The modern fast-food diet of many people these days can contribute to the formation of toxins in the digestive tract. One of the main causes of arthritis, or rheumatism, is an excessive accumulation of waste products in the affected tissue. An unbalanced diet, that is, eating foods that are wrong for your body on a regular, long-term basis, or eating foods that are devitalized, contribute greatly toward arthritic symptoms.

It is wise to create a daily diet of foods that are as fresh and as unprocessed as possible. Foods that cause an acidic reaction should be avoided, and foods that cause subtle allergic reactions or digestive problems.

Using appropriate herbs, and using a combination of other holistic approaches to aid the body, it is possible to cleanse the whole system and rid the source of arthritis or rheumatism. This degenerative process took a long time to create; therefore the treatment also takes time.

Even though many types of therapy have been used to “cure” arthritis, this cure has not yet been found. There are numerous holistic approaches to assisting the body with increasing the range of motion in particular joints affected with arthritis and lessening the pain. A wholesome diet, with adequate exercise and massage are of course very important, but here we shall concentrate on some excellent herbal approaches that can be used in conjunction to the other health giving applications.

An excess of acids in the system should be neutralized, as an acidic body also contributes greatly to the formation of an arthritic condition in the joints. Parsley is recommended in a small amount on a daily basis. Firmly pack one cup of both the stems and leaves into a glass bowl, pour one quart of boiling spring water over this, and allow to steep 15 minutes. One-quarter cup of this daily is said to be quite beneficial for arthritis.

Fresh garlic sautйed with one’s daily lunch, or dinner is also very helpful with arthritic conditions.

Amazing results have been noted also with the addition of comfrey. Either sipped as a tea in small amounts, or adding a small amount of raw comfrey to a salad.

Rosemary leaves are also known to be highly beneficial for arthritis. Make a mild tea from rosemary leaves and drink it hot each morning, and a little bit more in the evening.

Rheumatic diseases can also benefit from Mexican wild yam, which yields cortisone, diosgenin and other steroids, and hormones, which can be used in treating arthritis.

An abundance of saliclic acid is contained in wintergreen leaves. Saliclic acid is one of the main ingredients in today’s aspirin. Aspirin is widely prescribed by some doctors for arthritic pain.

Wintergreen may be taken in the oil form by adding only two to four drops of wintergreen oil to a glass of spring water, or added to a teaspoonful of honey. This formula may be taken a couple times per day.

A few herbal combination formulas that are known to be quite beneficial, used in conjunction with a balanced diet are:

Herbal Tea # 1     Parts of the whole
Yarrow     1
Celery Seed     1
Meadow Sweet     1
Bog Bean     2
Drink this tea two to three times per day for weeks at a time.

Herbal Tea # 2     Parts of the whole
Black Cohosh     1
Wintergreen Leaves     1
Wahoo Bark     1
Rocky Mountain Grape Root     1
If the pain is to the extreme as to interfere with one’s sleep a good and safe formula which, is non habit forming, in order to get a good rest is:

Herbal Tea # 3     Parts of the whole
Velerian     2
Passion Flower     1
Kava Kava     1
Skull Cap     2
Drink a half-cup a half hour prior going to bed.

There are also a number of external remedies that can eliminate toxins and reduce the inflammation, assisting in easing the pain, while also stimulating circulation in the affected area. A very good liniment that has a stimulating and warming effect is mixing equal amounts of glycerin with cayenne tincture. Rub this liniment into the muscles or joints. Be careful that this mixture does not get into areas of broken skin, or on the face.

Cayenne is excellent as a stimulant for the circulation in the limbs.

St. John’s Wort oil may also be rubbed on the arthritic areas that are experiencing pain.