The Centers for Disease Care and Prevention estimates that 70 million Americans suffer from symptoms of arthritis. So, about one-third of Americans suffer from the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.

Fortunately, there are many treatments for arthritis, both traditional and alternative. And if traditional drug therapies, comprised of either NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) or narcotic pain relievers, are not enough, then here are natural arthritis treatments that have withstood the test of time.

Note that the natural arthritis treatments featured here have no conclusive scientific evidence to prove their medical claims. Therefore, you are strongly advised to consult your doctor before you resort to any of these natural arthritis treatments. Learn as much as you can about these and other alternative treatments. More information will help you make better decisions.

Chiropractic Therapy

Chripractic therapy is one of the common forms of natural arthritis treatments used on patients suffering from this disorder. It emphasizes the relationship between the spinal column and the central nervous system, both of which affects the overall health of a person.

Donald David Palmer is thought to have founded chiropractic arthritis treatments in 1895. He is thought to have cured a deaf patient by putting one of the patient's vertebrae back into alignment. After that, Palmer continued to refine his work, expanding the coverage of the therapy to include such chronic diseases as arthritis.

By properly aligning the vertebrae of the spine, it is believed that the normal functioning of the nervous system has been restored, thus enabling the body to heal itself.

Cytil Myristoleate

Cytil Myristoleate (also known as CM or CMO) is also a long used form of natural arthritis treatment. The first complete human study on the effectiveness of Cetyl Myristoleate, headed by Dr. Len Sands of the San Diego Clinic, was made in 1995. The subjects were 48 arthritic patients, 80% of whom showed significant articular mobility while 70% showed pain reduction.

Another study was a double blind, conducted by Dr. H. Siemandi two years later under the auspices of the Joint European Hospital Studies Program. This study showed that CMO had a positive impact on patients and was an effective natural arthritis treatment.

Chondroitin

Chondroitin is another alternative. It is a substance naturally found in human cartilage. Besides arthritis, chondroitin is also used to treat several diseases, among which are psoriasis and cancer.

Chondroitin is a glycosaminoglycan. It comprises about 5-20% of cartilage tissue, occurring mostly as a sulfate composed of repeating disaccharide units. Choindroitin has been used in the treatment of illnesses for over 30 years.

Ingested chondroitin is thought to provide the chemical components necessary for the body to prevent cartilage degradation.