Certain organic remedies may help relieve symptoms of your osteoarthritis. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis and usually affects older individuals. Joint pain and stiffness are among the most common symptoms of osteoarthritis. Before taking any organic remedies to help treat your osteoarthritis, talk with your doctor about possible side effects, proper dosage and potential drug interactions.
Dong Quai
Dong quai, also known as Angelica sinensis, is an organic remedy that may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, dong quai, a member of the parsley family, has been used medicinally for over 1,000 years in China, Korea and Japan. Dong quai is a fragrant perennial plant that grows in damp, cold environments at high altitude, has a sweet, bitter and slightly pungent taste, and possesses warming, moistening and stimulating tendencies. The root of the plant is used to help treat numerous health problems, including osteoarthritis. According to Dr. Sharol Tilgner, a naturopathic physician and author of the book "Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth," dong quai is an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anodyne. It is useful in relieving arthritis, headache and sciatica. If you are using blood-thinning agents, avoid taking dong quai.
Chaparral
Chaparral is an antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic and antioxidant. Its constituent nordihydroguaiaretic acid, or NDGA, inhibits a substance called leukotriene B4, which is found in arthritic joints. Tilgner notes that chaparral is an organic remedy used to help treat many chronic diseases, including osteoarthritis, liver congestion and respiratory and urinary tract infections. Chaparral, also known as Larrea tridentata, is a flowering evergreen shrub that grows in the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of southwestern North America. Chaparral belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family, has a bitter, resinous, acrid taste, and possesses drying and cooling tendencies. If you are pregnant or have liver disease, avoid using chaparral unless it's recommended by a qualified health care professional.
Juniper
Juniper, a member of the pine family, is a small tree or shrub that grows throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in North America, Asia and Europe. Juniper, also known as Juniperus communis, has a sweet, pungent taste and possesses drying and stimulating tendencies. Practitioners of botanical medicine use the berries of the shrub to help treat numerous health problems, including osteoarthritis. According to Ed Smith, an herbalist and author of the book "Therapeutic Herb Manual," juniper is used to help treat chronic arthritis, gout and muscular rheumatic disease. Tilgner states that juniper's ability to relieve the inflammation and pain associated with arthritis, gout and other conditions may be attributable to its prostaglandin-inhibiting action. Prostaglandins are a group of fatty acid-like substances in your body that act like hormones.
References
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Osteoarthritis
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Dong Quai
- "Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth"; Sharol Tilgner, N.D.; 1999
- "Therapeutic Herb Manual"; Ed Smith; 2007
