Last Updated on July 18, 2020
There is no known absolute cure for rheumatoid arthritis. If you see a doctor with regards to your condition, then you would be prescribed with NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or steroids to manage the condition.
I am able to write more about this condition because I have recently developed the early stage of rheumatoid arthritis.
Please read my follow up article: How I cured my rheumatoid arthritis without medication, herbs or supplement
Early detection of Rheumatoid Arthritis
You should be on the alert if you start noticing that your finger joints (phalanges) start to experience pain- especially when you press on it. It may begin with one finger and then later spread to all or most of the fingers and the location is generally at the same place. The picture below shows my right hand where I am starting to experience pain in all the joint of the upper finger phalanges:
Initially it started with the middle finger of the right hand, then the left hand. Eventually it was followed by the index finger and now all the joint of my upper phalanges with varying pain. I was no longer able to hold my fingers in a strong fist even though she used to be involved in martial arts at a younger age.
You would notice that the middle finger (where the pain is most severe) is already slightly crocked. The area are swollen and hard. Eventually, the fingers would go crooked and the last phalanges would be hard to move as circulation gets blocked.
There is no known full cure for rheumatoid arthritis. I have checked with a few healers like those doing bekam (blood acupuncture) and blood letting- if the fluid can be drained- but was told if the rheumatoid pain is focused on the upper phalanges, they are not able to use traditional treatment to drain out the hardened uric acid. However, if it is at the lowest phalange joining with the palm of the hand, then perhaps it can be done.
How to delay or prevent the condition from getting worse without drugs
From the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is helpful in reducing pain and eventually swelling. Acupuncture needle is administered into certain acupoints of the body to stimulate self healing.
However, in order for the acupuncture treatment to be able to work, during the course of treatment, the patient needs to abstain from certain food that is considered bad for those suffering from inflammation.
These are some of the food:
- Eggs
- Any Cold drinks
- Tea
- Duck
- Seafood (except fish)
- Beans, peanuts and soy products
- Mushrooms
- some also advised against taking chicken meat
As I noticed like me, more and more people are getting this at a younger age, I have spoken to a few traditional practitioner who told me that dietary changes is very important to control the condition.
The above are food that you need to avoid as much as you can if you do not wish to have a painful flare up. It would probably not come as a surprise that if you have rheumatoid arthritis, some of the food above may be your favourite. It is tough but is necessary for you to give up food that would harm you. If you speak to a doctor who is practicing conventional medicine, the doctor would tell you that you can eat anything but perhaps you may need to avoid seafood and duck meat. Things like eggs and poultry are not in the list but in traditional Chinese medicine, these are food known to trigger inflammation.
During the early stages, the condition does not feel painful- it is only painful if the area accidentally hit on a hard surface. However as time past, the condition would be more and more painful. Those who started developing the pain at the fingers, eventually will start experiencing at the toes as the condition would spread.
Once the pain gets worse, one would gradually lose function of the hands and feet and become immobilised and live in constant pain.
If you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, I urge you to consider giving acupuncture treatment a try as well as commit to making dietary changes. You may be prescribed with Chinese herbal medicine that helps to dispel the dampness energy in the body. Such treatment would take time and requires a full commitment to abstain from certain kind of food in order for the treatment to work.
My friend who is a traditional Chinese practitioner told me that she has helped a number of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis using acupuncture treatment and having the patients commit to abstaining from certain food (listed above) as much as they could.
Please read my follow up article: How I cured my rheumatoid arthritis without medication, herbs or supplement
