ARTHRITIS OR JOINT PAIN
by Dr. Lawrence Wilson
© March 2019, LD Wilson Consultants, Inc.
All information in this article is
solely the opinion of the author and is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment,
prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
Definition
Types Of Arthritis
Inflammation
Acidity
Nutritional deficiencies
Toxic Metal Poisoning
Other – Trauma, Infections, Parasites
Correction with development
Drug Therapy
Other natural therapies and remedies
IV. HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS PATTERNS
ASSOCIATED WITH ARTHRITIS
Definition. The word arthritis means inflamed joints. I donŐt like the term arthritis,
because it sounds ominous and mysterious, and it does not tell us anything
about the cause of the inflamed joints.
Joint
pain and inflammation is one of the major causes of disability around the
world. The joints are one of the
most delicate structures in the human body and, in many people,
they take a lot of punishment.
They must be rebuilt continuously to offset the constant wear and tear
that occurs, especially on the weight-bearing joints of the body.
In
most cases, medical doctors do not address the deeper causes of arthritis. They simply prescribe pain killers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
or NSAIDS that have terrible side effects. This further worsens a personŐs health.
In
contrast, development science often allows us to identify the causes of joint
problems, and often one is able to correct the problem at very deep levels.
TYPES OF ARTHRITIS
Arthritis
is usually classified as one of several types:
1.
Osteoarthritis. This type is simpler than the others,
and involves damage the joint cartilages, in most cases, and the deposition of
calcium or toxic metals in the joints.
2. Rheumatoid
arthritis. This is often a
more complex condition. It is
considered an auto-immune condition, which means the
immune system seems to attack itself.
It often causes more deformity, and pain and inflammation often migrate
from joint to joint. Some people
respond to anti-parasitic drugs such as Metronidazole for this condition. This indicates it might be due to
parasitic infection, at least in some cases. However, this drug is extremely toxic.
Our
research indicates that iron toxicity and copper toxicity may be involved.
3. Infectious
arthritis. This is joint
inflammation caused by tuberculosis, or some other infection.
4. Traumatic
arthritis. This is joint
inflammation due to a trauma such as an accident or injury.
5. Joint
inflammation may also occur as part of other conditions such as fibromyalgia,
chronic fatigue, psoriasis, adrenal exhaustion and other syndromes.
II. CAUSES FOR INFLAMED JOINTS
These
may be divided into mechanical, biochemical, biological and psychological
causes:
Mechanical causes
include:
1. Accidents
and injuries, especially falls, that damage the joint cartilages, the joint
capsules, the intervertebral discs, the tendons and ligaments, or other
structures near the joints.
2.
Spinal misalignments or subluxations of the joints. They put pressure on the joints that cause pain and can
cause more damage over time. These
are chiropractic problems that are quite common, and totally ignored by the
medical profession.
3.
Less commonly, mechanical stress due to certain occupations or hobbies can
slowly damage the joints, even if one does not have an accident. An example is lifting heavy weights for
years for a job. Another example
is running, which is hard on the knees.
Biochemical
causes include:
1.
Nutrient deficiencies. These are
extremely common. Among the most
important deficiencies that cause inflammation in the body are a low level of
omega-3 fatty acids, low vitamin D, and low zinc. These deficiencies are epidemic, even among people who eat a
supposedly healthy and balanced diet.
Raising
the level of these nutrients is an important part of every development
program. It can be done with
foods, to a degree, or with nutritional supplements.
2.
Toxic metals that deposit in the joints.
Among the most important are calcium, iron, manganese and copper.
3.
Generalized inflammation in the body that affects the joints.
4.
A catabolic state of the body in which the body cannot rebuild the joint
cartilages fast enough to overcome the normal wear and tear on the joint
cartilages. This is common as one ages, but also occurs in young people, at times.
Biological causes
include the presence of bacteria, viruses or parasites that damage the
joint surfaces.
Psychological
causes include stress, mental rigidity and perhaps other mental
or emotional factors that occasionally play an important role in joint
problems.
If one suspects mechanical misalignment of the spine or
other bones as a cause, which is common, this will require the services of
those trained in correcting spinal and other misalignments. The remainder of this article concerns biochemical,
nutritional and related causes for arthritis that are often easy to identify on
a hair mineral analysis and are often correctable using development science.
III. CORRECTING JOINT PROBLEMS WITH DEVELOPMENT
DIET
General. Eliminating refined starches, white
sugar and other 'junk' food helps reduce chemicals in the diet and increases
nutrient levels. Better quality foods must be substituted for poorer quality
refined foods. Eating many more cooked, NOT RAW, vegetables is very
helpful. These are needed to
provide more alkaline reserve minerals.
Sugars
and Yeast. Sugars in
the diet can lead to intractable yeast infections. This may occur without specific symptoms except for aches
and pains, in some people. It is
well worth eliminating most sugars, including fruit, juices, maple syrup,
honey, and even artificial sweeteners where possible. Eliminating refined sugars is impossible without cutting out
refined and processed foods.
Sugars also unbalance calcium metabolism, stimulate insulin release and
increase inflammation, and have other detrimental effects on the body that
directly cause joint pain in some people.
Food
Sensitivities. Some cases of arthritis are helped by eliminating allergic foods.
The most common culprits are wheat
and soy. In fact, I suggest
everyone eliminate all wheat and soy products from the diet. Some people
need to eliminate other foods, at least temporarily. The change of diet
alone can make a huge difference, as it removes the stress of eating
nutritionally deficient or allergic foods.
Gluten
Intolerance. Many
people with arthritis are temporarily gluten intolerant. They feel better without wheat, spelt,
oats, barley, and rye.
Unfortunately, these foods are found in most processed and prepared
items served in restaurants, bars and elsewhere. So it takes vigilance to learn how to avoid them.
As with all food sensitivities, the goal is to enable one to tolerate
some of these so the lifestyle need not be so restrictive. However, for a while gluten avoidance
is an excellent and simple way to assist digestion, heal the intestines and
often reduce some joint pain.
The nightshade family of vegetables. These vegetables and fruits are harmful
for everyone, and often cause joint pain in sensitive people. They include all regular potatoes,
(though some sweet potato and yam is fine), tomatoes (all types), eggplant, and
peppers, including red pepper, green peppers and all hot chiles, as
well.
Omega-3 fatty acids. The
omega-3 fatty acids are extremely anti-inflammatory and often help reduce joint
pain. Most people need more of them, due to the way livestock are fed today, among other
reasons. An excellent source is
sardines, provided that one eats 3-4 cans weekly. Some other fish such as salmon and tuna contain these oils,
but they also contain too much mercury.
For this reason, I do not recommend eating any fish except
sardines. This is very
unfortunate, and I hope we can reduce the mercury level in our oceans and
streams. One can also take a
supplement of about 900 mg omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.
Vitamin D. This is another anti-inflammatory vitamin that can be very helpful for
the joints. Most people need to
take a supplement of 4000-5000 iu daily. One cannot rely on sunshine or other
methods to get enough vitamin D today.
Eating
Habits. Relaxing at
mealtime, eating slowly and chewing thoroughly also help one receive more
nourishment from food, and this promotes better digestion, as well. Taking a digestive enzyme with ox bile
and pancreatin is also helpful for most people. Other digestive enzymes are not quite as good, in my
experience.
Always sit at least 10 minutes
after eating before resuming daily activities. Resting for longer after a big meal is even better.
LIFESTYLE
Rest. Joint pain will usually become worse if
one is tired. It is also sometimes
more acute in the morning because the adrenal glands are exhausted and need more
rest to function correctly. Most
people need 10 hours of sleep. It
is also best to go to bed by 9 PM, because the hours before midnight offer
better rest than those after midnight.
Exercise And Deep Breathing.
Gentle exercise a few times per week is excellent. Too much exercise, especially jogging,
or anything that is hard on the joints, is not helpful and can cause traumatic
arthritis.
Deep breathing exercises, such as abdominal breathing, helps oxygenate
the body, improves circulation, massages the organs
and more.
Emotional
Clearing. Emotional
control, mental training, meditation, emotional clearing methods such as
biofeedback, counseling and others can help reduce inflammation in the
body. This is important in some
cases of arthritis, especially those with a strong emotional component.
Other
Therapies. Quality
chiropractic care can be extremely helpful for arthritis that is due to
misalignment of the spine, hips, knees and even the ankles and feet. This type of problem is quite common,
in fact.
At times, other therapies are needed, such as Rolfing or structural
integration. These are completely
compatible with a development program.
A Development Program Using Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. In
addition to a healthful diet and lifestyle, most people require specific,
individualized nutritional therapy to restore and balance the body
chemistry.
A complete development program includes a diet for oneŐs metabolic
type, about 8 or 9 carefully chosen nutritional supplements, and a healthful
lifestyle. It also includes
detoxification procedures using sauna therapy and coffee enemas, if possible,
and mental/emotional training using the Roy Masters meditation exercise.
Sauna therapy often helpful. Daily use of a near infrared
lamp sauna up to twice daily dramatically enhances circulation to the
joints. Joints have a relatively poor blood supply which contributes to
the deposition of toxic substances in the joints. Also, infections are
more difficult to heal in tissues with poor circulation.
The heat of the sauna also helps the body fight chronic infections and
relaxes tendons and ligaments. In
addition, near infrared light itself appears to be very beneficial for healing
of the joints. Saunas also powerfully activate the organs of
elimination. This is necessary to
help carry away toxins that have accumulated over years, in many cases.
An electric light sauna can be built inexpensively at home, or purchased
inexpensively. Click here for more
information about saunas.
When Will
I Become Well? Many cases
of arthritis respond within weeks to lifestyle and dietary changes, along with
a nutritional supplement program based on a properly performed hair mineral
analysis. If the situation is
chronic, months or even several years may be needed to fully restore joint
cartilages.
SYMPTOMATIC
THERAPY FOR ARTHRITIS
Symptomatic
treatments for arthritis can relieve pain and increase mobility. They are rarely needed if one follows a
development program. Most
symptomatic approaches actually delay deeper healing, and many unbalance the
body and add more toxins to the body.
However, at times they are needed for a short while until deeper
correction occurs.
Drug Therapy For Arthritis. Drug therapy for arthritic pain is a
multi-billion dollar business that not only does not cure the problem in most
cases, but makes it worse in many cases by allowing
the degenerative process to progress, and by causing untold disability and
death due to the adverse effects of the drugs themselves. The side effects of
anti-inflammatory drugs causes at least 100,000 hospitalizations each
year and some 10,000 deaths, according to official AMA figures. The actual figures are probably even
higher as many adverse effects are often not reported. The chronic use of pain
killers is now the leading cause of liver and kidney failure in the
United States and perhaps in Europe.
Steroid
Drugs. Steroid drugs include cortisone, prednisone and similar
products. These are probably the
worst, if used over a long period of time. They tend to cause adrenal gland depletion, fatigue, bone
loss and osteoporosis, and more problems.
They are powerful, however, and can stop pain in a few minutes in some
cases. Do not be misled into
thinking this means they are the best option for you.
Steroids can be injected into a joint and provide temporary
relief. At times, it will last a
few months or more. This is safer
than taking the drug orally for a prolonged period of time. Steroid creams are also safer than oral
use, but can cause skin problems and more.
Non-Steroidal
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS).
These drugs, which include Motrin, Ibuprophen, Aleve, Aspirin, Excedrin
and a hundred other similar compounds, all tend to cause gastric or stomach
bleeding, kidney and liver disease and more problems. They are inexpensive and available everywhere. However, use them only as a last resort
and sparingly, if you must use them at all.
Try nutritional products first, and use all possible natural remedies
before becoming dependent on any of these drugs. These drugs should be unnecessary if you do this.
Surgery (joint replacement).
In some ways, surgery is better than chronic self-medication with
dangerous anti-inflammatory drugs.
However, surgery brings its own set of complications, such as joint
dysfunction, infections, high cost, perhaps a need for more surgery, adhesions
and possible complications, including death. Always consult at least two physicians, or better yet,
several doctors, regarding the side effects of surgery or other medical
interventions.
Prolotherapy.
This is an interesting remedy for a few joint problems. It involves injecting a sclerosing
solution, often sugar, into the joint.
This can shorten certain ligaments, tightening the joint and preventing
further problems. It is quite
specific for certain problems of cartilage thinning, however. One must find a qualified orthopedic
doctor for this procedure, which is safer than surgery if it is effective.
Symptomatic nutritional remedies.
Symptomatic remedies can help some joint pain, although results are not as
permanent or as good as with a complete nutritional program. A natural
anti-inflammatory remedy is Wobenzym-N, a powerful enzyme preparation with
minimal side effects. One must
take a number of tablets between meals, but it is quite effective. Anti-inflammatory nutrients include
omega-3 oils such as fish oil, cod liver oil, calcium,
magnesium and zinc.
Dietary remedies include eliminating all citrus fruits and, as
mentioned above, the nightshade family of vegetables - potato, tomato, eggplant
and peppers. Any food can cause a reaction in some individuals.
Oxygen therapies such as ozone, hyperbaric oxygen and hydrogen peroxide
can improve oxygenation of cells and remove free oxygen radicals that damage
joint tissues. Colloidal silver
and anti-infective herbs may also be useful if an infection is the cause of the
problem. Shining a single reddish
heat lamp on the affected area for 10-15 minutes at a time several times daily
may also some reduce joint pain.
While symptomatic remedies have a place in a few cases, I find the best
results will be obtained with a more integrated and individualized approach such
as development science. This can
get to the root of many causes and eliminate them completely, though it may
take longer to work than the simple remedies above.
IV.
HAIR ANALYSIS INDICATORS FOR JOINT PROBLEMS
A properly performed and correctly interpreted hair mineral analysis
can assess more than a dozen causes for arthritis. The following are among the most common hair mineral
patterns observed with inflamed joints.
1.
Elevated calcium level. A hair
tissue calcium level above about 70 mg% may indicate the deposition of calcium
in the joints. This is associated
with a phenomenon called biounvailable calcium. This is sometimes also called metastatic calcium. These deposits are hard and irritating
to the joints. See the Calcium article for more
information about this cause for arthritis.
This situation is often worse as the calcium level becomes higher. If the hair calcium level is over about
165 in women or 155 in men, it is called a Calcium
Shell.
2. Copper
imbalance. Copper is
an anti-inflammatory nutrient that often is associated with arthritic changes
when it is out of balance. This is
a very common finding today. See
the Copper Toxicity Syndrome for
more information.
3. An
elevated sodium/potassium ratio.
A hair sodium/potassium ratio that is above 5 often indicates excessive
inflammatory hormones or some other cause of inflammation. It may also indicate acute stress,
which may cause arthritic changes as well.
4. Low
adrenal and/or thyroid activity.
Low levels of sodium and potassium in relation to the
calcium and magnesium levels in the hair is a pattern called slow
oxidation. One can read more
about this pattern, which is extremely important for arthritis. It is associated with copper toxicity,
reduced adrenal hormone secretion at times, thyroid difficulties and other
imbalances that often cause joint pain and arthritis.
5. A fast
oxidation rate. Fast
oxidation is an important inflammation pattern on a hair mineral analysis. For much more information, please read The Oxidation
Types on this site.
6.
Excessive tissue breakdown. A ratio of
sodium to potassium less than about 2:1 or a phosphorus level less than 13 mg%
are associated with excessive protein catabolism or breakdown of body
tissues. This can affect any
tissue or organ, but often affects some joints, particularly weight-bearing
ones.
7.
Elevated hair iron, manganese, copper, lead or other toxic metals. These can contribute or directly cause
arthritic problems by several mechanisms: 1) they may deposit directly in the
joints, 2) they affect the levels of vital minerals, causing deficiencies of
essential nutrients that ,in turn, affect the joints,
3) they cause an inflammatory response, or 4) they may replace vital minerals
in key enzymes needed for joint surface repair and activity.
An extremely important cause of arthritis is the deposition of the
amigos in the joints. These are
highly inflammatory, usually oxide forms of iron, manganese and aluminum, and
at times other metals. To learn
about this important cause of arthritis, please read The Amigos - Iron, Manganese And Aluminum on
this website.
8. Fatigue. Many
indicators on a hair tissue mineral analysis are associated with reduced levels
of adaptive energy in the body.
This indirectly contributes to some cases of arthritis because the body
cannot maintain the joints properly.
9.
Sympathetic dominance pattern. This is another common pattern seen
with arthritis and other joint complaints. It is indicated on a hair mineral analysis by a potassium
level less than 5 mg% and the pattern is reinforced when the sodium/potassium
ratio is elevated above 5:1.
Sympathetic
dominance is a personality or lifestyle pattern in which a person tends to
overuse the sympathetic nervous system.
This system is not designed to be used except
in emergencies for short periods of time.
When one uses it most of the time, it weakens the body substantially by
interfering with digestion, rest, elimination and other vital functions. This can easily lead to joint and many
other physical problems. For more
information about this, see the article entitled Sympathetic Dominance Pattern.
10. A
calcium/magnesium ratio greater than about 10. This imbalance is associated with
carbohydrate overload in the diet, which can cause joint problems as well. It is also associated with a calcium
and magnesium imbalance that can cause calcium to come out of solution from the
blood and be deposited in the joints and other tissues.
11.
Poor
eliminator patterns on a hair mineral test. Very low hair levels of toxic
metals, and of iron, copper, manganese and chromium indicate that a person
cannot properly eliminate these toxic metals or toxic forms of physiological
minerals. This can be another
cause for joint pain.
12. Three highs or four highs pattern.
This is another inflammation indicator on a hair mineral analysis.
13. Low hair zinc, or elevated hair cadmium.
These are also associated with inflammation.
14. An acidic condition of the body. This
is usually due to a deficiency of the alkaline reserve minerals, and this is
extremely common. For more on
this, please read Acid/Alkaline Balance on this
website.
15.
Emotional causes. Holding on
to anger, and perhaps other emotional states, can contribute to arthritis. This is known in psychosomatic
medicine.
Indicators for anger on a hair mineral analysis include an elevated
sodium/potassium ratio (more acute anger or rage), a low sodium/potassium ratio
(resentment), elevated iron or manganese (it often settles in the amygdala or
rage center of the brain), poor eliminator patterns with iron or manganese
(buildup due to impaired elimination of these metals), and possibly a fast or
very slow oxidation rate.
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