lupus

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Natural Treatments for Arthritis


Cherries - an aid to pain reliefIt has been estimated that more than 50% of people with arthritis have tried some kind of natural or alternative treatment for the condition.

There are over 100 different types of arthritis including fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout. Each of them affects the body in different ways.

The objective of this blog is to have a look at some of the alternative treatments for arthritis and to get feedback from our readers as to how effective these natural therapies are.    We can only cover some of the treatments in a blog post like this so it would be great if you use the comments box below to add any suggestions you might have for alternative therapies for arthritis.  and to  share your experiences of how effective they are.

So here goes:-

a)      Diet as a way of treating arthritis pain.  For more information please have a look at our previous blog on the subject  https://patienttalk.org/?p=507

b)      Similarly diet can help with inflammation.  Check out our other blog on the subject here https://patienttalk.org/?p=468

c)       Yoga and similar exercises such as Tai Chi.  Exercise is important for people with any kind of arthritis.  Low impact exercise like this helps improve both balance and muscle strength.

d)      Acupuncture seems for some to be a way of dealing with the pain.

e)      Supplements are available but please check with your doctor before using them as they might have an effect on the conventional medications you use.  These supplements can include Chondroitin sulphate and Glucosamine sulphate.

f)       Famously it has been thought that wearing a copper bracelet can help with some of the arthritic symptoms.

As we said before it would be great if you could tell us your arthritis story below.  Please add any links you think may be of use to other readers.  What have you tried and how did it work for you?  You may wish to consider some of the following questions when you make your comments:-

1)      What kind of arthritis do you have and how long have you had it?

2)      What conventional treatments have you used and how effective were they?

3)      Have you used natural treatments and how well did they work?

4)      What was the reaction of your healthcare providers to your use of natural remedies?

Thanks very much in advance.


5 Comments Posted on Patient Talk

Lupus Awareness Month May 2013 – help us raise awareness of Lupus by sharing on this blog

Not many people realise that around 1 in 185 people suffer from a medical condition called Lupus.  As May is Lupus Awareness Month we thought that it would be useful if we ran a Lupus blog.

The objective of this Lupus blog is twofold.  Firstly to provide some basic information and links to

Lupus Awareness Month

Lupus Awareness Month

resources which provide more information about Lupus.  Secondly it is to give people with Lupus   and caregivers of people with Lupus the opportunity to share their stories.  This sharing can also increase awareness among the wider community as well as providing support to lupus suffers.

So what is Lupus?


Lupus is an umbrella term covering a number of different conditions within the Lupus family.  The condition normally called Lupus is also known as systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE.

It is an autoimmune condition where in effect the body’s immune system attacks the body itself.  With Lupus the immune system is not able to differentiate between healthy tissue and viruses and bacteria.  The immune system attacks on healthy tissue can lead to swelling, pain and leads to tissue damage.

Typical symptoms include:-

1)      Skin rashes

2)      Fatigue (for more information on fighting fatigue please go to https://patienttalk.org/?p=239)

3)      Joint pain

4)      It may also cause flares leading to fevers.

Current thinking is that Lupus will typically have a number of causes rather than just one.  These may be:-

  • Stress
  • Genetics
  • Pregnancy – this is sometimes the trigger
  • The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) could be linked to child hood Lupus.

Sadly SLE is not at present curable but can be treated by various medications such as steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs.  Avoiding sunlight is also advised.  Many Lupus patients now lead reasonably normal lives compared to 50 years ago when life expectancy after diagnosis was low.

So what about you?

We would love it if people with Lupus, or their caregivers, could tell their Lupus story.  We are interested in everything you have to say but the following questions might be of use.

a)      When were you diagnosed with Lupus and how old were you?

b)      What treatment for Lupus have you used and how successful have these treatments been?

c)       What lifestyle changes have you made because of the Lupus diagnosis?

d)      What do you think caused the Lupus?

e)      What advice would you give to somebody who has just been diagnosed with Lupus?

Please use the comments box below to tell your story.  Feel free to add any links to resources that you think would be of interest to our readers.


Thanks and help us promote Lupus awareness not just this month but every day!