Dr. Sarah Brewer - Overcoming Arthritis: The Complete Complementary Health Program

The information and advice given in this book is for general information only. Its not intended to replace individual advice from your own doctor. My approach is holistic and designed to complement the treatments your doctor prescribes. If you follow one or more of the programs in Part Three, please treat my advice as a guide only and always follow the advice of your doctor or other healthcare professionals who know your specific needs in detail. In particular, never stop taking your arthritis medication except under the advice and supervision of your own doctor.

• You are aged 40 or over.
• Arthritis runs in your family.
• You are overweight.
• You take little regular exercise.
• Your work involves repetitive movements of one or more joints.
• You feel the need to stretch your back every day.
• You notice creakiness in one or more joints.
• You notice that a joint, such as your knee or hip, is less flexible than before, or cannot be straightened fully.
• You can no longer touch your toes when standing with knees straight.
• You have limited neck rotation and can no longer align your chin with your shoulder tip, or touch the front of your chest with your chin.
• Your joints are swelling or changing shape.
• Your fingers and toes easily get cold and stiff.
• A joint starts aching, especially after exercise.
• Your knees are painful when you kneel or sit on them.

Many people with joint pain avoid exercise but, as discussed on pages 97103, regular exercise is vitally important for long-term joint health. If you have arthritis, your joints will need some rest, but too much will make your muscles weak and increase your joint stiffness. Simple exercises, such as stretching, walking, cycling or swimming, can go a long way to keep your joints healthy and flexible. If youre overweight, your weight-bearing joints will have to work harder than they would otherwise I explain how you can lose weight on pages 103105.

Like your heart, your joints thrive best on a healthy lifestyle and a diet that is rich in superfoods . In Part Three I show you how you can change your lifestyle and diet for maximum benefit. Because everyone is different and no diet and lifestyle plan will suit all individuals, Ive created three different approaches: a gentle, a moderate and a full-strength program. To help you work out which one is right for you, complete the questionnaire on pages 109110.

For many people, the gentle program is a good place to start. It introduces you to healthy eating principles such as eating more fruit, vegetables and fish. I suggest you take food supplements such as glucosamine at a dose that will have a significant, beneficial effect on your arthritis symptoms. I also show you some useful stretch exercises, and introduce you to complementary health approaches such as aromatherapy and homeopathy. A month on the gentle program can significantly reduce the level of inflammation in your joints.

If your responses to the questionnaire suggest that you have a sensitivity to plants of the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, and potatoes, the moderate program shows you how to exclude these foods from your diet. I also provide some stretch and range-of-movement exercises, and introduce you to complementary approaches such as reflexology and meditation. If youre sensitive to foods from the nightshade family, you should notice your symptoms becoming less troublesome within a month of following the moderate program.

For people whose questionnaire identifies a pronounced inflammatory component to their arthritis, the full-strength program will provide an eating plan that significantly increases your intake of antioxidants and spices with a natural, analgesic action. I also include an exercise program to help you to stay active and flexible; and I introduce you to complementary techniques such as acupressure and acupuncture. If your arthritis is linked with inflammatory reactions within your joints, the full-strength program has the potential to relieve symptoms within a month.

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