Ask the doctor.

My mother is 82 and is suffering from arthritis. She's in very good health except for that. She was on Vioxx until it was taken off the market, and now she is in pain again. What can she take to naturally help alleviate the pain?

--Jill

Natural anti-inflammatory compounds can help replace Vioxx. Look for one that contains curcumin, ginger and, if possible, green lipped mussel extract, which has performed well in double-blind studies on rheumatoid arthritis.

Your next strategy involves changes to your mother's diet and supplementation regimen. Your mother should ideally be on a primarily vegan diet, and her intake of saturated fats and trans fats should be greatly limited. As for supplements, she should be put on a 10-capsule-per-day dosage of omega-3 fatty acids. And I would also recommend 1,000 international units (IU) per day of vitamin E and 400 micrograms (mcg) of selenium per day.

Your mother should have her thyroid checked because a thyroid imbalance can affect rheumatoid arthritis (RA). And she should see a licensed naturopath or acupuncturist as well. A naturopath can monitor her supplement program and diet so that your mother has the newest developments in natural medicine at her disposal.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can cause a dramatic improvement in your mother's condition. If she gets regular acupuncture treatments, her symptoms will improve. Chinese herbal medicine has been treating rheumatoid arthritis for more than 1,000 years and has developed very effective formulas for RA over that time.

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