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Content for this Issue:
Introduction - Arthritis, pain and alternative treatment
Infections
Emotional stress can cause the onset of arthritis
Factors that weaken the body's immune system
Homeopathic Remedies for Arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Recommendations
CPH Student Clinics
CPH Course Information
Free Guides to Download about choosing a course
Further Resources of interest
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Introduction
Alex Christie (LCHE),
Author of theCph Newsletter
Hello and welcome! This monthly newsletter, continues to bring an exciting co-operation between The College of Practical Homeopathy (CPH) and Alex Christie. With November has come the cold, damp weather. So I thought I would cover one of the complaints that gets worse in such conditions, namely arthritis. How many of us were brought up to believe that arthritis was just one of those inherited conditions that we are powerless to do anything about, except take the prescribed drugs our GP recommends? Well, I am going to argue, quite to the contrary that no one in good nutritional health develops either rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. Arthritis is not, contrary to what many believe, a natural consequence of aging. It can be prevented if the underlying causes are eliminated.
The symptoms of arthritis can be cause by an accumulation of stresses that lead to joint, bone and muscle degeneration. Other factors behind arthritis are diet, physical exercise, infections, hormones, old age and stress, to name but a few.
The joints need lubrication. Good nutrition is required to ensure the synovial fluid between the joints continues to lubricate efficiently. This fluid contains mucopolysaccharides, which certain foods can provide.
Hormones control the calcium balance in the body, If the calcium balance is out of control the bones and joints become porous and subject to wear and tear, and calcium can be deposited in the wrong place, resulting in 'arthritic spurs'. The cause is loss of calcium balance in the body. This happens with a lack of exercise, too much tea, coffee, alcohol or chocolate, exposure to toxic metals like lead, excessive stress or underlying blood sugar or thyroid imbalances. Calcium control can deteriorate after the menopause due to the lowered levels of oestrogen. However, too much oestrogen is a factor in arthritis. An under active thyroid can cause arthritis.
Almost everyone suffering from rheumatoid and many with osteoarthritis have food and chemical allergies or sensitivities that aggravate their symptoms. The most common intolerances are to wheat and dairy produce. I have also found that often behind arthritis there is Candida yeast-overgrowth. Foods such as alcohol (red wine), sugar, wheat and dairy feed both Candida and arthritis and you can suffer from aching joints after consuming such foods simply because they are feeding your yeast-overgrowth. However, if you visit your GP and describe the aching you feel after, say, having enjoyed a few glasses of red wine the night before, you will be told you have arthritis. Before you do this visit a reputable therapist offering nutritional advice, natural medicines and kinesiology. You may well find that by eliminating certain foods and taking some supplements and homeopathic remedies all your aches and pains disappear.
If your immune system is not working properly, as in rheumatoid arthritis, it will produce too many free radicals, which can damage tissue around joints. A low intake of antioxidants can make arthritis worse so you want to ensure you are taking enough good quality ones.
And just a note of warning here: cheap supplements offer cheap treatment. You pay for what you get in terms of supplements. So don’t go buying Boots or Holland and Barrett’s cheapest products, or those sold at very low prices from the Channel Islands. Good quality supplements cost! If you want to benefit from taking them then use good quality ones.
Remember, if you would like me to cover any specific topic, please e-mail me and I will try and do so in one of our future newsletters.
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Infections
Any infection weakens the immune system, which controls inflammation. Some viruses and bacteria particularly affect the joints by lodging in them and recurring when immune defences are low. Good nutrition is the best way to build your immune system.
Bone damage, strains, and poor posture can increase the risk of developing arthritis. Ideally have an annual visit to an osteopath and take regular exercise to prevent arthritis.
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Emotional stress can cause the onset of arthritis
Diet high in refined sugar; stimulants, fat and protein are associated with arthritis. Also a lack of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids can precipitate joint problems.
If you want to keep your joints and bones in good condition:
- Take regular exercise and visit your osteopath annually
- Reduced meat consumption and avoid excessive protein
- Keep stress and stimulants to a minimum
- Keep your diet rich in minerals from seeds, nuts and root vegetables
- Check for possible food allergies
- With osteoporosis consider natural homeopathy, vitamins and minerals
- With joint inflammation take 300g daily of GLA (omega 6 essential oil) and flax seed oil.
Arthritis - inflammation of one or more joints in the body - is characterized by stiffness, soreness, or pain in joints, especially upon waking in the morning (rhus tox), and by fatigue and weakness that cannot be attributed to another disorder.
Rheumatoid arthritis, a common form, is an autoimmune disease occurring when the body's own immune system attacks healthy tissue, destroying cartilage that connects joints.
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Factors that weaken the body's immune system
Sugar: Consuming 90g of honey of fruit sugar/juice will cause a drop of up to 50% in white blood cell activity for up to 5 hours. Refined sugars can compromise your immune system for 7 hours. (Read my newsletter of May to learn the truth about sugar. See link below for previous newsletters.)
Alcohol: sufficient to cause intoxication depresses the immune system. Alcohol consumption causes vitamin and mineral deficiency, specifically of folic acid, thiamine Vitamins B6, C, zinc, mg, and pt. One glass of wine, beer, or one liquor halves antibody production for 24 hours.
Allergic reactions divert the immune function away from antibacterial activity. Allergic reactions also result in increased toxic debris, which can further damage the immune function. I recommend you undergo and allergy and intolerance test.
Toxicity: after exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, petrochemicals, ozone, sulphur dioxide, organic solvents and silicone implants deplete the immune function.
Medical drugs (especially steroids/cortisone and antibiotics) reduce antibody production and suppress immune function. Steroids (cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, etc) are immune suppressants, producing rapid decline in immune cells and making infection much easier to acquire.
Smoking: is a depressant of immune function. The smoke from one cigarette can severely compromise your white cell activity for 24hours. There are homeopathic remedies that can help you give up smoking!
Stimulant drugs: including amphetamines, cocaine, and various forms to psychedelic drugs such as LSD all depress immune function. Cocaine is the most addictive.
Antibiotics: When used excessively weaken immunity, cause Candida / yeast overgrowth in the intestines and make it increasingly likely that your body will not be able to resist micro-organisms. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections so do not take these if you are suffering from a virus, try ionic zinc or olive leaf extract instead.
Candida / yeast infection suppresses immune function.
Vaccination: when a vaccination is given the body's defences are mobilized to deal with this assault, and as a result overall protective activity is depressed for the next several weeks.
Emotional stress: depletes all aspects of immune function. in particular the thymus gland. Emotional stress can suppress aspects of the immune system by up to 60%.
Hormone imbalance: while the body is adapting to major changes in hormone production immune function is less efficient.
Too much exercise: leads to increased demands on repair functions and a loss of overall immune activity.
Too little rest: reduces immune system functioning.
Nutritional deficiencies: (notably the complexes, vitamins A, C, E and the minerals selenium and zinc). When a nutritional deficiency exists all aspects of the immune function are depressed, hence, the importance of a balanced diet.
Severe Injury: because inflammation and repair activity are involved in severe trauma other aspects of the immune defence capacity are weakened.
Chronic infections can overwhelm the immune function
Obesity reduces antibody production.
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Homeopathic Remedies for Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Don’t expect immediate results with rheumatoid arthritis. Indeed, unless the person is prepared to avoid the foods which feed this homeopathic remedies are likely to do little to help. Poor diet is a maintaining cause and no homeopathic remedy will manage to heal if the diet is terrible.
The Main Acute Remedies:
Arnica – acute rheumatism with soreness all over the body. Even the bed feels too hard. The patient does not want to be touched and may tell you s/he is fine.
Bryonia - excruciating, often stitching pains. The slightest movement causes pain. The patient does not want to be examined or moved. Pains are better for lying on the painful side, heat, pressure, lying still. Pains are worse 9pm.
Causticum – joint pains and deformities, especially fingers. Stiffness so severe the joints feel paralyzed. Worse cold, dry weather, morning, first movement. Better heat, rainy or damp weather.
Kalmia – sudden onset of severe acute arthritis. Paralytic pains with terrible stiffness, which come and go suddenly. Worse for motion, night time, in bed on going to sleep. Worse cold. Better for hot bathing. The pain migrates from joint to joint.
Rhus Tox – this is the main remedy for all forms of rheumatism. Worse on waking in the morning, sitting or lying still, cold and damp, and drafts. Pains are better for gentle movement, hot baths or showers.
Other remedies to bear in mind are:
Belladonna – sudden severe inflammation of the joints, which are red, swollen and very sensitive.
Benzoic Acid – stiffness, swelling, lameness, profuse urination. Often predominantly in the knee.
Ledum – Acute rheumatism with swelling, coldness, pallor in the affected joint. Worse for heat, better cold applications. Pain ascends.
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Osteoarthritis
The Main Remedies:
Benzoic Acid – Arthritis, gout and deformity of joints, relieved when discharging sediment through urination. Location mainly knees, ankles, toes and hands.
Calc Carb – main remedy in osteoarthritis with degenerative joints, osteophytes and calcifications. Worse for cold, damp weather, exertion. Better heat and rest.
Calc Fluor – A main remedy in spinal curvature, calcifications. Especially in large joints, hips, shoulders, spine.
Colchicum – one of the most important remedies for gout. Joints become hot, red, swollen and very sensitive on being touched or moved.
Ledum – Pains better for cold. One of the most important gout and Lyme disease remedies.
Nat sulph – degenerative arthritis, especially affecting the left hip. Worse damp weather, morning in bed, ascending, stooping, walking, grief.
I strongly advise anyone with any form of arthritis to see a homeopath for a prescription and not to try to self-treat.
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Recommendations
- Books: Your Healthy Child with Homeopathy
, by Tricia Allen, Metro Publishing (available from Amazon.co.uk). This book will enable you to treat the whole family.
- Helios Remedy Kits: Available from Helios Homeopathic Suppliers, 8 New Row, London, WC2N 4LJ . Phone 7379 7434, Or from Neal’s Yard Remedies, or www.helios.co.uk
- Alex Christie is a qualified Homeopath (LCHE), a member of the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths (ARH) and a member of the British Complementary Medicine Association (BCMA). Alex specializes in Candida and Allergy relief treatment and can be contacted or visited at her Barnsbury Studio or Neals Yard Practice in London. E-mail Alex for a consultation , Phone 020 7609 1352 or visit her web site for more information.
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CPH Student Clinics:
College of Practical Homeopathy - Student Clinics are held at CPH Campus Address in North Finchley, London, UK:
The College of Practical Homoeopathy
760 High Road
North Finchley,
London
N12 9QH
United Kingdom
Tel: (44) 0208-445-6123
Find out more about Cph Student consultations
Email Pauline for a Student Clinic booking
Click here for directions and map to the above location.
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CPH Course Information
Find out more about Practical Homeopathy
Find out more about becoming a Practical Homeopath
Find out what our most recent Graduates have to say about CPH
Use the links below to download our Course Information
Download our Course Prosepctus
Download our Application Form
Contact Us about joining CPH
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Free Guides to Download about choosing a course
If you would like some advice on choosing the best type of Homeopathic training available to you - why not download our two FREE Guides on ‘Choosing a career as a Homeopath’ and ‘Choosing the right Course?
Guide 1 - Choosing a career as a Homeopath?
Guide 2 - Choosing the right Course
Visit our web site for more information
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Further Resources of interest
More Homeopathic Resources for you
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Once again may we take this opportunity to thank you for your continued interest, and we look forward to remaining in touch with you regularly.
Yours in health,
on behalf of
the College of Practical Homeopathy
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