Complexities
of Healing
by Barbara D. Allan
Author of Conquering Arthritis
Because of my book, I have many people contacting me
about arthritis. Some have healed completely, some are
noticeably better, some have yet to see any improvement.
Last week I was particularly touched by a gentleman
who falls into the third category. He has rheumatoid
arthritis and celiac sprue (gluten intolerance). He
was in the middle of a vegetable juice fast and was
hoping for the near miraculous results that many people
with arthritis experience when they undertake such a
fast. Unfortunately, 6 days into the fast he still wasn't
experiencing any relief from his symptoms. He fasted
3 more days on plain water to make sure he wasn't having
a negative reaction to the carrot and celery
juice mixture.
As near as I can tell, he was doing everything right.
He had hoped that the fasting would calm his inflammation
and that eliminating any problem foods would stop his
arthritis. It works that way for many people. Unfortunately,
it didn't work that way for him.
Because many people with arthritis have food sensitivities,
much of my book focuses on how to test for food sensitivities
(one option involves fasting), and how to eliminate
all traces of problem foods from your diet. The results
of the process are often miraculous.
But I don't want people who don't find relief this
way to give up.
Arthritis is a complex disease. There are many, many
things that can cause it. Most people with arthritis
will have several underlying causes. You may (or may
not) feel better each time you correct one of those
things. The arthritis itself will generally continue
to progress until all those causes are corrected.
Seldom do you find two people with exactly the same
underlying causes. That is part of what makes healing
from arthritis such an art. You have to find the right
remedies for you. If one or more of your causes is unusual,
it may take additional detective work to figure out
what is needed in your particular case.
Some of the most common underlying causes (all which
are treatable) are:
- delayed food sensitivities, which can be caused
by a whole array of things, including imbalances in
intestinal flora after antibiotics, physical, mental
or emotional stress, anti-inflammatory drugs, too
much alcohol, insufficient stomach acid, and/or celiac
disease or gluten intolerance;
- over acidity in the body caused by a diet too high
in protein, refined carbohydrates and carbonated beverages;
- old fear and anger trapped in the body;
- not moving a joint through its range of motion
on a daily basis;
- injuries;
- bacterial infections, especially infections of
Shigella and Salmonella which cause dysentery, and
Chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection that may
have no overt symptoms;
- inadequate nutrition. (For instance, not enough
vitamin C or other nutrients in the diet that are
important for maintaining healthy joints.)
- sensitivity to pesticides, cleaning chemicals,
cigarette smoke, and toxic outgasing from new carpets
and furniture
There are also hundreds of other causes. Whether any
of these exposures or experiences is one of the causes
of your arthritis depends on a complex interplay of
your own susceptibility and your exposure levels. And
identifying which factors are relevant in your life
can be complex indeed. For instance, a few years ago,
another person I was guiding through an unsuccessful
fast wrote me several months later to report that the
missing piece in understanding of her arthritis had
to do with her well water. When she switched to bottled
water, her symptoms went away.
We are really only just beginning to learn about the
environmental causes of arthritis. For instance, the
mines in and around Libby, Montana once supplied the
United States with most of its vermiculite, a mineral
used for insulation and gardening. This vermiculite
was contaminated with asbestos found in the ground there.
A new study of Libby residents links asbestos exposure
with three autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis,
lupus and scleroderma. Not everyone in the town developed
these diseases, and yet the rate of incidence of these
diseases is clearly linked to this exposure.
Similarly, there is a neighborhood in California where
many of the houses have recently been abandoned because
residents identified natural asbestos deposits. These
residents were receiving high levels of asbestos exposure
from normal exposure to the dirt and dust
there. Asbestos exposure can also be a factor for military
and manufacturing workers.
I don't yet know enough about how to heal arthritis
triggered by asbestos exposure, but a general principle
here is that avoiding any more exposure to other problem
chemicals is often enough to allow the body to recover.
But my biggest point here is to not give up. You deserve
to heal, and you are worth all the attention and detective
work and care that it can take to accomplish that healing.
Just because you don't know the answer now doesn't mean
it will evade you forever--unless, of course, you give
up looking for it.
Next: Secondary
Complications
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