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New Choices in Natural Healing: Joint Pain

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Joint Pain

Yesterday you were Limber Larry, flexible as a willow tree. You weeded the garden, played hopscotch with the kids, then dashed off to the local alley for a few frames of bowling.

And this morning you’re Rigid Roger, stiff as a two-by-four. Your ankles are aching, your knees are gnarly, and your shoulders are singing the blues. How can such simple activities cause such pain?

In a word, misuse. If you know that you don’t have arthritis, bursitis or tendinitis, then maybe you’re just asking too much of your joints. Perhaps you’re not stretching enough before exercising. Over the long run, this kind of stress can cause inflammation and can break down cartilage, the natural shock absorbers in all of your joints. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help relieve joint pain, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When...

Your joint pain or stiffness lingers for more than a week.
Your pain is severe or unexplained.
Your joint is hot, red or swollen as well as painful.
You get no relief from the use of aspirin, ice packs or heat.
You have recently injured the joint, particularly with a sharp blow.

Acupressure

For joint pain anywhere in the body, press both St 36 points, situated four finger-widths below each kneecap, in the indentation at the front of the shinbone, says Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points. He suggests holding these points for one minute three times daily. Pressing these points tones all of the muscles in the body, according to Dr. Gach, making it especially helpful for relieving joint pain.

For joint pain and stiffness in your ankle, Dr. Gach says to press both GB 40 points, situated in the large hollow directly in front of each anklebone. Stimulate these points for three to five minutes three times daily, he says.

The following pain-relieving points should be held for one minute three times daily any time you feel pain in the area indicated, according to Dr. Gach.

For knee joint pain, Dr. Gach recommends both Sp 9 points, located on the inside of each leg, just under the knee and below the head of the shinbone.

For wrist pain, press points P 7, located on the inside of each arm in the middle of the wrist crease, and TW 4, on the outside of each arm in the hollow at the center of the wrist crease, says Dr. Gach. These points can be stimulated simultaneously. So if you are experiencing pain in your left wrist, for example, Dr. Gach says to press the TW 4 point on your left wrist with your right thumb while stimulating the P 7 point on your left wrist with the fingers of your right hand. Then switch and apply pressure to the same points on your right wrist.

For shoulder pain, Dr. Gach says, hook your fingers into both TW 15 points, situated over the tops of your shoulders, midway between the base of the neck and the outer edges of the shoulders. Feel for the spots of greatest tension and press there, he explains. He also suggests using tennis balls to put pressure on these points. His instructions: Lie down with your knees bent. If you wish, put a pillow under your head for comfort. Reach behind your back and position the tennis balls on the points. Then cross your arms over your chest and breathe deeply.

For help in locating any of these acupressure points, refer to the illustrations beginning on page 564.

Food Therapy

Try the detoxification diet (see “Detoxing Your Ills” on page 48) to help correct the nutritional imbalance that could be triggering joint pain, suggests Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition.

Or try eating vegetarian, says Neal Barnard, M.D., president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., and author of Food for Life and other books on the healing aspects of food. Animal proteins have been found to trigger the joint pain associated with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, he says.

Hydrotherapy

Simple hot or cold water treatments are easy ways to soothe joint pain, says John Abruzzo, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Rheumatology and Osteoporosis Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. To relieve stiffness and dull, penetrating pain, he recommends a warm (not hot) compress applied directly to the affected area. For sharper, more intense pain, he says to try a cold compress or an ice pack wrapped in a plastic bag and placed over a towel on the skin. Hold in place for 10 to 20 minutes, he suggests, and repeat every four hours as needed. Don’t apply a cold treatment for more than 20 minutes at a time, or you’ll risk damaging your skin, he adds.

Massage

Gently rub the muscles directly above and below the sore joint, says Vincent Iuppo, N.D., massage therapist, naturopathic physician and director of the Morris Institute of Natural Therapeutics, a holistic health education center in Denville, New Jersey. Use the friction technique (page 570) to massage for about ten minutes, and repeat daily until the pain has subsided. Do not rub directly on the affected joint.

Reflexology

To help relieve pain in a joint, work the corresponding reflex points on your hands or feet, says St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology. If you have knee pain, for example, he says to pay special attention to the knee reflex points.

To help you locate these points, consult the hand and foot reflex charts beginning on page 582. For instructions on how to work the points, see “Your Reflexology Session” on page 110.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

People with joint pain may get relief from the following daily nutrient intakes, says Richard Gerson, Ph.D., author of The Right Vitamins: 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 800 to 1,400 milligrams of calcium and a B-complex supplement containing the six important B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B₆, vitamin B₁₂ and pantothenic acid). He explains that vitamin C helps promote healing, calcium builds stronger bones and the B vitamins balance the nervous system, reducing pain.

See also Arthritis; Gout

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