Facing a major health problem is not easy. I know, I face one every day. Not only that…deciding on the most prudent traditional and alternative medicine treatments can be very confusing.

As you read, you will have the opportunity to look at your traditional and alternative medicine options. For now, allow me to give you a general overview of why drugs are considered. In the future we’ll have a look at the pros and cons of the drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis.

When drugs are used to treat people with rheumatoid arthritis, we have two goals. Our first goal is to reduce the pain and swelling in your joints. Once we get the swelling in your joints under control, you will experience less pain. Our second goal is to slow or stop your joint damage.

Deciding if you should take drugs and if so…deciding which rheumatoid arthritis medication is right for you, can be overwhelming. With more choices than ever out there, how do you know which drug or combination of drugs is best for you?Let’s go over some of your options.

There are 5 main categories of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis:

· Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

· Analgesic Drugs

· Glucocorticoids or Prednisone

· Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)

· Biologic Response Modifiers (BMRs)

Okay, so now you know the types of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but what do they do?

Deciding if you should take drugs and if so…deciding which rheumatoid arthritis medication is right for you, can be overwhelming. With more choices than ever out there, how do you know which drug or combination of drugs is best for you? Let’s go over some of your options.

There are 5 main categories of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis:

· Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

· Analgesic Drugs

· Glucocorticoids or Prednisone

· Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)

· Biologic Response Modifiers (BMRs)

Okay, so now you know the types of drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but what do they do? I talked about NSAIDs and Analgesic drugs in my prior thread,  let’s review the pros and cons of the last 3 types.

Glucocorticoids or Prednisone

These drugs are part of the steroid family. They may relieve your pain from rheumatoid arthritis, and they may even slow joint damage. But, these drugs also have some strong side effects. It is like being under extreme stress constantly. As you can imagine, it’s really important to take the lowest dose possible to treat your disease. The most common side effects people experience when taking these drugs are weight gain, anxiety, irritability and mood swings. In the long term they lower your immune system and make you more likely to get other diseases.

Did you know meditation is a great natural way to ease your rheumatoid arthritis pain?

And the best part is it requires no special equipment, clothing, supplements, drugs or surgery. In fact, it may even be covered by your medical insurance!

You may be surprised to learn today it’s common to find meditation being taught in clinics, hospitals, and even in your doctor’s office. That’s because we know that meditation can help you experience less pain, anxiety, stress, and depression – all common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Some experts even think alternative medicine like meditation can help your immune system heal your body.

If you suffer from arthritis, relief may only be as far away as your chiropractor’s office.

That’s because chiropractors understand if your spine is not aligned properly, you may be at a higher risk for disease.

To fully understand how your chiropractor can help your arthritis, let’s take a look at what you can expect your chiropractor to do:

Years ago, you’d never hear a doctor tell an arthritis patient to “go for a swim” or “go take a hike”. That’s because we used to think that arthritis was just something that came along with old age, and it was just your body’s way of telling you it was time to slow down.

But not anymore.

Today, we know that exercise is a great alternative medicine treatment to help manage your arthritis.

Your chiropractor can work with you to create an exercise program that will:

Did you know that homeopathy is one of the most popular alternative medicine treatments in the United States? And its FDA approved.

Homeopathy is based on the idea a person can use very small amounts of a disease-causing substance to help treat the same symptoms a larger amount of the same substance causes. It sounds confusing, but it’s a lot like the theory of getting a vaccination so you don’t get a disease later on.

One reason why homeopathy has become such a popular alternative medicine treatment for those with rheumatoid arthritis is because there are no side effects. Some people who use homeopathy also find that they are able to slowly reduce the amount of rheumatoid arthritis medication they’re taking.

Homeopathy may be a good alternative medicine treatment for your rheumatoid arthritis. I will help you see how homeopathy may fit into a therapy designed just for you and your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and pain.

Steps to Improve Your Health

Dr. Steven Dell

When you think of alternative medicine treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, Indian spices probably aren’t the first things that come to mind.

But did you know that studies are now showing Ayurvedic herbs, or herbs used in the traditional medicine of India, may be an alternative medicine treatment to rheumatoid arthritis pain and symptoms?

While these herbs are often used in combination, here’s a little more about what each one offers:

• Ginger

o Reduces rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and reduces pain and inflammation.

• Turmeric

o Relieves rheumatoid arthritis symptoms like inflammation.

• Frankincense

o Like turmeric, it relieves rheumatoid arthritis symptoms like inflammation.

• Ashwagandha

o Reduces inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Today, many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis are turning to alternative medicines like medicinal oils as a treatment for their rheumatoid arthritis pain. This is something you may want to consider because…these oils, if taken properly, have no risky side effects.

Here’s what you should know about the 4 oils that rise to the top:

• Fish Oil:

o Reduces rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and improves tolerance to cold exposure.

• Primrose Seed Oil:

o Relieves rheumatoid arthritis symptoms like joint tenderness.

• Borage Seed Oil:

o Like primrose seed oil, it relieves rheumatoid arthritis symptoms like joint tenderness, but is more potent than primrose seed oil so you can take less.

• Flaxseed Oil:

o May reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.