Arthritis
(The following is a quoted excerpt, pages 116-121, from the Book The Great Health Heist © by Paul Rosen J.D.,L.Ac. Published by Warren Publishing, Inc.)
When it comes to both severe and chronic pain, arthritis is the rock star of my client's complaints. But they - and you - are not alone! Let's look at some statistics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States. The CDC has found that each year, arthritis impacts the United States with:
o 9,500 deaths
o 750,000 hospitalizations
o 8 million people with limitations
o 36 million ambulatory care visits
o 49 million people with self-reported, doctor-diagnosed arthritis
o $51 billion in medical costs and $86 billion in total costs
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, more than 20 million people in the United States have the disease. By 2030, 20% of Americans - about 70 million people - will have passed their 65th birthday and will be at risk for osteoarthritis.
Younger people get osteoarthritis from joint injuries, but osteoarthritis is most often associated with older people. More than half of the population age 65 or older, both male and female, show x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint. Before age 45, more men than women have osteoarthritis, whereas after age 45, it is more common in women.
There is also rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune condition. The traditional theory for an autoimmune condition is that for some unknown reason the body is attacking healthy joints. However, I contend that the body is attacking itself for a known reason: because an irritant or stressor is affecting the joints and making them unhealthy. The immune system is simply trying to clear things up. And, to my thinking, this is why traditional testing methods often miss key information.
Conventional treatment for arthritis relies primarily on drugs. Surgery may be appropriate where a joint has degenerated to the point of no return. Such a joint (for example, a hip or knee) would be without articular cartilage or show severe degradation of bone. In these cases, replacement is clearly an option. However, the most important question to ask is whether such a condition is inevitable. I'm here to tell you that in most cases the answer is NO! Of course, where people have ignored the warning signs (like chronic joint pain), having a surgical option is a wonderful thing. But does that option work for every case? Obviously not.
Drugs are clearly so risky that it makes sense to look in other directions. It is now clear from recent recalls of drugs like Celebrex, Vioxx and many other painkillers that the dangers are too great. Even NSAIDS, those so-called "harmless" anti-inflammatory drugs you buy over the counter, can have life-threatening consequences such as kidney or liver failure. Before you automatically pursue a risky drug treatment, wouldn't it be worthwhile to first look at safe, natural and effective solutions?
Instead of seeking quick or "miracle" relief from expensive painkillers or serious surgery, find out the real cause and address it at the root in order to change the condition. Remember, with drugs, you are only suppressing the symptoms. You are only suppressing the pain. YOU ARE NOT CHANGING THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE CONDITION.
Nutrition Response TestingSM is a technology that reveals the answers you seek. The sooner you act to discover the real cause, the less likely you will need radical intervention like surgery. What do you have to lose except some fundamental misunderstanding?
"HS" discovered Nutrition Response Testing as a last resort, and it was her best cure. "I had experienced joint pain in most of my major joints for nine years," she wrote me not long ago. "The location of the pain and degree fluctuated for no apparent reason. Traditional medicine had been unsuccessful in alleviating any of the pain and as a last resort I tried acupuncture. This worked better than traditional methods but was still not able to eliminate all of the pain.
"Paul suggested a treatment of supplements using Nutrition Response Testing to determine the specific supplements needed. This, along with the acupuncture, has reduced my pain by about 80%. I am most pleased with the respect and concern shown during my treatments. When something did not seem to be working, I was considered the 'expert' and something new was tried. My experience with Western medicine was that if the treatment did not work, I was either blamed for not following instructions (not true) or my symptoms must be in my head.’ This different approach was refreshing."
“SH" wrote to tell me, "Thank you so much for your good work in helping me get well. After seeing you for acupuncture treatments, I am as good as new. No more hip or knee problems either. My husband Larry is doing well after his treatments, too! My daughter asked him, 'How did you get over your problem elbow?' Larry simply said, 'I had acupuncture.' He sounds like a true believer now. I really do appreciate your professionalism and your heart for helping others through healing techniques. "