We all know that there is NO cure for arthritis. We’re told this every day. Our physicians tell us. Our rheumatologists tell us. And, of course, the drug companies tell us that arthritis cannot be cured. Really? No cure? The best we can hope for is pain management. Luckily, the drug companies have our backs here. There’s a plethora of more and more lethal chemicals, all touted to alleviate pain and reduce swelling. But cure? No. Just keep ingesting or injecting the drugs and you’ll be able to struggle along.

In the United States alone, more than forty million people suffer from arthritis. Some put the figure as high as seventy million, ranging in age from six years old to one hundred. And no cure. What sort of nonsense is this? We have become a drug reliant populace. We’ll take anything that promises relief from pain, however fleeting. The time to get real relief from arthritis pain is before the pain starts. And I’m going to tell you how to do it.

I need to say that I’m a lawyer, not a doctor, and all the information I’m lucky enough to pass on comes from 35 years of interacting with sufferers who want to cure arthritis naturally but are consistently prescribed high risk drugs .

Arthritis starts either suddenly with immediate swelling of the extremities or gradually, creeping up like a thief in the night.

Sudden onset has you rushing to your physician because you can’t use your keys or carry a plate. Physician looks at your poor swollen hands and puffy joints and pronounces RA, and starts you on RA drugs which, initially, reduce both swelling and pain. And that can be a long horrible road filled with DMARDS and NSAIDS, which cause high blood pressure, insomnia, cataracts, thin skin and bruising, if you’re lucky. If you’re not lucky, they kill you. And I won’t even touch on the much touted biologics. You’re so horrified that you accept the diagnosis and take the drugs ad infinitum. Naturally, your arthritis is not cured but the pain and swelling is managed so that you can function, sort of.

There is another way. At the sudden onset of this pain and swelling in your hands (RA usually starts in the hands), don’t assume that this is a life sentence. Assume that it is an infection. Have your physician prescribe an antibiotic first. See if it clears the pain and swelling. If it does, you are not sentenced to a life of misery. This approach is not automatically adopted by any physician but it’s something which should be tried in the first instance.

Gradual onset is a horse of a different color altogether. You have to prepare for gradual onset. If up to 70 million people succumb to the many forms of arthritis assume that, as you mature, you’re going to have stiffness and, perhaps, pain. So avoid it. Starting as young as 25 get into the avoidance habit. Immediately you get up in the morning, before you even get to the bathroom, stretch. Touch the ceiling. Bend to each side. Touch your toes. Twist from side to side. Five repetitions please. You may not be able to touch the ceiling, of course, but act as if! Nowadays most younger people take some sort of exercise but the wrinklies or near wrinklies are still in the bed-to shower-to-car-to-desk mode. They’re really the ones who need to start a mild exercise regime. You don’t need to climb Mount Everest. You do need to move your muscles and joints. The other little problem is weight. Lose it. The more weight you carry, the more stress on your joints, the more likely there is arthritis in your future. Again, slowly, slowly works the best. Change your desert from cheese cake to a piece of fruit. Every second day. If you work at a desk, take a ten minute walk at lunch time. These simple precautions strengthen your joints and by making a habit of a little exercise and a little weight loss, you can cure arthritis naturally, before it starts.

This article is not comprehensive. I have not even touched on good and bad foods. Many of my articles deal with the cure for arthritis in much more detail but this is just to give you an idea of the simple things which will help keep your joints oiled and in good shape.