ARTHRITIS¼
Does Not Have To Be A Sign Of Aging
What Are Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis?
by Dr. George M. Wolverton, M.D.
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is
the most common form of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage covering the
bones in joints wears down, leading to inflammation, pain, stiffness, and
immobility in the joints.
Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which a person’s bone mineral density decreases because of changes in the internal structure of the bone. This condition makes bone fractures more likely to occur.
Mainstream Medical Treatments
Mainstream Medicine tends to endorse
several treatments for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, which may include
supplements and pharmaceutical drugs. One such commonly prescribed drug is
Fosamax, which has recently been implicated in producing osteonecrosis, or
decay, of the jawbone. In severe cases of arthritis, replacement of joints
(especially shoulders, hips, and knees) may be recommended.
In particular, osteoarthritis is commonly treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or N-saids. There are around 26 N-saids on the market right now, but I believe that they are inferior in treating joint pain. They relieve the pain without solving the underlying problems, and they are also expensive.
Long-term use of N-saids has been implicated in cases of congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and blood loss anemia. Since N-saids first began to be used, there has been a 100-fold increase in gastric hemorrhage in people above the age of 60, the age bracket that takes the most N-saids. I avoid them with a passion except for in acute cases.
An Alternative Approach to Joint and Bone Problems
When patients go to an orthopedic surgeon,
one of the first things they will probably hear is that their joints are
worn out and that nothing can be done except replacement surgery. But that
is not the whole story. The cutting edge of science tells us that you do not
have a single cell in your body today that was there two years ago, with the
possible exception of brain cells. Billions of your cells are replaced each
day. You may be aging in terms of years, but with proper care, your joints
and bones can remain relatively youthful.
I seek to help patients’ bodies repair the damage on their own, when possible, avoiding the side effects and other problems that often accompany traditional approaches to dealing with joint and bone problems.
Protocol for Osteoarthritis and
Osteoporosis
I have found the following program to be
effective in preventing and counteracting the problems of osteoarthritis and
osteoporosis. In most cases there will be significant and pleasing reversal
in three to six months.
1. Vitamin B3, or Niacin in the form of Niacinamide, is capable of creating youth in the calcium cycle of the bone. I prescribe two 500-milligram tablets three times daily.
2. Used with the above, Glucosamine Sulfate tends to help the stomach be more receptive to the Niacinamide and to give youth to the calcium cycle in cartilage and ligaments. Take 500 milligrams of Glucosamine Sulfate three times daily.
3. Boron, taken 3 milligrams a day, helps build bones and also helps to make up for the severe deficiency of boron in the American Diet.
4. Knox Gelatin (unsweetened and uncolored, with no additives) also gives youth to the calcium cycle in bone and cartilage. Once a day, take one packet in 4 ounces of water, stir, and drink rather quickly.
Chelation Therapy and
Arthritis
In
addition to the above protocol, I have found Chelation Therapy to be helpful
in dealing with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Chelation is a safe and
cost-efficient means of restoring calcium to the bones, where it should be,
instead of having it in the arteries or other problematic areas.
A retrospective study conducted at the McDunnough Clinic by the head of the department of statistics at Ohio State University indicated that bone densitometer studies increased by up to 20% when calcium was pulled from where it should not be and put back where it should be through Chelation Therapy.
I have recommended Chelation Therapy in my practice through the years, and it has significantly benefited people with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, helping many of them prevent replacements of shoulders, hips, and knees.
Preventing Bone
Disease
Maintaining a proper hormone level in the body helps to keep the bones
younger and stronger. The goal is to keep your hormonal age at 35. Chelation
Therapy and eating according to an organic and alkalarian diet can help keep
your body healthy, so it can better produce the hormones you need without
additional help. In fact, keeping the first morning urine alkaline with an
alkalinity program tends to slow or reverse osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
(See the Alkalinity topic sheet for more information on an alkalarian diet.)
For post-menopausal women, who are at a higher risk for osteoporosis, I recommend taking the natural hormones, triple estrogen and progesterone, to help prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Progesterone increases bone density better than any bone density-enhancing drug can.
In addition to maintaining hormone levels, another way of preventing bone disease is to maintain proper mineral levels. The American Diet, full of white flour, white sugar, and foods starting with the letter “c” (like cokes, cookies, cakes, caffeine, chocolate, and “c’alcohol”), tends to accelerate hardening of the arteries by removing calcium from the bones and depositing it in the arteries. Avoiding sweets and other American Diet foods helps keep calcium in the bones, where it should be.
If an alkalarian diet and other preventive measures do not conserve enough calcium in the bones, calcium supplements may be needed. We carry calcium supplements at our office.
Thus, the best approach to bone care, including dealing with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, is to help the body heal damage on its own, when possible. Even as you accumulate more candles on your cake, proper care can hopefully help you maintain youthful bones and joints.