Natural Remedies for Rheumatoid Arthritis That Work

A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often leads to a future of medication with side effects, endless doctor visits, debilitating pain and even surgeries.

But what if RA could be sent into remission with diet and lifestyle changes? Turns out, a growing number of doctors have found out that it can.

Here’s a summary of their protocols; natural remedies for rheumatoid arthritis that work.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease

There are two types of arthritis. Understanding the differences between the two types of arthritis will help you distinguish which one you have. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola:

“Osteoarthritis – Degenerative joint disease usually affects the distal joints, or the joints at the end of your fingers and toes, not the middle ones. Additionally, it’s not symmetrical, so typically you may have it on just one joint, or on one hand or foot and not the other.”

“Rheumatoid arthritis – RA, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that causes your body to break itself down.”

Dr. Amy Meyers MD specializes in treating autoimmune conditions and says, “Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition that occurs when the body begins attacking the joints, mistaking them as foreign invaders.”

In most case, RA begins in the small joints such as hands, fingers, and toes. Then it progresses to larger joints and there’s pain and swelling in larger joints like the wrists, ankles, knees, and hips.

Dr. Myers explains, “The body attacks the thin membrane surrounding joints, allowing fluid and immune complexes to build up in the joints and cause significant pain. Normally these immune complexes filter out of your blood on their own, but when there is a build-up, they tend to settle into different joints and cause local inflammation and tissue damage. When these immune complexes build up in the joints, they can cause pain and swelling characteristic of RA.”

Related rheumatic illnesses include: SLE, scleroderma, polymyositis and dermatomyositis.

Some stats about RA

Rheumatoid arthritis affects over 1.5 million adults. Anyone can be affected by RA, but it most often affects women between the ages of 40 and 60 years old.

If someone in your family has RA or any autoimmune disease, then you are more likely to develop RA in your lifetime.

Less than one percent of people with the disease have a spontaneous remission. Some disability occurs in 50 to 70 percent of people within five years after onset of the disease, and half will stop working within 10 years.

If you have already been diagnosed with RA, then you are three times more likely to develop a second autoimmune condition.

Studies using identical twins found that genetics only account for 25% and environmental factors account for 75% of autoimmune conditions.

Less than one percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis have a spontaneous remission. Click To Tweet

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The symptoms and severity of rheumatoid arthritis vary from person to person, but it is common to notice:

• Morning stiffness – lasting at least one hour before maximal improvement is noted
• Joint pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and deformity in 3 or more areas – Per Dr. Mercola, “At least three joint areas have simultaneously had soft-tissue swelling or fluid (not bony overgrowth) observed by a physician. There are 14 possible joints: right or left PIP, MCP, wrist, elbow, knee, ankle, and MTP joints.”
• Swollen hand joints – At least one joint area swollen as above in a wrist, MCP, or PIP joint. It tends to affect the proximal joints more so than the distal ones, i.e. the joints closest to your palm, for example, opposed to the joints further out in the fingers. Dr. Mercola says, “In a way, the hands are the calling card of rheumatoid arthritis. If you completely lack hand and wrist involvement, even by history, the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is doubtful. Rheumatoid arthritis rarely affects your hips and ankles early in its course.”
• Symmetric arthritis – in the same joint areas on both sides of your body. According to Dr. Mercola, “So, if you have pain there, especially if it’s symmetrical (affecting the same joints on both hands or feet), then almost by definition you have rheumatoid arthritis or an RA variant. It really doesn’t matter what the blood work shows.”
• Fatigue
• Unintentional weight loss
• Nodules or stiff bumps under the skin – Only about 25 percent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis develop nodules.
• Frequent urinary tract infections
• Fever

Rheumatoid arthritis tends to start in the hands and shows up symmetrically in the body. Click To Tweet

How rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed

According to Dr. Myers, “The diagnosis is based on a combination of symptoms, physical exam, and blood tests.”

The blood tests look for signs of inflammation as well as autoimmunity. Typical tests would include:

• Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA)
• Rheumatoid factor (RF)
• Anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibodies (anti-CCP)
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Cardio CRP)

An x-ray of the affected joint or joints may also be ordered.

Conventional treatment manages symptoms

Conventional treatment focusses is on managing the symptoms of RA rather than finding the root cause.  Treatment is based solely on medications.

Dr. Joseph Mercola has treated over 3000 patients for RA, so speaks from some experience. He has a harsh assessment of conventional treatment: “The U.S. “health” care system has evolved to one that focuses on using drugs and surgery as its primary treatment tool. This works exceptionally well for some diseases like acute trauma but for other diseases, especially autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, they are abysmal failures.”

The first line of treatment is Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen.

Once NSAIDs no longer alleviate symptoms, then steroids such as Prednisone are prescribed.

When steroids stop controlling the symptoms, a host of other harsh medications are prescribed to either modulate or suppress the immune system as a whole.  These drugs include Methotrexate, Plaquenil, Imuran, Enbrel and Remade.  They can have very harsh side effects including liver damage, bone marrow suppression and increased susceptibility to infections.

Dr. Myers relates, “When I was an ER resident working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), I took care of a young woman in her 20’s with RA.  She came into the ICU with liver failure and nearly died after taking Remicade. Thankfully, she received a liver transplant and survived.”

Functional medicine deals with the cause

Functional medicine focusses on finding the underlying cause and works to resolve it without drugs, if possible.

It turns out, autoimmune diseases tend to share common triggers. Here are the most common that result in rheumatoid arthritis.

Gluten

When discussing gluten sensitivity, we are usually referring to a module found in wheat, rye and barley. It’s everywhere in the standard american diet; bagels, pasta, bread, wraps.  I’ve even found it added to fast food grilled chicken.

Dr. Alessio Fasano, MD leads  a team of researchers across nine countries and is Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital.  He’s been beating the drum about gluten sensitivity for decades and says, “Although we’ve been eating wheat for thousands of years, we are not engineered to digest gluten. We are able to completely digest every protein we put in our mouths with the exception of one—and that’s gluten. Gluten is a weird protein. We don’t have the enzymes to dismantle it completely, leaving undigested peptides that can be harmful. The immune system may perceive them as an enemy and mount an immune response.”

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D.,  “Gluten sensitivity is actually an autoimmune disease that creates inflammation throughout the body, with wide-ranging effects across all organ systems including your brain, heart, joints, digestive tract, and more. It can be the single cause behind many different “diseases.” To correct these diseases, you need to treat the cause – which is often gluten sensitivity – not just the symptoms.”

I actually found over 70 signs of gluten intolerance, including rheumatoid arthritis, food cravings, constipation, dry skin, acne, acid reflux, headaches and mood swings.

In an interview with Abel James, Dr. William Davis said, “I’ve had people in heart failure who came out of it with elimination of wheat. Not to say all heart failure is caused by wheat, but I like eliminating wheat first.”

The gold standard test for gluten sensitivity is an elimination diet; a temporary eating plan that eliminates certain foods for a few weeks and then reintroduces them. If you are ready to try it, I have created a step-by-step guide for you called A simple elimination diet to help you identify food sensitivities.

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, there is a high probability you have a sensitivity to gluten. Click To Tweet

Leaky gut

The word ‘gut’ is used to refer to the upper part of your large intestines. Your gut is somewhat permeable to very small molecules. The permeability allows the absorption of nutrients.

The problem comes when the lining of the gut is damaged, which allows the tiny openings to expand, allowing larger molecules into the blood stream; molecules that the body sees as a foreign invader and attacks. This condition is called ‘leaky gut‘.

Leaky gut can be initiated by gluten, but there are also other causes. Dr. Myers says, “Many things including, gluten, infections, medications and stress can damage the gut, allowing toxins, microbes and undigested food particles – among other things – directly into your bloodstream. Leaky gut is the gateway for these infections, toxins and foods – like gluten – to cause systemic inflammation that leads to autoimmunity.  You must heal your gut before you can heal yourself.”

Ironically, prolonged use of NSAID pain medications like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen have been shown to harm beneficial gut bacteria that control your immune system.

To learn how to heal your gut, see my post called 4 Steps to Heal Your Gut and Why This Will Heal Your Body.

Leaky gut is the gateway to systemic inflammation that leads to autoimmunity. Click To Tweet

Mercury

Dr. Myers says, “Mercury is a heavy metal that is capable of altering or damaging the cells of various bodily tissues. When cells are damaged, your immune system can mistake them as foreign invaders and begin attacking its own organs. Studies show that individuals with higher mercury exposures have an increased risk of getting an autoimmune disease.”

Sources of mercury include:

• vapors in the air from coal burning plants
• ingestion via drinking water
• fish – #1 way humans are exposed – See my post called Is Mercury in Fish Harmful?
• dental fillings where amalgam is used (FDA considers dental amalgam fillings safe for adults and children ages 6 and above.  Interestingly, though stated to be safe in you mouth, it is illegal to throw a removed filling in the garbage.)
• vaccines
• occupational and home exposures including florescent light bulbs, thermostats, batteries, red tattoo dye, skin lightening creams, & contact lens cleaner

A qualified functional medicine practitioner can test your MTHFR genes and also do a DMPS chelation challenge test to determine if mercury or other heavy metals are an issue for you.

Mercury can damage cell tissue and set off an autoimmune response. Click To Tweet

Mycotoxins

Some people are extremely sensitive to toxic mold. Dave Asprey dealt with a severe mold sensitivity and ended up producing a documentary called Moldy. He writes, “28% of people have a genetically influenced innate immune response that gets turned on by environmental mold, but it doesn’t turn off. That data comes from Dr. Shoemaker, one of the most innovative experts in treating all forms of biotoxin illness.”

Dr. Myers adds, “I have discovered that many of my patients with autoimmune disease are actually living or working in environments that have toxic mold.  Toxic molds produce mycotoxins, which are volatile organic compounds (VOC) and can be toxic to genetically susceptible people.”

Symptoms can show up as lyme, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, a cold, sore throat, love handles, retaining water, headache, migraine, nosebleeds, bruising easily.

Asprey says, “If your health changed after a roof leak or a broken pipe, it’s time to get your air tested.”

A urine test is probably the best test, according to Dr. Myers, who says, “Common environmental mold testing does not test for mycotoxins. The mycotoxins are what seem to wreak havoc on the gut and immune system.  I use a urine test from Real Time Labs to assess the level of mycotoxins in the system, and then follow Dr. Shoemaker’s protocol using glutathione, anti-fungal medication, and Cholestyramine.  Surviving mold is a great resource if you feel like this is an issue for you.”

Mold toxicity can harm the gut and trigger autoimmune diseases. Click To Tweet

Infections

Studies are showing a strong correlation between an overgrowth of certain gut bacteria and the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Myers says, “While it has not yet been proven as the sole cause of rheumatoid arthritis, it is certainly suspected that the gut bacteria, Prevotella copri and Proteus mirabilis, play a significant role in the onset of rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. Gut bacteria, like P. cpori and P. mirabilis, can cause leaky gut, which is a frequent cause of immune dysfunction and inflammation in the body.”

In addition to bacteria, the Epstein-Barr virus is also believed to be a potential trigger of rheumatoid arthritis. According to Dr. Myers, “Often times, the antibodies seeking out this virus mistakenly attack joint tissue, through a process called molecular mimicry. This allows fluid and immune complexes to build up in the joints, causing pain and inflammation.”

As a treatment, Dr. Myers says, “You may need to take antibiotics to treat bacterial infections such as Prevotella copri or Proteus mirabilis. I often use herbs to treat these infections as well. I also use coconut oil and Monolaurin to help treat the Epstein-Barr virus if it is currently active.”

Your gut controls about 80% of your immune response so it is absolutely crucial that you optimize the bacterial colonies growing there. It is imperative to stop eating all refined sugars and processed foods and replace them with REAL food that is not processed. This will limit the growth of gut pathogens.

Causes of rheumatoid arthritis include gluten, leaky gut, mercury, mold and infections. Click To Tweet

Support the immune system

As you begin to clean up your gut and eliminate environmental contributors, you can also support your immune system and reduce pain with supplements. I want to stress that these supports are most effective in the context of an anti-inflammatory diet that begins with a month-long elimination diet. In other words, if you are gluten sensitive but keep eating wheat, supplements alone won’t send RA into remission.

• Vitamin D3 – helps regulate the immune system and most people are deficient. Dr. Joseph Mercola advises, “From my perspective, it is now virtually malpractice to treat a person with RA and not aggressively monitor their vitamin D levels to confirm that they are in a therapeutic range of 65-80 ng/ml. This is so important that blood tests need to be done every two weeks, so the dose (whether you’re using sun exposure or a supplement) can be adjusted to get within that therapeutic range.” According to research published by GrassrootsHealth from the D*Action study, the average adult needs to take 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D per day in order to elevate your levels above 40 ng/ml – the bare minimum requirement necessary for disease prevention. Here’s the Vitamin D3 I take.
• Omega-3 fish oil, krill oil or fermented cod liver oil – to help reduce inflammation in the entire body. Eat a pound of fatty fish a week, and then you might consider taking some additional EPA and DHA supplements. Dr. Mercola favors krill oil. Here’s the fish oil I take.
• Glutathione – is the most powerful antioxidant in the body which can help reduce inflammation and improve detoxification in the body. I like cold processed whey protein from grass fed cows as a source of glutathione (don’t use during the elimination diet phase or if you don’t tolerate it well). You can get some here.
• MSM (2,000-8,000 mg daily) – from either from food or supplement for sulfur. MSM is in most raw foods, such as leafy green vegetables. Raw milk has the highest naturally occurring content of MSM, but it has to be raw as pasteurization causes MSM to evaporate. Foods high in sulfur help repair damaged bones and cartilage. Some foods high in sulfur include asparagus, cabbage, garlic, and onion. MSM is available here.
• Bone broth – Simmering leftover bones over very low heat for an entire day will create a nutritious and healing food. The connective tissues are sulfur-rich, and when you slow-cook the bones, you dissolve these nutrients out of the bone and into the water. You can use this broth for soups, stews, or drink it straight. Note that the “skin” that forms on the top is contains the most valuable nutrients, including sulfur, along with healthful fats. Be sure to stir it back into the broth. Also, only use bones from pastured and organically raised animals.
• Fermented vegetables – Aim for around 4-6 ounces a day of foods like refrigerated, unheated sauerkraut.
• Low dose naltrexone – is a drug but can help you wean off the nearly universal experience of toxic drugs that most people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are put on. It’s the most potent way to improve T regulatory cell function. It’s also inexpensive and non toxic.
• BCM-95 Curcumin (1,000mg daily) – A 2006 study found that turmeric supplements, which contain curcuminoids, profoundly lessened joint inflammation and destruction. A downside is that regular curcumin is not very bioavailable. That means your body doesn’t usually absorb it well, although taking with pepper may help improve bioavailability. The BCM-95 version absorbs better. BCM-95 is available here.
• Proteolytic Enzymes/Bromelain (500 mg 3x daily) – Found in pineapple, this is a natural anti-inflammatory which also helps reduce swelling.
• Boswellia – also known as boswellin or “Indian frankincense” is an herb found to be particularly useful against arthritic inflammation and associated pain. Available here.
• Ginger – has anti-inflammatory properties and can offer pain relief. Fresh ginger works well steeped in boiling water as a tea or grated into vegetable juice. Available here.
• Exercise – to increase muscle tone of your non-weight bearing joints. Consider cycling and swimming for exercise since they are easy on the joints and improve circulation.
• Water – Drink 8 glasses of filtered water daily to flush out toxins and keep joints lubricated.
• Essential oils – Peppermint and wintergreen oil are effective analgesics that cool inflamed joints and reduce pain.  You can mix these oils with coconut oil and rub onto joints.  Frankincense and ginger oil reduce inflammation which improves arthritic pain.

The first steps

Here’s how to get started.

1. Sign up for my email newsletter. When you do, I will send you checklists to get you through the first month of diet changes. It’s free.
2. Read A simple elimination diet to help you identify food sensitivities.
3. Read The Wellness Repair Diet.

With appropriate diet and lifestyle changes, significant benefits can be seen in months instead of years.

Dr. Mercola says, “I have treated nearly 3000 patients and find that the dietary modification I advocate, which I started to integrate in the early 1990s, accelerates the response rate to several months. I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of this aspect of the program.”

If you need a more comprehensive article to print out for your doctor, I recommend THIS ONE by Dr. Mercola.

Thanks for reading!

Jeff

Additional Resources

Dr. Joseph Mercola, MD – Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Dr. Mercola & Sarah Allen Talk About Arthritis Remission

TOXIC MOLD POISONING – Dave Asprey

Dr. Michael Greger, MD – Why Do Plant-Based Diets Help Rheumatoid Arthritis?