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Reversing Arthritis

by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Published 04/22/09

Folks, the arthritis medications that are taken by millions in this country are frightfully dangerous. Even worse, they exacerbate arthritis. But it doesn't have to be this way. There is a completely safe, natural remedy that stimulates healing with new cartilage growth to cover the surfaces of the bone. It is called glucosamine sulfate, and it reverses arthritis.

In general, all forms of arthritis—rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, or arthritis due to trauma—become osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, the "end stage" arthritis, progresses with destruction of the cartilage that covers the articular surfaces of the bone, allowing bone to rub on bone. That is painful!

Almost all American physicians believe that osteoarthritis is progressive, and treatment is aimed only at pain relief. No attempt is made to slow down its progression.

Arthritis Drugs Actually Cause Cartilage Destruction!

The most common therapy for osteoarthritis are drugs such as aspirin, Motrin, Naprosyn, Feldene, Clinoril, Indocin, Vicodin, and Meclomen, to mention only a few. These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have similar mechanisms of action and are big business for the pharmaceutical companies. Every few months there is a newly minted NSAID on the market, announced with expensive ads on its ability to relieve arthritis pain.

NSAIDs can be extremely dangerous. When used on a chronic basis—not occasionally for pain relief—they cause bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract in close to 25,000 people a year. Nevertheless, they are prescribed for virtually every painful condition, particularly arthritis pain.

Though these dangers are well known, what is not recognized is that NSAIDs block the body's ability to produce cartilage and actually cause cartilage destruction. Thus, they accelerate the destructive nature of the disease.

Indocin is a powerful and very dangerous NSAID. Physicians in Oslo, Norway, followed the course of 186 patients with X-rays of 294 hips. Fifty-eight of the patients were taking Indocin; 128 weren't. Those taking Indocin were found to have far more rapid destruction of the hip than the group that was not taking Indocin or any other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent.

Folks, we docs have been asleep at the switch. It is time to go back to square one and rethink what we are doing for the arthritis patient.

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