Arthritis

Natural Help for Arthritis
Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. Arthritis is not a single disease. Arthritis refers to a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases and other conditions that can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints. Any part of your body can become inflamed or painful from arthritis.

The two most common types of arthritis are Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, the more common form, is not characterized by inflammation around the joints as Rheumatoid arthritis is, but rather is due to wear and tear on the joints due to degeneration or injury.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's own immune system mistakenly attacks the synovium (cell lining inside the joint). Doctors suspect that the cause includes genetic factors. Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose early because it can begin gradually with subtle symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects people differently. No two rheumatoid arthritis cases are exactly the same.

Some symptoms include:

• Joint pain
• Stiffness (Common in mornings, which can last for one or more hours)
• Swelling
• Loss of joint function
• A feeling of warmth around affected joints
• Fatigue (Loss of energy)
• Symmetrical Pattern (Meaning the same joint on both sides of body are affected. ie. Both knees, both wrists)
• Sometimes flu-like symptoms and fevers are present.
• Loss of appetite, weight loss, anemia associated with chronic diseases, depression.
• Joint deformity and instability from damage to cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and bone.
• Limited range of motion in affected joints.
• Flares and remission of disease activity is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis may affect more than the joints and have systemic effects (i.e., affects the organs of the body)

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, results from wear and tear. The pressure of gravity causes physical damage to the joints and surrounding tissues. Initially, osteoarthritis is non-inflammatory and its onset is subtle and gradual, usually involving one or only a few joints. The joints most often affected are the knees, hips, spine, and hands. Risks of osteoarthritis increase with age. Other risk factors include joint trauma, obesity, and repetitive joint use.
Some symptoms include:

• Feeling of soreness or stiffness (Common in the morning, but lasting no longer than 30 minutes)
• Painful joints (Especially after inactivity or overuse.)
• Tenderness
• Swelling
• Decreased function over time.

Natural Help
A diet change is a must. Begin by “cleaning” your Internal System.

• Follow a juice and water fast/cleanse for 3-5 days. (Dr. Christopher has a good one, http://www.herballegacy.com/Three_Day_Cleanse.html )
• Also take a Liver Cleanse each morning http://theresanoilforthat.blogspot.com/search/label/Liver%20Cleanse
• After the cleanse, follow a diet that consists of Whole and Raw foods.
• Any whole, live, raw foods. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
  
• Meat contains a type of fat that stimulates the production of inflammatory agents in your body. Adopting a vegetarian diet may help.
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful with inflammation. Include oily fish, particularly salmon, sardines, mackerel or other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.(Marine oils act directly on the immune system, suppressing 40 to 55 percent of the release of compounds called cytokines that help destroy joints)
• Avoiding polyunsaturated fats such as safflower and sunflower oils and margarines made from them. Stick to olive oil and other monounsaturates.
• Avoid all refined flours, cereals, processed foods and meats, animal fats, and refined sugar.
• High levels of beta-cryptoxanthin help stop the development of arthritis. This is classed as a pro-vitamin A carotenoid which can be found in all yellow or orange- fleshed fruits and vegetables. It enhances bone, skin and immune health. Pumpkin, winter squash and peppers are the vegetables with the highest levels of beta-cryptoxanthin, while tangerines, persimmons and papayas are the fruits with the highest levels.
• Take a Probiodic, daily, to replenish the beneficial bacteria in the body.

Essential Oil Helps:Soaking in a bath can help relieve pain and inflammation. Add any of the following Combination of oils to ¼ cup Epsom Salts, then add mixture to a hot bath. Soak as long as possible or until water cools:

Muscle Pain Bath

• 7 drops Juniper Berry
• 5 drops Lavender
• 6 drops Rosemary

Anti-Inflammation & Pain Relief

• 6 drops Lavender
• 6 drops Rosemary
• 5 drops Juniper Berry
• 3 drops Peppermint

Anti-Inflammation

• 8 drops Lavender
• 3 drops Lemon
• 8 drops Tea Tree

For Circulation, Pain & Inflammation:
Use the per la Pain blend or Birch externally. On a small area, apply 1 drop, undiluted (neat) and gently spread it around. For a larger area, mix 10 drops in 5 to 10 ml of Carrier oil and gently massage.
Can also Apply 4-5 drops Sports Pro blend, undiluted (neat) on location. Then, soak a piece of gauze or flannel in ice water to create a cold compress. Apply for 5 minutes, then follow with a warm compress for 5 minutes.
Other helps

• mix 5-10 drops of the Pain blend into green clay and apply, as a poultice, on the affected area.
• Apart from the times of crisis, apply the Pain blend in the morning, and then turn to Birch in the afternoon, evening, or before bedtime.
• To encourage greater healing circulation, massage Cypress oil around painful joints in a larger circle than the other massage oils you use.
• Basil or Peppermint can be used for pain, on location.
• Thyme, mixed with a carrier oil, can also be very affective.
• Helichrysum is helpful for inflammation, pain, and over all healing of arthritis.
• Some more “hot” oils, but very beneficial in pain relief, are Black Pepper, Cajeput, Clove, or Ginger. Mix 2-3 drops of any one of the oils with 1 ounce of carrier oil, and apply on location.
• Circulation around the joints can be improved through tissue-cleansing properties of the following essential oils: Juniper berry, Cypress, and Lemon.
• Lavender, Rosemary, and Chamomile, have a mild pain reliever and high anti-inflammatory properties.

Hand Sanitizer

Hand Sanitizer Gel

To be effective, hand sanitizers MUST contain a minimum of 60% alcohol by concentration. Alcohol kills germs by dessication, meaning that it dries them out through rapid evaporation. A lower concentration of alcohol results in not having enough alcohol to rapidly evaporate and dry out the microbes on your hands. There are many recipes on the internet that result in an over-diluted mixture which will prove to be very ineffective at killing germs. Here are two really good articles to read on this: One from the New York Times and one from the CDC

The following recipe has the results in an alcohol concentration of roughly 63% (being more precise requires using tenths of a cup in measurement). The essential oils are added for the extra germ killing ability, but are optional.

• 5 cups 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
• 2 cups 100% pure Aloe Gel
• 5 drops Tea Tree Oil (optional)
• Mix at high speed for several minutes. The solution will begin to gel. The aeration of the mixture is extremely important to get the right consistency correct. You should see “bubbles” throughout the mixture. The end Solution is thicker than water, but not too thick.
• Once you’ve gotten the mixture to gel and achieve a constant consistency, you can pour it into containers for storage and use.
  

So with a potential pandemic from the swine flu and the resulting potential quarantine, with the need to have sanitizer in your EDC, BOB and 72 Hour kits, make sure you have plenty of these base components stored so you can use them as needed! I suggest storing the base components and using sanitization as a great way to rotate these items. Peroxide, bleach and alcohol all have couple year shelf lives, using them as regular household cleaners is a great way to keep them fresh!

Sanitizer Spray- is used with any of the following:
White Vinegar
3% Hydrogen Peroxide
Unscented Bleach (if desired)

If you notice in that list, those items can be used for several other things as well! Here are some links for further reading on this

You can kill most germs, without leaving a dangerous residue, with a binary spray. White Vinegar and 3% Hydrogen Peroxide both kill germs. Simply fill one spray bottle with white vinegar and another with hydrogen peroxide. Spray whatever you need sanitized with one, then with the other. Individually these two kill a large numbers of germs, combined they function as well as or better than commercial sanitizing spray.

IMPORTANT NOTE: NEVER NEVER mix them both into the same bottle though - this will create Peracetic Acid - which is useless to clean with, is corrosive, and can hurt you!

You could also fill a third bottle with bleach and zap something with all 3 of them if you wanted to be REALLY be sure you had killed everything possible.

NOTE: The bleach can discolor things and is potentially harmful if ingested.

Essential Oil Sanitizer Spray
Because Essential Oils are natural plant sources, using them will not create a “super bug”, like so many other Anti-bacterial cleaners.

An interesting note: 1 gallon of Pine Sol has enough Phenol to kill an adult 3 times over. Phenol is oily, so it has a residue that hangs around and is easily absorbed through the feet after mopping, etc. Or just soaks in hands or feet while using.

For an Essential Oil Sanitizer Spray, mix the following essential oils in a 24oz bottle.

• Bacteria Buster Recipe:
• 10 drops Lemon
• 8 drops Eucalyptus
• 5 drops Rosemary
• 3 drops Lemongrass
• Add all to water, shake and spray. Use to wipe down counters, cabinets, sinks, tubs, toilets, doorknobs, fixtures, etc. to protect from bacteria spreading.
• *Can use per la Immunity blend all on its own.
  

For more recipes and cleaning, go to http://theresanoilforthat.blogspot.com/search/label/House%20Cleaning