dairy products from the diet, as 75% of rheumatoid patients grow the germ in their throat, and have antibodies to it in their blood. ( Acta Medica Scandinavica, 192:231-239, September, 1972) Arthritis Routine (Days 1 and 2) 1. Live by the clock, especially during the first month, keeping all things on schedule as much as possible: meals, bedtime, arising, physical hygiene, study, work, prayers, etc.

2. Begin a program of walking on the first day. Walk as far as is comfortable. Gradually work up to five miles per day. Take two baths daily in the purest water possible, without soap, dry brushing the skin before each shower, or bathe with a stiff brush. 3. Take deep breathing exercises three times daily, breathing in as deeply as possible and holding to the count of twenty, breathing out as deeply as possible and holding out to the count of ten. Repeat this exercise twenty times, always in fresh air. MAINTAIN GOOD POSTURE, STANDING, SITTING, LYING. 4. Take contrast baths (hot and cold) daily for pain relief and for healing, involving whole body or only the extremities as may be necessary. Repeat one to four times daily as indicated. Hot for 6 minutes, cold for 30 seconds. 5. If city water is used for drinking, it should be distilled or boiled. To improve the flavor of boiled water, blend 1/2 minute after it has cooled to re-aerate. 6. Do warm-up exercises for 20 minutes each day, using a good book such as the Air Force book on exercises, or any other exercise list. 7. Cultivate a sunny disposition. Eliminate anger, excitement, anxiety, TV, movies. Practice kindness, mildness, joy, patience, and quietness. 8. Use no drugs. Be cautious about the use of cosmetics, soaps, and sprays. 9. Keep the colon entirely clear for the first two weeks with two enemas per day until water is returned entirely clear (about three quarts). 10. Fast for two days at the beginning of the course. Drink about 10 glasses of water daily, or enough to keep the urine quite pale. Day Three: Breakfast of juice (freshly squeezed) 10-12 ounces Dinner of fruit (unsweetened) 2-3 servings Omit supper Day Four: BreakfastRaw fruit 2 servings Dry whole grain bread 1 serving DinnerRaw fruit or vegetables 2 servings Bread 1 slice SupperOmit Day Five: Fruit meal (according to the meal planner on separate sheet) Vegetable meal for second meal (according to meal planner) Omit supper Day Six: See arthritic diet for maintenance diet beginning on this day. INITIAL ARTHRITIC DIET (Use for first four weeks-be strict) Eliminate Vinegars

Smoked foods Pickled foods Preserved foods Rich gravy, refined starches Sauces, thickenings Coffee, tea, alcohol Soft drinks Refined foods: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, oils, vitamins, minerals Desserts, sweets, dates, honey, dried fruits Animal products Any gas-forming foods Combinations of fruits and vegetables Spices (Pepper, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder) Scorched or overcooked foods Unripe or overripe fruits and vegetables Food having additives, conditioners, preservatives, etc. Canned and frozen juices Food having a fermenting or aging step in processing Nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, eggplant, and tobacco). To be successful in eliminating nightshades from the diet one must be a label reader. Some brands of yogurt contain potato starch, some herb teas contain hot pepper, paprika is found in some cheeses, and some baby foods contain potato and tomato products. The diet must be strictly followedeven a whisper of paprika may produce symptoms.

Use Sparingly Salt Whole grains Sweet fruits Legumes Use Freely Bland fruits: olives, avocados Low starch vegetables: asparagus, celery, broccoli, cucumber, greens of all kinds, sprouts, beet tops, endive, lettuce, mustard, okra, onions, pumpkin, small* beets, small carrots, small parsnips, small turnips, spinach, small string beans, Swiss chard, summer squash, turnip tops, zucchini Low starch fruits: apples, apricots, berries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, melons, nectarines, oranges, papaya, pineapple, peaches, plums, watermelons (1" x 6" slice only) *Small root vegetables and immature vegetables contain less starch.

For more information contact: Uchee Pines Lifestyle Center 30 Uchee Pines Road #75 Seale, Alabama 36875 Tel. 334-855-4764 www.ucheepines.org