swollen joints

[stellaJewels]

I've had joint problems for a long time, but about 6 weeks ago they started getting worse and now I can barely walk b/c my knees and ankles hurt so bad and are grossly swollen. I've searched everywhere for ideas of what to do, but it just keeps getting worse no matter what I try. I'm past the point of desperate and would love to hear ANY advice you have...

Thanks,
Sad Swollen Girl

[Revvell]

What have you done so we don't all keep repeating what you've done?

Do a couple of ounces of wheatgrass juice daily for a few days, then up it to 4 ounces. Two in the a.m. and 2 in the p.m. Externally, I'd soak in a warm epsom salt bath at least once a day for about 10 minutes.

[stellaJewels]

Hey Rev - I was vague b/c I was hoping for any advice at all, but you're right I should be more specific...

I've done epsom baths, they help temporarily. Same with ice and heat. MSM makes me sick. Juice fast made no difference. Ditto Green smoothie fast, chinese liniment, and enemas. I've tried the rebounder, resting, yoga, walking, Pain Free book exercises, all with mixed results, ie sometimes it helps sometimes it gets worse. I've tried to identify allergies, I definitely do better without nuts and most seeds, no crucifers unless fermented, and not overdoing greens as I have bad adrenals/thyroid. I can't touch grains as I'm deathly allergic, which has made me scared to try wheatgrass even though I know it's not the same. It's hard to get over that mental block since the last time I ate grains my throat totally closed up but I'm so desperate I'll give it a shot (pun intended... :)

I'm sure there's other stuff I've tried but I can't think of it right now. Just sitting at the desk is making my legs swell and ache :(

[Revvell]

O.k., first of all, sometimes with natural healing things WILL get "worse" before they get better. Secondly, you need to find something that works a little and stick with it long enough to find out if it's really going to make a difference. That could be 2-3 months which, I know is tough if you're not seeing results.

A couple of things you might do ~ EFT ~ sounds as though there's an emotional component here that's not being addressed. If all the physical stuff you're doing isn't "working", then, gotta look at the emotional. Talk to your body. Find out what it needs it's not getting. I know that sounds strange yet, it worked when I was having heart issues.

Write down: "I'm afraid...." then finish the sentence with 6-10 endings. What is this pain stopping you from doing? "One thing it's stopping me from doing is....." 6-10 endings...

Hoping that helps.

[streetsurfer]

Do you think it could be related to new food sensitivities (not true allergies) due to the leaky gut condition? I would certainly look there first, to see what foods your body could be reacting to.

Since my health took it's drastic decline, I experienced bad pain in most all of my joints at one time or another, until I found what foods should be avoided. Avoidance of the food proteins to which I had formed antibodies for, removed the majority of the pain. Otherwise, nothing shorty of water fasts helped. Even celebrex and nsaids did not remove the pain, only lessened it slightly. I however, did not suffer a lot of externally visible swelling from most of the foods, just certain ones. So little, that some doctors did not believe I had any cause for joint pain when I would see them for it. They'd say things like "That looks like a normal healthy joint for someone your age, I want you to see the psychiatrist", or they'd tell me to take over the counter nsaids-the very thing that they now suspect is part of the progression of leaky gut, aargh!

The food proteins that leak into the bloodstream tend to get deposited into joints and their surrounding tissue, where the antibodies that your blood formed in defense of the invading proteins set up an attack, thus the pain and inflammation. Many of the "healthy foods" I was eating at the time became the enemy...cranberry, pineapple (I consumed a lot of it for it's anti inflammatory properties, ironic that it was causing inflammation and pain instead), bananas (a lot of them for the potassium to help with constant muscle cramps), tomato, pinto beans, avocado, quinoa, wheat, soy, sesame, eggs, cod, brazil nuts, kidney beans, red green and black pepper, and a dozen or more others. It was only as I figured out ways to keep all these foods/ingredients out of my diet that the pain subsided.

I cannot afford further testing but I do think I am sensitive to new items or others not tested for before. If I test a food by consuming it, the pain and joint issues still return. I think this might be because of weak adrenal function and that I may still be consuming some unknown problem foods and it is not allowing the leaky gut to heal. I am working on all the tips we recently discussed in another thread. The book Adrenal Fatigue discusses some methods for checking yourself for hidden sensitivities, as well as the different tests a doctor could run.
This is more my experience than advice, but I hope you can glean some helpful bits from it.

[stellaJewels]

Funny, I just downloaded the EFT manual a couple days ago, but haven't read it all yet (the pain stopped me from being able to sit at the desk...) so looks like I need to try that. And work on patience which I've never had any of... I guess we all want a quick fix even when we're raw

Thanks for your time Rev, I really appreciate it. Maybe we should all call you Reverend Raw

xoxo,
Dana

[Revvell]

And work on patience which I've never had any of... I guess we all want a quick fix even when we're raw

Yes, which is why so many give up. They're use to using drugs to stop and mask any sensation rather than allowing the body to heal.




Thanks for your time Rev, I really appreciate it. Maybe we should all call you Reverend Raw

xoxo,
Dana

You're welcome and Revvell is fine. :)

[DebB]

Dan McDonald, "Liferegenerator (http://www.youtube.com/user/liferegenerator)" on YouTube has a lot of videos and talks about inflamation on many of them. He talks a lot about the benefits of alkalizing - hope you can find helpful information for you! *Ü*

[stellaJewels]

Thanks for the reply streetsurfer, I kinda think it may be allergy related too. I feel like I'm not gonna be able to eat anything anymore and have already lost more weight trying to figure out my sensitivities. I think I need to get that Adrenal Fatigue book too even though I already know I'm past the point of them being fatigued. It's gotten so bad I've seriously considered going back on the steroids. Yikes... Which is also why I had to reach out for advice finally. For me, steroids=giving up and/or a death wish

[trinity082482]

Is the swelling from water or inflammation in the joints?
I my self suffer from Arthritis and have so since I was 16.
My only cure is flax seeds. It is THE only thing that takes the swelling, stiffness and pain away. Mind you, once you stop eating them the pain returns. It's a life long commitment for my self to continue with them. It got to the point where I started supplementing with flax seed oil because I didn't want to eat flax seed all day long every day forever.... and that was a personal choice but I highly recommend it to ANYONE. A min of 3,000 mg a day. Not sure how many flax seeds equal that amount but if you eat 1/2 a cup a day you should feel some relief. Good luck.

[DebB]

Speaking of flax oil, I thought I'd toss this in FWIW. My MD sells Barlean's at his office, which he has flown down from their facility (here in WA) because he's that fanatical about the pressing date (which is located on the side panel). He keeps it frozen at his office and recommends we that use it do the same.

He told me to keep stored in the freezer and then take it out for about 15 minutes prior to taking it to let it thaw a bit and be able to shake it. He recommends the high lignan flax oil also. Then back into the freezer. He said that keeps it the freshest. I followed his advice while I was taking it and never had a problem.

So, I wanted to share that incase someone else might find it useful. *Ü*

[Sugar Snap Pea]

Emotional component...I notice your avatar says "I hate everything". Maybe turn it around- "Only Good Can Come From This!", and believe it!

[Stina]

How about herbal supplementation? Pink Lady Apple from another forum said horsetail tea relieved her pain. I'll double-check.

[stellaJewels]

Emotional component...I notice your avatar says "I hate everything". Maybe turn it around- "Only Good Can Come From This!", and believe it!

well that wouldn't be funny and ironic at all...

[stellaJewels]

How about herbal supplementation? Pink Lady Apple from another forum said horsetail tea relieved her pain. I'll double-check.

I remember that post, from GITMR I think... I'll go back and look at that too, thanks! :)

I got so frustrated that I decided to go back to the Chinese Medicine Man. He's got me brewing some crazy herbal teas that seem to be helping (not exactly raw, but oh well). Thankfully I live really close to one of the best TCM facilities in the country. Unfortunately he says I'm the most complicated patient he's ever had... yikes

Thanks for the flax info too, I'm gonna ask the doc about it. It's yet another thing I'm sometimes 'allergic' to... :confused:

[streetsurfer]

Speaking of flax oil, I thought I'd toss this in FWIW. My MD sells Barlean's at his office, which he has flown down from their facility (here in WA) because he's that fanatical about the pressing date (which is located on the side panel). He keeps it frozen at his office and recommends we that use it do the same.

He told me to keep stored in the freezer and then take it out for about 15 minutes prior to taking it to let it thaw a bit and be able to shake it. He recommends the high lignan flax oil also. Then back into the freezer. He said that keeps it the freshest. I followed his advice while I was taking it and never had a problem.

So, I wanted to share that incase someone else might find it useful. *Ü*

Very useful...you are always full of good info. Thanks DebB!

I am wondering if one could make serving size cubes in an ice cube tray, bag them and remove doses individually as needed? We've kept our Barlean's in the fridge in the past. I may try the ice thing and report back if we have some flax oil still.

[DebB]

Very useful...you are always full of good info. Thanks DebB!

I am wondering if one could make serving size cubes in an ice cube tray, bag them and remove doses individually as needed? We've kept our Barlean's in the fridge in the past. I may try the ice thing and report back if we have some flax oil still.

Oh ~ I'm full of it alright, streetsurfer! :D

I just *love* your idea about freezing flax oil ice cubes, but (sigh) it doesn't freeze solid enough. When it's in the freezer it gets to the consistency of Vaseline - a little squishier actually. But you get the idea.

But if you can get past that - the idea of individual servings of it would be fanTAStic!! That was the only rub of keeping it in the freezer, was the thawing time. *Ü*

[DebB]

I'm going to start incorporating flax oil back into my diet - but I'd like to ask....

Am I the only one who doesn't care for the flavor? http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/DebB4007/drunk3.gif

Way back when, I used to take it with sweetened grapefruit juice so it would disguise the flavor. But I see people using it in their salads, etc. :eek: Who knows, maybe I'll enjoy it this time around. *Ü*

[stellaJewels]

i'm definitely not a fan of the flavor! coconut oil is the only oil i could ever eat straight... i used to just sub a little flax oil for some of the olive oil in dressing recipes. tahini dressing actually tastes better with about 1 TB flax added, imo, and i remember reading somewhere that it makes the omega 3's and 6's balance out perfectly when you add flax oil :cool:

[streetsurfer]

They have cinnamon flavored ones if that interests you. I'm laughing thinking about flax oil. I once gave a friend a bottle after he had told me of a dry skin condition one of his children had. He couldn't get the kids to take it because of the taste so he said they started giving it to a horse they had rescued. He told me it did wonders for it's coat. I never knew if he was pulling my leg or not. :D

[DebB]

i'm definitely not a fan of the flavor! coconut oil is the only oil i could ever eat straight... i used to just sub a little flax oil for some of the olive oil in dressing recipes. tahini dressing actually tastes better with about 1 TB flax added, imo, and i remember reading somewhere that it makes the omega 3's and 6's balance out perfectly when you add flax oil :cool:

Aha - so I'm not the only one :D That's interesting about adding it to tahini. I'm all for making tahini taste better too!


They have cinnamon flavored ones if that interests you. I'm laughing thinking about flax oil. I once gave a friend a bottle after he had told me of a dry skin condition one of his children had. He couldn't get the kids to take it because of the taste so he said they started giving it to a horse they had rescued. He told me it did wonders for it's coat. I never knew if he was pulling my leg or not. :D

Now there's an idea, cinnamon flavored flax oil - thanks for sharing that. I bet he did give it to his horse. I can't tell you the number of times I've Googled something for me only to find hit after hit about its use for animals. *Ü*

[RawHealthyBeauty]

Hey, it's true that sometimes things do get worst before they get better!! So patience here is like watching the grass grow and you know it's growing.

Anyways, I read somewhere that B vitamins are supposed to help reduce inflammation of the joints. And also read that acupuncture can be helpful!

I'm sure there's gotta be something out there you can find that will help you naturally! Let us know when you do! :)

[sport]

Astaxznthin has helped my joints a lot.

[DebB]

Astaxznthin has helped my joints a lot.

Wow - thank you sport. I'd never heard of this and will pass along this information! *Ü*

[sport]

Wow - thank you sport. I'd never heard of this and will pass along this information! *Ü*

Of course you know that I spelled it wrong but then it would not be me if I got it right.

http://www.astaxanthin.org/