DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m a 32-year-old female in good health, on no regular medications (I take an occasional ibuprofen for headaches or pain), and am not overweight. I try to exercise at least three times a week. I am a new follower of your column and (as I’m sure you’ve heard many times before) love your common-sense advice and willingness to recommend alternative remedies.
I am writing about my mother (68, in good health) who has arthritis in her hips and cannot tolerate most pain-relievers because of a sensitive stomach. Do you have any recommendations for alternative or home remedy treatments that may help her? She keeps active and eats a balanced diet, but (as expected) the pain is slowly increasing as she ages.
DEAR READER: Thank you for the kind compliments. I am a firm believer that modern medicine isn’t always the answer. If a simple safe, inexpensive remedy found in your local pharmacy aisle or kitchen cupboard works just as well as an expensive, side effect riddled prescription, great!
Arthritis is a common problem that typically worsens with age. The most common variety (of which there are more than 100) is osteoarthritis that results from the wearing down of cartilage within the joints which results in bone-touching-bone. As the affected joint or joints move, there is little to cushion the friction, resulting in pain, inflammation, swelling, and stiffness.
My readers have had success with several home remedies. Castor oil rubs can be used several times a day (although most find that twice a day is sufficient). Simply rub a small amount onto the affected areas. There is no need to cover the area; however, for moderate to severe pain, heat or ice applied following application may be beneficial. Castiva, a castor oil based lotion, comes in both warming (capsaicin) and cooling (menthol) varieties and may be a good choice for your mother. The product is available in most independent pharmacies across the country.
Omega-3 fatty acid can also be beneficial for those with arthritis pain, although it should only be used under physician approval because of the potential to interfere with other medications, especially anti-coagulants. Users can take up to 2500 mg daily, but I recommend starting with a lower dosage and working up to prevent stomach upset. It may take several days or up to two weeks for results to be noticed.
Finally, and probably the most popular, is grape juice and pectin. Pectin is an ingredient used to thicken jellies. I usually recommend liquid pectin, but the more readily available powdered pectin is equally beneficial. Simply mix eight ounces of 100% purple grape juice (some readers have had success using apple juice) with 1 tablespoon of pectin and drink the mixture up to three times a day. Once the pain is lessened, the pectin can be reduced downward to 1 teaspoon and consumed once a day.
Pectin can usually be found small packages in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. I only know of one place (Kauffman’s Fruit Farm, 3097 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird In Hand, PA 17505, 1-717-768-7112, www.KauffmansFruitFarm.com that sells the product in bulk which may be more cost effective for those who drink the juice/pectin combo daily. Readers, if you know of other sources, please let me know.
These and more of the home remedies I recommend can be found in my Health Reports “Dr. Gott’s Compelling Home Remedies” and “More Compelling Home Remedies” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 (for each report) US check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title(s) when writing or print an order form from my website, www.AskDrGottMD.com.
