Taking The Pain Out Of Arthritis

When I gave up gluten five years ago, my gluten-free diet did not solve as many of my physical problems as I had hoped. Most prominently, the arthritis in my fingers began to grow more painful. The discomfort became so agonizing that I had to cut back on my musical activities (I play the guitar and violin). And then I discovered a rather simple dietary change that halted the soreness and gave me back the use of my hands.

Rewards

For me, giving up gluten brought many rewards. My brain and memory stopped deteriorating. Instead of suffering what seemed to be a case of early-onset Alzheimer’s, my mental skills began to work better than they had in years. After five years on a gluten-free diet, most of my brain problems have resolved.

My gluten-free diet conquered skin rashes that had plagued me for decades: They vanished or faded to a shadow of their former selves. The inflammation that had always accompanied my insect and spider bites also receded in intensity. For instance, today, if an errant flea hops on to me from one of my three dogs and takes a nip at my ankle, I don’t suffer the persistent itching and irritation that lasts for days the way it used to.

Going gluten-free meant my body changed: My blood pressure dropped, my weight came down, even my dandruff just about disappeared. Now, I’m not saying everyone can expect these kinds of benefits. I especially do not want to imply that a gluten-free diet is a panacea.

Painful Developments

Even though I enjoyed many unexpected benefits from changing my diet, going gluten-free did not seem to do anything for the arthritis in my hands. As a matter of fact, the joint pain in my fingers grew worse after I went gluten-free. Playing the guitar became an endurance contest. Each time I grasped the fingerboard, I fought to see how long I could put up with the soreness.

The type of osteoarthritis I have in my fingers is called Heberden’s Nodes. Aside from the pain, it causes the joints of the fingers to form lumps. It is genetic. I inherited a tendency for this arthritis from my mother.

As the pain in my fingers progressively worsened, I decided to try an even more restricted diet to see if that might help stop the arthritis. Along with giving up gluten, I also gave up corn, soy and dairy products to see what would happen.

Killing The Pain

It worked! Even though my friends insisted I should give up one type of food at a time to see which one might be at the root of my problem, I didn’t feel like spending that much time messing around with targeted elimination diets. Since I have found that my new diet has just about banished the aches in my hand, I won’t abandon it.

As far as scientific evidence goes, mainstream medical researchers finally are beginning to acknowledge that diet can influence arthritis. Investigations into the anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil show that it may be able to help quell arthritic inflammation.

Doctors who specialize in alternative medicine also urge several different techniques for trying to lower the pain of arthritis. For example, Dr. Andrew Weil advocates:

• Losing weight to take stress off of arthritic joints in your legs.
• Taking up to 3 grams of fish oil daily.
• Taking supplementary calcium (1,000 mg) and magnesium (500 mg) daily for women.
• Meditating.
• Supplementing with anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and ginger.

I know that the restricted diet I follow (basically what is called a paleo diet) is not for everyone. It requires constant vigilance about what foods you can and cannot eat. You have to prepare most of your own food. But the rewards have been so wonderful that I can’t imagine any other way to eat.